Chrysler plugs in big time with three EVs

The rumors were true. Chrysler has swept from far back to a surprising -- even leading -- spot in the multi-furlong steeplechase to become the first major automaker to deliver an electric, or plug-in electric, vehicle to market.

Chrysler Chairman Robert Nardelli introduced three vehicles this morning at the company's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich.: an extended-range electric Chrysler EV (based on a Town & Country platform); an extended-range electric Jeep EV (on a Wrangler platform); and a fully electric sports car dubbed the Dodge EV.

"These are extraordinary times for the auto industry," Nardelli said. "Meeting this challenge requires a major, major step forward."

Chrysler, which had been nearly silent on the topic of advanced drivetrain technology -- its first two hybrids are hitting dealer lots this month -- said it would have 100 test vehicles in government and commercial fleets next year. Then, by late 2010, executives said, the company will be selling one of the models unveiled today within the U.S. After 2010, Chrysler said, it will market an electric-drive vehicle in Europe.

Last week, cross-town rival General Motors Corp. unveiled its production prototype for the Chevrolet Volt, also due out in late 2010. That was a nonfunctioning mock-up designed to draw a lot of press coverage.

Two of the three vehicles revealed by Chrysler today, on the other hand, were fully functional.

The Jeep EV, which uses a battery to get 40 miles of driving range, plus a small gasoline-powered generator to provide an additional 360 miles, was available for test drives. Ditto for the Dodge EV, which, like the Tesla Roadster, is based on a Lotus platform. It has a range of 150 to 200 miles and a top speed of more than 120 mph, thanks to a 26 kilowatt/hour battery, and was driven immediately after the presentation. A Dodge engineer, off the record, said he thought it could be a "Tesla killer."

Up to Speed had a chance to drive both vehicles, and as such testifies to the fact that they were real, and in the case of the Dodge EV, really fast. It hit 100 mph on a straightaway, at which point a speed governor kept it from chewing up asphalt at a faster pace.

Today's announcement was particularly surprising because Chrysler has been so silent on the subject of electric cars. In January at the Detroit auto show, it introduced a trio of concept cars that ran on some combination of battery, electric drive and internal-combustion technology, but the company was mum thereafter. Earlier this month, Chrysler Vice Chairman Jim Press, visiting California, said the company had shown working prototypes to dealers. A few weeks later, Chrysler, the automaker with the least-efficient fleet in the industry, delivered.

The surprising agility from Chrysler comes at a time when automakers have suffered the worst sales contractions in decades, prompting a renewed push to get Congress to fund guarantees for $25 billion in loans to the industry.

Those loans, written into last year's energy act, were aimed at funding development and retooling costs for new fuel-efficient technology to comply with increasingly strict federal fuel economy standards. Chrysler, which has a fleet skewed heavily towards gas-guzzling SUVs, would appear to have few ongoing programs that might qualify for such funding.

But an aggressive electric vehicle program, Nardelli said, would be exactly the kind of project to which such loans would apply. "We want to be sure that we are able to have access to this funding once it gets appropriated," he said, saying such loans were not a bailout. "It allows us to invest more and sooner to be able to achieve these results."

Chrysler denies that today's event was designed to show a good face to legislators -- although Nardelli said he met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last week to discuss the loans. Still, in light of the $85-billion bailout of AIG last week, and the at least $700-billion government proposal to buy distressed mortgage securities, clearly the time for making nice with Washington is now -- the cash machine isn't liable to stay open much past Nov. 4, when the last voting poll closes.

More on this story later, but for now, here are a few fun facts on the cars revealed today:

Jeep EV

• Electric propulsion with gasoline-range extender, 2WD and 4WD
• 200 kW power (equivalent to 268 hp)
• 295 lb-ft. of torque
• Battery: 27 kw/h
• 0-60: 9.0 seconds
• 1/4 mile: 16.5 seconds
• Top speed: 90-plus mph
• Range: 40 miles electric; 400 miles total

Chrysler EV

• Electric propulsion with gasoline-range extender, front-wheel drive
• 190 kW power (equivalent to 255 hp)
• 258 lb.-ft. of torque
• Battery: 22 kw/h
• 0-60: 8.7 seconds
• 1/4 mile: 16.2 seconds
• Top speed: 100-plus mph
• Range: 40 miles electric; 400 miles total
     

