Chrysler's lineup of secretly-developed electric cars: Town & Country minivan, Jeep Wrangler and two-seat Dodge EV.
Chrysler has unveiled a secret lineup of electric vehicles and has promised to make one of them available to consumers by 2010.
According to www.foxnews.com, the most exciting of the three is the two-seat Dodge EV, a pure electric sports car with a range of up to 200 miles before needing a recharge. The Dodge EV is based on the same Lotus-sourced platform as the Tesla Roadster, as reported on in last week’s eNews issue. The Dodge operates on lithium-ion batteries that powers a 268hp motor. The vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds.
The electric lineup also includes the Chrysler EV, which the article pegs as a reengineered Town & Country minivan. Chrysler claims the vehicle will have the capability to drive 40 miles on pure electric power. Similarities to the Volt include a small on-board gasoline engine that can charge the batteries and extend the range of the vehicle to up to 400 miles, at an average of 50 miles per gallon.
The last of the secret lineup is the Jeep EV, a four-door Wrangler Unlimited that uses the same gas-electric combination as the minivan, but with four electric motors.
Chrysler has not revealed planned sticker prices, and it is unclear which of the three electric vehicles will be the first to arrive in showrooms.