We all know America from Dodge . They build big , heavy , raw cars with huge grumbling V8s . And because Americans are electrifying cars these days (Chevy Volt , Tesla Roadster) , so is Dodge .
CNBC's Phil Lebeau got a closer look on what Dodge is planning for the next few years . The biggest splash in the report (check the report :
http://www.cnbc.com/id/26850309) was the EV prototype . This electric sports car will be competing with the Tesla Roadster . Infact , Dodge wants to fight with Tesla so badly , that they went to the same company for the base car . Lotus . As you all know , the Tesla Roadster is basically a Lotus Elise with abit of mascara wearing the headlights , and batteries instead of an engine . And the Dodge EV is nearly the same . They used a Lotus Europa as a base , then only replaced the engines with batteries (no styling changes) . Now the Europa is softer and slower than the Elise . Same story here , Dodge claims it hits 60MPH in 5 seconds . That's a whole second slower . But expect a better ride . Dodge's EV has a reported operating range of 150 - 200 miles and can be plugged in to household 110 or 220 outlets. Except it to launch at the end of 2010 .
Along with the EV , There was 3 other cars . One called the GEM , and it looks like a smiling boiled egg . Absolutely hideous . There's also the Jeep Wrangler EV , which runs 40 miles with electric power , and 400 miles with added gas . And finally , the Chrysler Town & Country EV . Claiming same operating range as the Wrangler EV .
Expect these cars to hit production at 2010 (no production GEM for sure) . And if you cant wait , you can go to D.C and check them out there . So yes , Chrysler Group is in the electric car game too .
PICTURES :
Here's the PRESS RELEASE from Chrysler LLC Group :
Chrysler LLC Surges Forward with Production-intent Electric VehiclesCompany Introduces Three Advanced Electric-drive Vehicle Prototypes
-One targeted to be produced in 2010 for consumers in North American markets, and European markets after 2010
-Chrysler LLC to have approximately 100 electric vehicles on the road in government, business, utility and development fleets in 2009
-Chrysler electric-drive technology to be applied to front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, and body-on-frame four-wheel-drive platforms
-Dodge EV: All-electric Performance Sports Car
-Jeep® EV: Wrangler Range-extended Electric Vehicle to allow customers to roam the planet and take care of it at the same time
-Chrysler EV: Town & Country Range-extended Electric Vehicle
-Chrysler and General Electric pursue joint project with U.S. Department of Energy Auburn
Hills, Mich., Sep 23, 2008 - Actions speak louder than words.Chrysler LLC announced today that the Company and its ENVI organization have new production-intent, advanced electric-drive technology packaged in three different vehicles – one for each of its brands, Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge.Chrysler will select one electric-drive model to be produced in 2010 for consumers in North American markets, and European markets after 2010. Additionally, approximately 100 Chrysler electric vehicles will be on the road in government, business, utility and Chrysler development fleets in 2009.The Company said that it is well into the development of advanced, production-intent electric vehicles, and that it will apply electric-drive technology to its front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive and body-on-frame four-wheel-drive platforms in the next several years.At its World Headquarters here today, Chrysler revealed its electric-drive prototypes – Dodge EV, Jeep EV and Chrysler EV – and demonstrated the driving performance and capability of each."We have a social responsibility to our consumers to deliver environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient, advanced electric vehicles, and our intention is to meet that responsibility quickly and more broadly than any other automobile manufacturer," said Bob Nardelli, Chairman and CEO – Chrysler LLC. "The introduction of the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge electric vehicles provides a glimpse of the very near future, and demonstrates that we are serious and well along in the development of bringing electric vehicles to market."
ENVI Organization
The development of Chrysler's Electric Vehicles and Range-extended Electric Vehicles is led by ENVI – representing the first four letters of "environmental" – the Company's in-house organization that was formed to focus on electric-drive production vehicles and related advanced technologies. The development of electric-drive systems for future Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles is maturing quickly."ENVI was created just over one year ago with the strategic intent to develop electric-drive vehicles quickly for Chrysler, and it is surpassing expectations," said Tom LaSorda, Vice Chairman and President – Chrysler LLC. "With ENVI, Chrysler is developing technology to bring Electric Vehicles and extremely fuel-efficient Range-extended Electric Vehicles to market."
Electric Vehicle Technology
Chrysler's Electric Vehicles utilize just three primary components. These include an electric motor to drive the wheels, an advanced lithium-ion battery system to power the electric-drive motor and a controller that manages energy flow. The electric-drive system is being developed for front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, and body-on-frame four-wheel-drive vehicle applications."This technology provides customers with a vehicle that has zero tailpipe emissions and a 150- to 200-mile driving range – far exceeding most Americans' daily commutes, as nearly 80 percent of Americans drive less than 40 miles per day, or 14,000 miles per year," said Frank Klegon, Executive Vice President – Product Development, Chrysler LLC. "Electric Vehicles provide the opportunity to fulfill social responsibility, reduce dependency on foreign oil, and eliminate monthly gasoline bills, while delivering performance and utility that our customers desire."