Dodge EV

• Electric propulsion, RWD
• 200 kW power (equivalent to 268 hp)
• 480 lb.-ft. of torque
• Battery: 26 kw/h
• 0-60: under 5.0 seconds
• 1/4 mile: 13.0 seconds
• Top speed: 120-plus mph
• Range: 40 miles electric; 400 miles total
     

-- Ken Bensinger

Photos: Chrysler EV, Jeep EV and Dodge EV. Credit: Chrysler

Comments

[Pasadena'ed]

Wow. Just as many (including me) had written off Chrysler as a casualty, they come back swingin' of the gurney. They may be pedestrian offerings from a design standpoint -- existing chassis/bodies with different guts -- but at least they're WORKING models. I applaud Chrysler for coming to the table with functional solutions right out of the gate, unlike GM, who tease the public with a supermodel concept and give us Ugly Betty in the end.

Bravo, Chrysler. Keep the pricing real and I'm a future customer of yours for one or two of these models.

[Parepidemos]

Wow-- I'd put a deposit down today on that Jeep Wrangler EV. I drive from LA up the 395 to Reno, about 450 miles, 6 or 8 times per year, more than half those drives when it's snowy. That's an EV that will do the trick. And not use any gas at all when I'm home in LA-- I hardly ever drive more than 15 or 20 miles at a time, normally.

Up till now I've had my eye on the Aptera, but afraid of how that thing of fragile beauty would perform in snow and ice.

[Oscar]

WHAT!

[g.r.r.]

If Chrysler (or one of the big 3) had any real leaders, they would extend this just a bit further. On the minivan, they would create a pure electric version that has a range of 80-120 miles; Skip the engine. Then approach one of the rental car companies and cut a deal with them to have the best rate for buyers of these EVs. The idea is that many soccer moms do not need 400 miles on a car except maybe 1x a year. So by creating a pure EV, it eliminates maintenance hassles for families. But the car company still gets to sell gas cars for rentals. By doing something like this, many families will buy a PURE EV for second car.

In addition, the company needs to do one other thing. That set up for the SUV should be extended to a truck AND add in inverter. That would allow it to be used for construction sites, hauling, emergency generators, even 5th wheeling and it providing extra power.

[Les Hunter]

Chrysler wil forever be 2nd with the affordable electric car.

[1888junkteam]

any electric trucks in the wotks?

[roncee]

Great going Chrysler! The vehicles are only about thirty-five years late in coming, but as they say, "Better late than never"!

[h]

I'll believe it when I see it. Sounds like a lot of marketing hype. At least GM is actually going to build the Volt.

[Quackers]

A Wrangler and a quasi-Viper? I'm sorry, but isn't the problem with Chrysler and the rest of the Detroit auto companies is that they don't have efficient vehicle options?

Why bother putting a hybrid or electric vehicle platform in a Wrangler which is so heavy (4130 lbs) that it will take a huge number of expensive batteries to get a decent electric range. If you really have to do a hybrid SUV, why not start out with more efficient platform, like the Compass?

And the Dodge sports car with 480 ft-lbs of Torque. I love torque, but what about a pure electric vehicle on a PT Cruiser platform with 100+ mile range. (Hint....Tesla killer)

I can see Chrysler still doesn't get it. Why not offer at least one smaller, somewhat lower cost option, instead of trying to greenwash with these behemoths?

[fp jones]

This 150 mile range is amazing technology with the Dodge EV. There is no doubt Chrysler could apply an all-electric powertrain to any of their platforms. For anyone that asked about why these 3 vehicles, it is plainly obvious: Jeep Wrangler is the most recognized vehicle in the world; Chrysler invented the minivan segment and Dodge has always been the performance brand. Duh...

Personally, I love the idea of rock crawling in a vehicle with significantly better ground clearance as there is no driveshaft and t-case get in the way.

If anyone doesn't think this electric vehicle stuff is for real, go to www.betterplace.com and check out how Israel and Denmark governments are onboard. Chrysler happens to have been working a lot harder than people thought to listen to what customers of the future will want to own.

[Devon Broglie]

Hello, my name is Bob Nardelli and I would like your handout (and your golden parachute). Not sure how that guy gets any work done with his outstretched palm constantly behind his back.

Hey, I like electrified cars as much as the next guy, but let's be honest, the automakers need them, but don't want them. They are too expensive to make, too expensive to sell, too expensive to fix.

