Chrysler unveiled three Range-Extended Electric Vehicles and the GEM Peapod (right), a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV).
Chrysler took the wraps off of a Dodge-branded sports car called simply "EV," a Chrysler Town & Country EV minivan, a 4-door Jeep Wrangler EV, and a pod-shaped small vehicle called the GEM Peapod.
EV is a rear-wheel-drive sports car that runs on electric power only. It is powered by a 200 kw electric motor that puts out 268 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque, which is good for a claimed 0-60 mph in less than five seconds and a quarter-mile time of 13 seconds.
EV's lithium-ion batteries hold enough juice to carry it 150 to 200 miles, and can be charged in eight hours via a standard 110-volt outlet, or in as little as four hours when connected to a 220-volt household appliance outlet.
The Chrysler Town & Country EV minivan and Wrangler EV are a bit different. After being plugged in like the Dodge EV, they can travel up to 40 miles on electric power alone. When going further than 40 miles, a small internal-combustion engine provides additional electric power when needed. Regenerative braking is used to recharge the batteries when coasting and braking.
They use eight gallons of gasoline to travel 400 miles, which means they can go the same distance as current internal-combustion engine cars, but use far less fuel and produce far fewer emissions. They're not hybrids, though, because the internal-combustion engine never directly drives the wheels, rather it acts as a generator and charges the electric motor's battery. Chrysler calls them Range-Extended Electric Vehicles.
The Chevrolet Volt, from competitor General Motors, is very similar to Chrysler's EV vehicles, because it uses an electric motor to drive the wheels, a small internal combustion engine to produce electricity when needed, and can be plugged in. It, too, can travel 40 miles on its lithium-ion batteries before the internal-combustion engine is needed to provide electricity. Regenerative braking is used to recharge the batteries during periods of coasting and braking. Chevrolet calls the Volt an extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV), and is working toward a late-2010 on-sale date.
Chrysler will choose only one of these vehicles to produce, and plans to have it ready for sale in 2010. "We have a social responsibility to our consumers to deliver environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient, advanced electric vehicles," said Chairman and CEO Bob Nardelli, "and our intention is to meet that responsibility quickly and more broadly than any other automobile manufacturer."
The GEM Peapod is an electric vehicle with a top speed of 25 mph and a range of 30-miles per charge.
Aptly named Peapod, the pod-like NEV is scheduled for production in 2009, and is the first of its kind to be produced by the company. It offers iPod integration, hands-free iPhone operation, and mesh seating made of recycled and recyclable materials.
"We have evolved the GEM design language to better reflect its eco-friendly performance and its upbeat image," said Peter Arnell, Chrysler LLC's Chief Innovation Officer and Peapod design boss. "These vehicles use no gasoline and emit no pollutants....the GEM Peapod is the ideal way to contribute to a greener planet, and a healthy lifestyle."
The next GEM vehicles in line for production are a commercial battery-electric truck rated for light-duty work and a city vehicle which is larger and features more range and performance.
09.25.2008
