Today Chrysler announced in a press release the introduction of its new ENVI team, which is a cross-functional team within Chrysler, strategically intended to develop electric-drive production vehicles and related advanced-propulsion technologies.

The intent behind creating the ENVI team is to establish a small, nimble team that will be able to move quickly and have access to the vast resources within Chrysler to allow rapid proliferation of electric-drive vehicles and to permit Chrysler LLC to develop a new generation of environmentally responsible Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles.

To read more and see video of the unveiling on CNBC, check out the ChryslerGoesElectric site.

Also if you would like to see specifics on EV for each brand visit ChryslerLLC blog home page.

Some key points tied with the introduction of ENVI, Chrysler LLC plans to have:

• At least one model to be produced in 2010 for consumers in North American markets, and European markets after 2010
• More than one hundred electric vehicles on the road in government, business, and development fleets in 2009
• Electric-drive technology applied to front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, and body-on-frame four-wheel-drive platforms

Cheers,

Will

 

That Dodge electric sports car in the Lotus skin is just too darn similar to the whole Tesla Motors vehicle that I can't help but wonder if there's some sort of collaborative effort going on there. Currently the price of the Tesla puts it well out of reach of the average consumer. Prices are expected to fall as production increases, so could a kick start from Chrysler be part of a potential alliance here?

 

ok, 1st of all Tesla motors is a direct competitor of Chrysler in this electric car race. Tesla hired Mike Donoughe, Chryslers top engineer to head their own company. Which means some animosity between the two. And lotus may only produce the body for chrysler, if and when needed.

Also Chrysler has also been been working on these electrics for over 2 years, and they're VERY close to production according to my chat with Lou Rhodes (head of the ENVI electric car division) last week on the customer advisory board session. Infact they were planning the release of the car this spring 2009, but the high gas prices and low car sales forced them to put that capital into other more crucial areas like cost cutting and quality enhancements.
Last, lets not forget that Chrysler has been making and selling secondary electric vehicles for over 10 years. and these vehicles have top speeds of only 20 to 30 miles per hour.

So we can conclude that Chrysler isn't out if the game by any means. Infact they may be the 1st company to actually produce a working electric car even before GM. lets see what happens.

 

Allow me to further clarify what Antonio311 already has stated above....

Chrysler is ready to build these cars in the next 2 years! They are to be sold as 2010 models. The last time I heard, the Volt was still looking for a place to be further refined and built, and can only hope to be close to ready by 2010.

Pretty sharp car.......it just needs to lose the Stratus "hanging-*****" headlights.

 

I started a new thread in the 'other car' section... it has a good short, but decent article about the new EV lineup as well as some pictures of all three platforms... I did this before I even looked here, but oh well at least it has been moved to the appropriate forum...

 

The "sports" car does 0 to 60 in a little over 4 seconds.
That beats a stock SRT-6 so I guess it is a "sports" car

The fact that it can go 40 miles on a charge makes it a fun commuter that will blow just about anything off on the way to work. Plug it in at work and enjoy teasing Vettes and Porches on the way home.

120 MPH top speed is occasionaly useful and fairly respectible.
400 Miles on a tank of gas.

Simpler drive system than a Prius or a hybrid.

Out in 2010? That would be by this time next year.

Wonder what they will actually cost?

If I bought one, could I still be in the Crossfire Club?

Can I get a Viper exhaust sound from Lotus?

roadster with a stick

 

From what I've read, Dodge did not have anything to do with the design of the Dodge ev. It uses the Lotus Europa chassis which has been out for a while now. Supposedly, Tesla at least made an effort to change some styling cues from the Lotus it was based on (Elise or Exige, I can't remember), but Dodge didn't even bother.

I don't mind. The Europa is bigger and more practical than the Elise, and we don't get the Europa in the US, so it's new to us.

I love the idea of an electric vehicle as a sports car, but I have my doubts that Dodge can actually implement this concept properly.

 

Actually I believe the Dodge is on an existing Chrysler platform and only uses a lotus body. Also this car will most likely be made from the Dodge Demon concept. And stand behind Chrysler and believe they can make a better electric than GM. They've been working on them already since 2006. Lets see what happens.

