Back in early November, when Chrysler had its big business plan meeting, it became clear that most of the plug-in electric drive programs that the company has been promoting since early 2008 were being abandoned. One new test program that was announced was a plug-in hybrid version of the Ram pickup. The PHEV truck will be based on the two-mode hybrid Ram that is launching in 2010.
Chrysler will be getting some help on the project from Professor Chris Mi at University of Michigan – Dearborn. Chrysler will be sharing $3.1 million of the $48 million grant it received as part of a stimulus bill plug-in development program. Mi will be developing a lab for the testing and characterization of electronics, batteries, motors and control systems. Chrysler hopes to have a test fleet of PHEV Rams on the road sometime in 2011.
[Source: University of Michigan – Dearborn]