Chrysler’s Jim Press making big claims for upcoming EVs
Thursday, September 11th, 2008Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep
Chrysler’s co-president continued to talk up his employer’s plans for electrically-driven vehicles this week at a media luncheon in California. Press told the gathering that he had driven three different producible prototypes of plug-in hybrid vehicles recently. The vehicles have been developed by the new ENVI unit that was established in late 2007 specifically to work on electric vehicles. According to Press, the vehicles can accelerate from 0-60 mph in four seconds and have a range of over 300 miles. Press hasn’t said when these vehicles would be built, but earlier this summer, company officials indicated a 3-5 year timeline to produce such vehicles. If so that would put the company at least 1-2 years behind the expected launch of the Chevrolet Volt and a potential plug-in version of the Toyota Prius. For production, it’s likely that the performance of the cars would be dialed back significantly in order to increase electric range although a higher-performance Dodge vehicle is not out of the question.
Gallery: Dodge Zeo Concept
Gallery: Chrysler EcoVoyager Concept
[Source: Los Angeles Times]
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
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One may only associate The Chrysler Group’s performance parts brand with rear-wheel drive muscle cars and honking V8s, but that will likely soon change as Mopar plans to branch out and begin providing performance parts for the Jeep brand. One can tell by the comments made by Christine Cortez, the senior VP of global service and parts for DCX, at the Automotive News World Congress in Dearborn yesterday, that Mopar is in new territory when it comes to vehicles that like to leave the glassy smooth blacktop of terra firma, but nevertheless the brand plans to expand and begin offering parts for these neglected off-road enthusiasts. Though Cortez doesn’t elaborate and tell us what type of parts and for which vehicles they’ll be offered, one can assume the venerable Wrangler will be a top priority. Should we expect Mopar branded lift kits, off-road lighting and winches? Who knows, but the Mopar brand has proven to be elastic before. How else do you explain its involvement and success in the D1 Grand Prix professional drifting series. 
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