 

FRANC with the way fuel prices will be going and the limited number of Cossfires we may all be former X-fi drivers, sad as that may be. We will just have to add extra models to our foru

 

Didn't Chrysler and some others form a company to research and develope new battery technologies back in the nineties?

roadster with a stick

 

Yes, and they have been making & selling small community based electrics for over 10 years. The GEM was their global electric motorcars division. See the pic.

 

One more question. sorry, but I have to ask......









Does it come in a stick shift?


You had to know that was coming.

roadster with a stick

 

You might be thinking about 2004-2005 when DaimlerChrysler, GM, and BMW all joined a consortium to develop electric hybrid vehicles.

Early last year, GM decided to go another direction with the Volt. Mercedes, BMW, and Chrysler stuck together, and followed a different path. I'm not really sure about the status of the consortium anymore though?

 

Chrysler and GM use the similar system in the large truck hybrids the durango / aspen & GM yukon truck. Although Chryslers system is a much more complicated version. They engineered even more fuel saving enhancements than the basic GM version.

Also the Volt is using totally different technology than the truck system.

And yes BMW / Daimler / GM / And Chrysler have all been working together on new systems. But remember the German companies played a lesser part because they are looking toward high mileage Diesels for mileage, while Detroit is looking more towards electrics and cylinder deactivation. Chrysler actually played the largest part in development of this technology, they've been working on it for over 10 years already.

This is good news for every American, we need to stop depending on Foreign oil already!

 

one driveline is the way to keep cost down Hybrids are a waste of time either go all electric or go fill the tank.

 

As i uderstand them, these Chrysler EV's are one drive line. They use an electric motor excliusively for motive power but have an onboard charging system.

The generator is a finely tuned unispeed motor that would be very efficient. The powerloss from gas to electric is equaled by the efficeincy of the generator system.

Basicaly the generator is luggage in the trunk when commuting to work coming on only when the 40 mile range of the battery is exhausted or the heat or AC is required. This concept would, I suppose reverse the MPG ratings so you would get something like 32 MPG highway and 100MPG city.
But, your houshold electric meter would melt.

The whole idea was described a while back in Popular Science mags during the Oil Embargo. They used a 20 HP turbine driven DC generator and a 25 HP electric motor. Just never seriously considered by the big Auto makers.

roadster with a stick

 

40 miles is pathetic, that's 2 gallons of gas in the crossfire!

if they would dump the genrator they could install more battery cells in parallel to get more capacity..

 

Then the battery gets too heavy. Twice the battery would not equal twice the range as the added weight would consume much of the added power. Connecting in series would add voltage or speed but not neccesarily range.
Battery technology is still mundane and the limiting factor. This compromizes to acheive a vehicle that would work in many lifetstyles.
40 miles on a charge gets most of us to work and back. There is also the capability to charge at work if employers provide the access. So the average car buyer would have to make very limited changes to their driving routines of today.

Until automakers can pack more potential in less weight and space, there is going to be a limit on range. It is what put gas over electric in the past as electric cars were always fast.

There is , of course, the other issue. Cost. Twice the battery is more than twice the cost. To get range without on board charging requires a deep cycle battery system.
A good deep cycle forklift battery is $3,600 or more and weighs 1,100 lbs. With a service life of 1,100 cycles thats 3 years of driving every day. Where as a smaller shallow cycle battery pack would be about $1,200 and have 2,300 or more cycles lasting 6 to 8 years.
In pratice the Chrysler concept should have lower initial cost, lower vehicle weight, and a longer service life. And it is a far, far simpler system than a hybrid.


roadster with a stick

 

I think you guys have minutes and miles confused.

As I understand it, the sports car can go 150 - 200 miles per charge, and does the quarter in 13 seconds.

Recharge time is 8 hours with a standard 110v outlet. I've also heard that a 220v outlet can cut that recharge time basically in half.




How many of you are currently thinking of the feasibility of running a 8 gauge wire from behind the stove out to the garage? Be honest!

 

The Dodge looks pretty good for an electric car - I’m glad that car builders are starting to put serious thought into the styling.

I’m not still convinced by hybrids. A hybrid has to carry both an internal combustion engine + fuel AND and electric motor + batteries. For me, this is one drive train too many, and too much weight. In effect, the efficiency of either power system is hampered by the other being present. You may get good milage out of a hybrid, but imaging the mileage you’d get if the extra weight wasn’t there.

I’m playing a waiting game. I’m waiting for electric cars to fully mature. Batteries will get smaller, more powerful and give longer range.