Chrysler will showcase its electric vehicle future at the 79th International Motor Show in Geneva on March 3, with the European premieres of the Chrysler 200C EV concept vehicle and Dodge Circuit EV prototype.

Chrysler recently unveiled these two vehicles—along with the new Jeep Patriot EV, the updated Chrysler Town & Country EV and the updated Jeep Wrangler Unlimited EV—reinforcing a commitment to developing and bringing to market a broad array of advanced electric vehicles for the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands.

“Our goal is to provide creative solutions to the challenges that our customers face around the globe,” Michael Manley, Executive Vice President—International Sales and Global Product Planning Operations, said. “We’ve made electric vehicles the primary path to developing clean vehicles for all our product lines. We will produce at least one of these vehicles for North American markets in 2010 and for European markets after 2010.”

Patriot EV

The Jeep Patriot EV is another example of what Chrysler is planning for the future.  Like the Chrysler 200C conecept and the Chrysler Town and Country EV the Jeep Patriot EV combines a gas engine and an electric motor to provide a more environmentally friendly Jeep.

The Patriot EV has a battery pack that provides it with 40 miles of gasoline free driving, once the batteries are depleted the small gas engines starts up to provide extended range.

“The Jeep Patriot EV expands our portfolio of ENVI electric-drive vehicles and is just one more example of what is possible through the technology Chrysler is developing,” said Lou Rhodes, President, – ENVI, and Vice President, Advance Vehicle Engineering, Chrysler LLC. “Moreover, the Patriot EV provides socially responsible, advanced electric technology in the industry’s most capable compact SUV.”

The Patriot EV can be plugged into any 110 volt outlet to recharge the batteries overnight.  It can also plug into any 220 volt appliance outlet to cut the recharge time in half.  Like the Wrangler EV it’s total driving distance is 400 miles.  Unlike the Wrangler EV it does not have four independent motors driving the wheels.  The Jeep Patriot EV uses the same four wheel drive system that the current Patriot does.

Fiat, the maker of the Cinquecento car, will pay no cash for its stake or commit any funding in the future. Chrysler’s majority owner, private-equity group Cerberus Capital Management, will see its 80% stake in the group diluted.

“The partnership would also provide a return on investment for the American taxpayer by securing the long-term viability of Chrysler brands in the marketplace, sustaining future product and technology development for our country and building renewed consumer confidence, while preserving American jobs,” he said.

Dodge Circuit

The evolution of the Dodge EV has finally arrived.  The Dodge Circuit is everything the Dodge EV was and more.  Boasting a premium sound system, power windows/doors, cruise control, leather seats, leather wrapped steering wheel - everything you would expect from a high performance sportscar.

“The exterior styling of the Dodge Circuit EV mates bold Dodge styling to the no-compromise performance attributes of an all-electric performance sports car,” said Ralph Gilles, Vice President – Design, Chrysler LLC. “The Dodge Circuit EV offers an extremely fun-to-drive, expressive sports car without fuel consumption and with virtually no impact on the environment.”

The Circuit utilizes a very simple powertrain to get it moving: the electric motor, battery system, and the controller that controls the flow of energy.  The motor is a 200kW (268 HP) motor that’ll propel the Circuit from 0-60 in just under 5 seconds.   It does the 1/4 mile in just 13 seconds and has a top speed of over 120 miles per hour.

The battery pack on the Circuit provides 150 to 200 miles of zero emission driving before needing to be recharged.  That’s more than three times the average daily commute.  The Circuit can be recharged by plugging into any standard 110 volt household outlet, it can also be plugged into a standard 220 volt appliance outlet to cut the recharge time in half.

200C

A little smaller than the current Chrysler 300, this concept vehicle is the likely successor to the Seabring.  The theme for the 200C is connectivity.  The 200C has connections for just about everything you can think of.

“What makes the Chrysler 200C EV concept even more meaningful is the use of technology that will make traveling and managing one’s life an absolute pleasure,” Klegon added. “The 200C EV concept is a connectivity portal to the world outside, creating a rewarding relationship between driver and automobile. The result is a driving experience that celebrates the human instinct to be connected to our world.”

The design of the 200C is obviously more organic than the straight lines that cut through the air on the Chrysler 300.  The the curved body allows for better aerodynamic flow over the car resulting in better gas mileage or longer battery life.

Based on a shortened version (LY platform?) of the current rear wheel drive chrysler vehicles, the 200C provides a fun, powerful, and sporty ride.  The electric drive system similar to that in the Jeep EV and Chrysler EV allows the 200C to drive 40 silent miles on electric power alone.  After that a small gasoline engine starts up to provide extended range.

Chrysler LLC’s chief says the automaker has received an initial $4 billion loan from the U.S. Treasury Department.

Chief Executive Bob Nardelli said Friday night in a release that the Auburn Hills, Mich.-based company’s talks with the federal government about the bridge loan have been completed.

Nardelli says the initial loan will allow Chrysler to continue its restructuring and pursue “our vision to build the fuel-efficient, high-quality cars and trucks people want to buy, will enjoy driving and will want to buy again.”