Range-extended Electric Vehicle Technology
The Range-extended Electric Vehicle combines the electric-drive components of the Electric Vehicle with a small gasoline engine and integrated electric generator to produce additional energy to power the electric-drive system when needed. This provides the positive attributes of an Electric Vehicle with the driving range equivalent to today's gasoline-powered vehicles – with no compromises in performance.Range-extended Electric Vehicles offer environmental responsibility without giving up driving range, comfort or utility.Dodge EV The Dodge EV development Electric Vehicle is a two-passenger, rear-wheel-drive sports car that marries high performance with zero tailpipe emissions."
The Dodge EV
sets a new standard for what can be expected in electric-drive vehicles," said Lou Rhodes, Vice President – Advance Vehicle Engineering, and President – ENVI. "The electric-vehicle technology enables a fun-to-drive performance sports car and helps redefine the vision of an environmentally responsible vehicle for the Dodge brand."The electric-drive system consists of three primary components: a 200 kW (268 horsepower) electric motor, an advanced lithium-ion battery and an integrated power controller.The 200 kW electric-drive motor generates 650 N•m (480 lb.-ft.) of torque. The instant high torque of the electric-drive motor delivers outstanding performance, accelerating the Dodge EV to 60 mph in less than five seconds, with quarter-mile times of 13 seconds. The Dodge EV has a top speed of more than 120 mph.Working with the latest advanced lithium-ion battery technology, the Dodge EV has a continuous driving range of 150 to 200 miles – more than triple the average daily commute of most consumers. Recharging the vehicle is a simple one-step process: plugging into a standard 110-volt household outlet for eight hours. The recharge time can be cut in half to four hours by using a typical 220-volt household appliance power outlet.The Dodge EV offers driving enthusiasts a performance sports car that can be driven to work every day – without consuming gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions.
Jeep EV
The Jeep EV development vehicle is a Range-extended Electric Vehicle that provides a glimpse into the future of a "Go Anywhere, Do Anything" vehicle with renowned Jeep Wrangler capability.The Jeep EV combines Wrangler's unmatched off-road capability with the ultimate "Tread Lightly" mindset by providing nature ambassadors with the ability to roam the planet and take care of it at the same time.The Jeep EV Range-extended Electric Vehicle uses an electric motor, an advanced lithium-ion battery system, and a small gasoline engine with an integrated electric generator to produce additional energy to power the electric-drive system when needed. The 200 kW (268 horsepower) electric motor generates 400 N•m (295 lb.-ft.) of torque. With approximately eight gallons of gasoline, the Jeep EV has a range of 400 miles, including 40 miles of zero fuel-consumption, zero-emissions, all-electric operation."We are also exploring four-wheel-drive, in-wheel electric motors to demonstrate the full reach of ENVI's advanced electric-drive technologies," said Rhodes.The instant high torque of the electric-drive motor and the ability to precisely control each wheel independently results in off-road capability ideally suited for the Jeep brand, without compromising on-road driving capability.
Chrysler EV
The Chrysler EV development vehicle is a Range-extended Electric Vehicle that demonstrates another possible application of ENVI electric-drive technology in the segment-leading Chrysler Town & Country minivan."With the Chrysler EV, we are able to blend seven-passenger capability and the luxury of the Chrysler Town & Country minivan with electric-drive technology, demonstrating family practicality with zero compromise," said Rhodes. "ENVI's electric-drive development vehicles showcase our accelerated application of electric-drive systems into a wide range of vehicles in Chrysler's future product portfolio."The Chrysler EV combines the electric-drive components of an Electric Vehicle with an integrated small-displacement engine and generator to produce additional electricity to power the electric-drive system when needed. This provides all of the positive attributes of an Electric Vehicle and extends the driving range to be equivalent to today's gasoline-powered vehicles – without compromises.The Chrysler EV uses a 190 kW (255 horsepower) motor, producing 350 N•m (258 lb.-ft.) of torque, providing 0 to 60 mph acceleration in approximately nine seconds. The Chrysler EV Range-extended Electric Vehicle can drive 40 miles on all-electric power, and boasts a range of 400 miles on approximately eight gallons of gasoline. This makes the Chrysler EV the perfect fuel-efficient family vehicle.The knowledge and experience gained from the Chrysler EV will be applied to other front-wheel-drive applications in Chrysler's portfolio.
