Dodge EV

Chrysler recently announced that it is seriously considering producing the Dodge EV as it’s first production ENVI vehicle.  The Dodge EV is based on the Lotis Europa was unveiled on Tuesday.  Chrysler is also no stranger to platform sharing, it currently produces the Routan minivan for Volkswagen based on the Chrysler Town & Country and will produce the Titan for Nissan based on the Dodge Ram.

On the other side of things, Lotus is already supplying California-based Tesla with its Elise two-door, which serves as the basis for the Tesla Roadster.  Chrysler took notice of the Roadster’s Lotus roots and discovered just how ideal Lotus platforms were for sporty, yet efficient, vehicles.

“Lotus has a lot of experience with lightweight vehicles and aluminum structures,” Frank Klegon, Chrysler executive vice president of product development, told Automotive News. That light curb weight is a major factor in the Dodge EV’s ability to sprint from 0-60 in under five seconds and reach a top speed of 120 mph.

If Chrysler does give the Dodge EV the green light  the Michigan automaker will source the EV’s platform directly from Lotus. But, Chrylser will supply it’s own drivetrain like Tesla.

The production Dodge EV will likely undercut the Roadster’s $109,000 price tag. Klegon noted the Dodge EV would list for less than $109,000, but failed to give an exact figure. Whatever the price, the Dodge EV could be roaming the streets in production guise as early as 2010.

Source: Leftlanenews

The senate passed a bill that will likely total over $600 billion in spending measures on tuesday. Of that $25 billion is for backed loans to the auto industry.  The house of representatives will likely vote on the bill today.

The inclusion of the low-interest loan guarantees is a victory for struggling U.S. manufacturers General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co, and Chrysler LLC, which is controlled by private equity firm Cerebus Capital Management LLC.  All three automakers have been lobbying congress for flexible low interest loans.  They claim that the current loans are too rigid with how they spend their money.  The Detroit three need more capital to fund research and technology like Chrysler’s ENVI products and the Chevy Volt.

“I’m not a fan of the American auto industry and I’m not a fan of this provision. But Congress authorized it and we’re providing the funding for it,” said Obey, a Wisconsin Democrat.

Included in the package is a tax rebate for people tha buy plugin hybrid vehicles. The credit starts at $2500 and goes up to $7500 based on the type of vehicle bought. The credit doesn’t phase out until the automaker has sold 250 thousand plugin hybrids.

Source: Reuters