I believe that being energy independent is not only something we should strive to do for our economic well being, but it should be considered a national security issue as well.  One of the fastest ways we can do this is through the use of electric cars.  I don’t feel that they’re ready to completely replace the ICE powered cars, but given another generation or two of batteries or cheap hydrolisis to create hydrogen for fuel cell powered cars and they will be.  Barring and apocalyptic event we’ll probably be there in 20 years give or take a few.  In the mean time we need to get as far along the electric car path as we can so that when the time comes we’ll be ready to take advantage of the break through.

This blog is devoted to electric cars in general, but more specifically the ENVI division of Chrysler (hence the name of the blog).  I chose ENVI because I think it’s the easiest way for us to get to where we need to be in 20 years.  GM is doing a great thing with the Volt, but it’s very costly for them.  They are making a whole new car from the ground up, including reengineering the components to use the least amount of electricity they can so that the car can go further on the battery pack provided.  That’s 100% custom car, and eventually it’ll be profitable, but not until GM sells a million or so of the thing.

The ENVI division of Chrysler is taking a different approach.  Chrysler is taking currently made vehicles and retrofitting them with an electric drivetrain (the Dodge EV is all new, but it sits on a Lotus Europa frame with new body panels - like the Tesla Roadster - so the costs will be minimal).  Does this mean that the cars aren’t as efficient as they could be?  After all they aren’t optimized for aerodynamics and the components aren’t engineered to use less electricity.

The answer is of course absolutely the ENVI vehicles won’t be as efficient as the Chevy Volt.  That means that they’ll need larger battery packs to go the same 40 miles.  But as far as I can tell that’s the only downside.  Sure you’ll pay for a bigger battery pack, but you’ll also pay less money for more vehicle.  The Chrysler Minivan EV is a simple matter of filling up the underfloor storage with batteries and putting and electric motor under the hood.  The cost of a normal Chrysler Town and Country can aready get up into the 35-40k range, my estimate is that the EV Town and Country will be just a few thousand more.

The best part is that Chrysler won’t have to lose money on every EV sold.  I applaud GM and Tesla for making electric cars as efficiently as they can, but they can’t make them if they’re not around…

President Bush today announced that Detroit would gain access to some of the TARP fund.  He is allocating $9.4 billion to GM and $4 billion to Chrysler.  The White House expects officials from GM and Chrysler to sign the papers this morning so they can gain access to the cash later today.

The loan terms are for three years, but if GM or Chrysler fails to present a viable plan by March 31 they’ll have to pay the loans back in full.  Just one of the conditions of the loan.  The automakers are going to have to renegotiate their union contracts and the contracts with any debt they owe.

On many occasions President Bush has said that he disagrees with a bailout, and that in times of good economic growth he wouldn’t approve any kind of bailout.  But during a recession it would be a mistake to let an employer of so many workers fail.

“Government has a responsibility to safeguard the broader health and stability of our economy,” he said. “If we were to allow the free market to take its course now, it would almost certainly lead to disorderly bankruptcy and liquidation for the automakers.”

“In the midst of a financial crisis and a recession, allowing the U.S. auto industry to collapse is not a responsible course of action,” Bush added.

There were rumors that Bush would only approve a bailout that consisted of a chapter 11 for GM/Chrysler.  The government would provide the two with debter in posession loans to go along with a structured bankruptcy filing.  It is unlikey that GM nor Chrysler would agree to such a deal and would try to raise cash to operate until President Elect Obama took office.

Terms and Conditions

The  terms of this loan are very similar to the bailout that failed to pass in the senate.  The executives at GM and Chrysler must agree to limit compensation (Chrysler’s Nardelli already makes $1 per year) and give up perks like corporate jets.  Both must also issue warrants, which convert into non-voting stock, to the government.

The automakers must also prove that they can be viable by March 31 and will have to submit plans by February 17.  The White House is suggesting that the automakers reduce their debt load by 2/3 and renegotiate their union contracts to be on par with the foreign automakers (who have no unions to deal with)  that they compete with.

While many believe that Chrysler won’t be around in a couple of years, Chrysler is moving ahead with plans to electrify the automobile. And, in a CNN piece, Chrysler took a poke at the Chevy Volt and claimed that it wouldn’t be a one trick pony, or “one electric vehicle company.”

Thus, Chrysler’s big EV plans are to forgo aerodynamics, weight and fancy designs. Instead, Chrysler will begin its EV program by converting traditional Chrysler vehicles into electric vehicles, while achieving the same kinds of performance as a Volt - all at a cheaper cost to the automaker and to consumers.

So, why didn’t GM think of that?

Find the answer at the link

Toyota Motor Corp. is shelving its plans to build the popular Prius hybrid in Mississippi as the slump in the auto industry continues to hobble the Japanese carmaker known for it emphasis on fuel-sipping vehicles.

Toyota’s plant under construction in Blue Springs, Miss., was scheduled to begin production in 2010, marking the first time the gas-electric Prius, which has been on sale for more than a decade, would be built outside of Japan and China.

But Mike Goss, a spokesman for Toyota’s U.S. arm, said Monday that despite investing $300 million in the plant so far, the automaker is delaying production there indefinitely because of the industrywide downturn.

Construction of the plant is about 90 percent complete, and Toyota will finish the building, Goss said. However, the installation of the factory’s equipment and machinery — “the most time-consuming” element of construction, he said — is delayed indefinitely.

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