Chrysler LLC Electric-vehicle Consumer Web Site
Chrysler LLC has launched a Web site – www.Chryslergoeselectric.com – to allow consumers to view the latest updates on Electric Vehicles and Range-extended Electric Vehicles from the Company. Content will include videos, photography and news, and visitors can sign up for updates. In addition, the site features a blog where consumers can interact directly with the Company.
Department of Energy Cooperative Agreement
Chrysler and General Electric are jointly pursuing a project with the United States Department of Energy to explore advanced energy-storage technology."Chrysler's partnership with General Electric combines the electric-drive technology demonstrated in the Chrysler Electric Vehicles, with GE's research and development of advanced energy storage systems," said Klegon. "Our collective goal working with the DOE is to develop a new, integrated energy-storage system to make electric vehicle battery packs smaller and significantly less expensive than current designs."Chrysler and GE will develop and evaluate dual-battery solutions based on GE's unique technology."One of the challenges with electric vehicles is finding a battery with the correct balance between power – for example, during vehicle acceleration – and energy for long driving range," said Klegon. "We believe that combining two unique battery chemistries – one biased toward power and the other toward energy – into a single battery pack is very promising for a future Chrysler Electric Vehicle."
At first, the IHS forecast that the upcoming Alfa Romeo 169 will be built on the LX platform, which underpins the Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, and Chrysler 300. The LX platform is originally based on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. So the new Alfa 169 is going to have some German origins. Nevertheless, Global Insight says that production of the Alfa Romeo 169 will take place at the Bramalea Production facility in Brampton, Ontario.
There's also reports about a new Alfa Romeo SUV model called the GTX. Insiders say the GTX should take a lot of inspiration out the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and get the Grand Cherokee's WL platform as well. The WL platform is the same platform that comes over the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class. The Alfa GTX should get into production at Chrysler's Jefferson North Assembly Plant beginning in July 2011. 
The all-new 2011 Grand Cherokee is actually based on a Mercedes-Benz ML-Class. So the new Grand Cherokee rides on a 114.8-inch wheelbase which is 5.3 inches longer than the model it replaces and contributes to an overall vehicle length that is 1.8 inches longer than the previous model. Furthermore, the SUV is also 3 inches wider which should it make it more spacious for passengers.
Like the ML-Class, the new Jeep is with an all-new independent front and rear suspension that replaces the current Grand Cherokee's live axle setup at the rear. Apart from the apparent benefits in handling, the new rear suspension allows the spare tire to be stored inside the vehicle as opposed to underneath. The Grand Cherokee will also be available with the new Quadra-Lift air suspension system that features five height settings, for street and urban traveling, and tough high off-roading. So like all Jeeps and Cherokees, the new Grand Cherokee will still live up to the Jeep off-road triumph.
In the looks department, this new Grand Cherokee is going through a new design generation at Jeep. In essence, the Grand Cherokee looks softer and has lost some of the hard edges. It now looks more like a modern crossover and less like a traditional SUV. Nevertheless, it still looks great. The big wide body, the 7-slot grille, the small headlights, and the funky rear end give it a distinctive design.
As for interior, it's now completely changed. Because it's based on a new Mercedes ML, it also gets some German interior quality as well. The Grand Cherokee's interior has now transformed from being a cheap plastic rattle interior, into a real quality pleasant interior for all consumers. It now features real wood on the dashboard, a sporty 3-spoke steering wheel, cylinder gauges, and a design that looks attractive overall. Let's not forget, the saftey features that Jeep has equipped the new Grand Cherokee with, like "Ready Alert Braking" with a ESP program and a half a dozen of airbags.
Drivetrain the new Grand Cherokee is a major case here. The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee will offer two engine variants. An all-new 3.6L V6 that replaces the 3.5 unit, now packing at 280 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. So the new V6 is a tough competitor to other V6 engines in the segment. The V6 is connected to an AutoStick 5-speed automatic transmission. There's also the 5.7L HEMI V8 option, which delivers 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. This HEMI is mated to a new "multi-speed" automatic transmission, or simply a CVT transmission. No word yet on a SRT version.
Continuing with drivetrain, Jeep offers three different 4x4 systems for the new Grand Cherokee. The basic Quadra-Trac I delivers full-time four-wheel drive without any switches or levers to pull, while the Quadra-Trac II offers a two-speed transfer case and the ability to route as much as 100 percent of available torque to the axle with the most traction. Finally, the Quadra-Drive II adds a rear Electronic Limited-Slip Differential (ELSD) that instantly detects tire slip and distributes engine torque to tires with traction.
To sum up, Jeep has now moved the Grand Cherokee from a classic SUV that had only a small interest of buyers, to a modern cross-over that nearly all people are interest in these days. The new Grand Cherokee needs to work and attract people's money quickly to keep Chrysler Group up and running.
The rendering suggests that the new 300 will retain the most characteristic design c
The Jeep Grand Cherokee also keeps most of
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