Chrysler Plans All-Electric Vehicles in 3 to 5 Years

15 July, 2008 03:17:00

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Chrysler plans to produce all-electric competitors to the Chevrolet Volt for its three brands within three to five years.

Chrysler spokesman Nick Cappa told Detroit Free Press that company’s Envi unit is developing vehicles that are intended to run on battery power alone for about 40 miles.

ENVI, an in-house Chrysler organization, was formed late last year with a focus on establishing Chrysler leadership in electric-drive vehicles and related advanced-propulsion technologies.

ENVI will develop electric-drive vehicles and technologies that draw from our customer insights for each of the Chrysler brands—Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge

Chrysler showed three "green" concept cars in January during the Detroit auto show, ecoVoyager concept - an electric vehicle with a 40-mileage, 16 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery module with total driving range of 300 miles when coupled with the advanced hydrogen fuel cell range extender; Dodge ZEO - all-electric, 2+2 sport wagon that embraces the bold, emotional characteristic of the Dodge brand 64 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack capable of at least 250 miles and Jeep Renegade concept - an electric vehicle with the common 40-mile, 16 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery module with a BLUETEC diesel range extender for a 400-mile range.

GM and Chrysler teamed up with Mercedes-Benz and BMW to develop a two-mode hybrid system.

In September, Chrysler will begin to offer two hybrids: the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango - both SUVs and both priced below GM's similar models.

Chrysler also has announced plans to have a Dodge Ram hybrid in its 2010 model year.

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