Gimme an electric car that's for real!

[Patman]

This is exactly what GM has missed. We like SUV's and minivans, and Chrysler is making .... SUV's and Minivans.

This is great! Think about all the people who drive less than 40 miles a day, this is awesome!

As long as they don't cost 70K each

[Scott H.]

I'll take the yellow one, please!!!

[ian]

thank you so much. the earth may love us again one day thanks to this.

[get real]

Boy u folks sure have drunk the kool-aid! I applaud Chrysler for "trying" to jump into pool with the other big boys, but this story is more fiction than truth! So please tell me how a company that was failing so badly that Mercedes B had to dump (... not too long after aquiring them), was able to leap frog the Big Boys?? The answer is they haven't ! This is all a desperate attempt to acquire a hand out, ... I agree like the other big boys, ...so that Chrysler has at least a few $ to try and to play catch up to the other players.

Sure these things may actually move, but do they actually "work", ... ie in the real world. Anyone can convert a car to be electric & charge the heck out of batteries & let some so called auto reporters drive a few miles around a test track, and hear them all go "woooow" !!! But do these things actually "work"? By "work" I mean where is the technology? Chrysler may be able to to make these things move, but they are no where near being able to provide the future goals that they espouse; ... these cars can not and will not in the near future be able to drive the estimated miles on electric only, and nor are they ready to be "reliably" reproduced in any numbers at a realistic price!

They slap their name onto a tesla, and call it a Chrylser? Sure the Tesla is a great achievement and a great car, ... but whose going to buy them at $109,000 a copy? Oh, but as economies of scale come into play, the price of a Tesla will come down to viable prices? Not anytime soon people!, ... Tesla itself does not even have plans for this, go out and read for yourself on their website! The truth is the Tesla is expensive & is going to remain expensive.

I've been so busy that I haven't had time to read the full article yet, ... but in my last Motor Tend mag., ... they had an article, ... I believe it was "... Being Exoctic Doesn't Mean You Can't Be Green"! ... in this review was an exotic looking auto, ... looked like a lamborgini or something similar, that was a Hybrid !! Wow, you say, ... you bet. I believe the mileage was 37mpg & this thing was sexy and fast!! However, when I paged through to the end & the specs, ... I immediatley had to both chuckle & snear, ... and what did this?? ... quoted: "Estimate Cost: $3,000,000" That's right people, ... I bet you can guess that it's not on my Christmas list, ... nor will it be on Yours !!!

Gm has been pouring billions into making the Volt a concept that will "work"!, By "work" I mean that can be produced so that it can be sold at a reasonable price, and that can be "reliable"! Their hurdle right now is in testing the L. ion battery technology so that it can actually last more than a lap around the track with a bunch of reporters! That's right folks, ... I'm sure these battery "thingy's" need to last about ten years if they're going put them in these cars. And that is exactly what is taking time right now, ... being able to speed up the testing processes so that they can mimic ten years of testing in just a couple of years of actual testing! Recent announcements have stated that Gm has developed new computer modeling techniques that is allowing this type of testing to occur, ... and with this and some luck, hopefully the volt will role out on time in 2010.

See, if these L. ion batteries, were so easy to implement then wouldn't Toyota just push out the newest Prius plug-ins any day now? Sorry folks, even the great Toyota is scurrying to find the technology to make these things "work"!! Also, it sure seems odd that Chyrsler's technology is so similiar to GM's, first of a kind, volt drivetrain: ... ie. all electric-drive, with a constant speed internal combustion engine only providing power to recharge the batteries, not provide direct drive to any wheels? ... hmmmm? So still think that Chyrsler just happened to leap frog GM on this technology, something that no other manufacture has really been exploring in any detail???

Sorry for having to be so blunt, but I hope you get the jist of my rant! ... I.E. Chrysler may someday produce these cars, ... they very well may?, ... & I hope they do !!! But if you really believe these things are anymore than a concept and will somehow come to market in the near future, ... well please pass me the "Kool-Aid" you're drinking, because it must be great stuff!!!

P.S. This rant is from a someone who can lift the hood of their car and actually find the spark plugs, ... or any other part under the hood!!! (... I collect old cars, and currently own a total of 14 new & classic cars : -) ).

[Jeroen]

A nice overview of electric cars can be found on:
http://www.olino.org/us/articles/2008/10/26/overview-of-electric-cars