It's electrifying! Chrysler to show dealers three EVs with production in mind
Click above for more hi-res images of the Dodge Zeo concept
While everyone is aware of what GM, Honda and Toyota have been up to when it comes to fuel-saving technology, Chrysler has been playing it close to the chest. The Auburn Hills-based automaker, however, will show its dealers three new all-electric cars at the end of this month that are said to be production capable. Jim Press, the Chrysler exec who came from rival and current hybrid-leader Toyota, added that Chrysler's future platforms were being designed with electrification in mind and that is still has access to technology from its previous owner, Daimler.
Like General Motors, Chrysler seems convinced that its EVs need to have plug-in capability. The goal, says Press, is 300 miles of range. To make that a reality, a very good set of batteries will be necessary – likely lithium-ions – and Press assures us that his company is working with multiple suppliers. Will any of the production-ready models be anything like the concepts shown off last year in Detroit? We'll see.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Zeus.:God 12:38PM (9/03/2008)
OMG CHRYSLER R COPY
No, really, I better not start seeing that type of crap in here.
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MemphisNET 1:27PM (9/03/2008)
It will happen. It has an American badge, and is Chrysler, so the hate-fest will start shortly.
Good to see some new product in the pipe. I just hope 3 doesn't mean 1, in 5years. Then again, they can't afford to wait.
why not the LS2LS7? 1:53PM (9/03/2008)
Did I fail to notice the indication that the forums belong to Zeus.:God? How about not dictating terms of our discussion and instead contributing to it?
Eliot 1:05PM (9/03/2008)
Is it just me, or does Chrysler have a unique opportunity for an EV?
They sell a car called "Charger".
Can anyone say world's first mass market, extreme high mileage muscle car, anyone?
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Los 1:37PM (9/03/2008)
"Can anyone say world's first mass market, extreme high mileage muscle car, anyone?"
Do you know how many contradictions there are in that sentence? EV technology is still in it's relative infancy. How long did it take the car to evovle before we saw the muscle cars? Things have a long way to go before we see anything like that. Maybe in 2030-2035.
BoneHeadOtto 1:41PM (9/03/2008)
world's first mass market, extreme high mileage musckls mar... d@mnit i cant say it... anyone else going to give it a try
BoneHeadOtto 1:45PM (9/03/2008)
Hey Los,
you are wrong there are plenty of electric drag cars and electric engines with extreme performance potential. Improvement in battery tech will immediately bring on an electric muscle car revolution. People will be able to tinker with their electrics such that they can get extreme efficiency or mileage. not sure how far off but not that far.
Toy Yoda 5:20PM (9/03/2008)
Hey BoneHeadOtto and Los.
Electric drag cars are already here. Check out the electric ariel atom on youtube.
styleguy 12:49PM (9/03/2008)
I'm partially excited seeing that the Zeo and Rengade were cool. But, the Voyager was horrible. Maybe it'll be more "organic"...HAHA
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Torrent 1:31PM (9/03/2008)
voyager was nasty.... But I think I am looking most forward to the zeo... although we won't see those cool doors....
Jrejre 12:54PM (9/03/2008)
Right now I think they should worry more about competing with the prius and not the volt. It's taking GM everything they've got to push the volt out the door and it's a huge gamble already. Chrysler doesn't have the resources, so if this does happen it won't be for at least a few years after the volt hits.
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mike 1:05PM (9/03/2008)
But why compete with either one?
You can not always start from the scrach, Seabring is bad, but a few major tweaks will make it a good car.
Chrysler will spend billions on all that new tech. What they need is to improve cars they already have,
#1 Improve interiors on all cars
#2 Drop weight, so the fuel economy ijn improved. They need to make sure that Avenger and Caliber get MPG that are close to Civic and Corollar...very very tought, but not impossible.
#3 Bring Back Magnum and Rework it, fix what was broken and it will be an alternative to an SUV, or better yet buy a Subaru and rebuild it and sell it.
#4 Make Dodge Web-site user friendly.
geo.stewart 1:03PM (9/03/2008)
I know Alex is no fan but I like the looks of the Zeo. looks like a better RX8 to me and I like the RX.
I like the eco and the jeespster as well. These concepts all harken back to the fun of the 90s with the copperhead, the Cruizer, the original jeepster.
ChryCo always does a good job with their concepts and the ones that make it to production are successful (Viper, PT, Intrepid...) Havent figured out why they havent figured that out.... We could be living in a world with Slingshots, Demons, the original Charger R/T (2000) and Hornets that follow the family lines of a Nitro instead of Calibers and Sebrings and Avengers.
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why not the LS2LS7? 1:54PM (9/03/2008)
'Like General Motors, Chrysler seems convinced that its EVs need to have plug-in capability.'
An EV without a plug-in capability would be near useless, since they only run on electric power.
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tanooki2003 2:59PM (9/03/2008)
As much as I hate Chrysler I slowly slowly start to warm up to them, especially if this is truly the new wave of automotive designs that come from the company.
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dm00012 3:45PM (9/03/2008)
Well its exciting to see Chrysler is looking towards the future. I like the 3 eco-concepts with the Zeo being my fave. As far as the EcoVoyager goes, love the lines but it seems disproportioned for that type of vehicle. I would rather see those lines on a sedan. At any rate, if Chrysler is able to produce an EV, I just hope its gorgeous.
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Toy Yoda 5:24PM (9/03/2008)
How are these things gonna help city folk who need cars, but have no garages to plug into? There's plenty of cities where the mass transit system / geography is such that a car is needed, but people rent apartments with no outside plug-ins.
Boston comes to mind; it's public transportation is a spoke pattern. So if most of your travel is an 'arc of a circle' and not 'on a spoke', public transportation sucks.
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why not the LS2LS7? 1:52AM (9/04/2008)
They won't. It was a big problem for the GM EV1, and it'll be a big problem for future EVs. If don't own your own home, it's likely you can't realistically own an EV. And if you own your own home but have no use for a 2 seater, you can't own an EV1 (or a Tesla) either.
For the EV to do well in the market it is going to have to address a large slice of customers' needs instead of a small slice of customers' needs.