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

Tags: chrysler, dodge, EV, lotus, tesla

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