Archives




View Full Version : Chryslers Battery Electric Vehicle plans revealed


xcel
09-23-2008, 03:03 PM
Production promised but little R&D is complete with a hint of desperation thrown in for good measure. (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=150278)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Chrylser_EVs.jpgWayne Gerdes – CleanMPG (www.cleanmpg.com) – Sept. 23, 2008

Just as Chrysler revealed at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, the company introduced three new Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Prototypes not based on what they had shown previously. Well sort of…

Auburn Hills, MI- Chrysler announced a 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 and European markets after 2010.

The Company said that it is well into the development of battery 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.

Shown today, the Dodge EV, Jeep EV and Chrysler EV including a demonstration of driving performance and capability.

“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

“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.”

Battery 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.

Along with the basic BEV description comes the pie in the sky “whistling past the graveyard” commentary…

“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 Battery Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Technology

Just like the Chevrolet Volt’s EREV, the Range-extended PHEV combines the electric-drive components of the BEV with a small gasoline engine and integrated electric generator to produce additional energy to power the electric-drive system when needed. This provides the energy efficiency of a BEV with the driving range equivalent to today’s gasoline-powered vehicles.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Dodge_EV.jpgDodge EV

The Dodge EV development BEV is a Viper based 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 Li-ion battery and an integrated power controller.

The 200 kW electric-drive motor generates 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 Li-Ion battery technology, the Dodge EV has a continuous driving range of 150 plus 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.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Jeep_EV.jpg Jeep EV

The Jeep PHEV development vehicle is a PHEV that provides a glimpse into the future of a “Go Anywhere, Do Anything” vehicle with renowned Jeep Wrangler capability.

The Jeep PHEV 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 PHEV uses an electric motor, an advanced Li-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 268 HP electric motor generates 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.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Chrysler_Minivan_EV.jpgChrysler EV

The Chrysler EV development vehicle is a Chrysler Minivan modified as a PHEV 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 255 HP motor, producing 258 lb.-ft. of torque, providing 0 to 60 mph acceleration in approximately nine seconds. The Chrysler PHEV 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 Electric-Vehicle Consumer Web Site

Chrysler LLC has launched a Web site – Chrysler Goes Electric (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.”

What we expect is a large SuperCap for instantaneous storage and assist for acceleration and regenerative braking while the Li-Ion provides large storage capacity and power for steady state cruising.

ksstathead
09-23-2008, 03:23 PM
And for a sedan/hatchback fuel-economy centered customer there is... nothing.

ericbecky
09-23-2008, 03:31 PM
This is a great announcement.

I look forward to hearing more.

The minivan would be a nice option for families.

I didn't see any details on the battery supplier. Any ideas?

xcel
09-23-2008, 03:43 PM
Hi Eric:

___Look at the cap and AER of these vehicles vs. the 2008 NAIAS Press Event releases. Same if not the exact same stuff going on here.

___Yawn...

___Good Luck

___Wayne

ericbecky
09-23-2008, 03:58 PM
I think it still is getting more people thinking about alternatives.
Several people have already come up to me today asking about these vehicles.
So even if the story isn't much different than before it's getting people's attention.

xcel
09-23-2008, 04:02 PM
Hi Eric:

___Time to stop being such a Kiss-@ss. This is rehashed and let us hope they (Chrysler) get their act together soon. If you read the Detroit 2008 NAIAS threads, you would have seen they started ENVI last September or October. You do not build a reliable EV with a fast track in < 2-years unless you want trouble. The fasttrack smells of GM's BAS recalls thanks to Cobasys supply earlier this year.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

ericbecky
09-23-2008, 04:51 PM
Time to stop being such a Kiss-@ss.
Well that seems a bit strong of a statement.

For the general public sometimes there is so much information coming out of NAIAS that things get lost in the cacophony.

This has gotten picked up by enough places that people are asking about it and I consider that a good thing.

I agree that we all should hope that Chrysler gets their act together soon. Many people's futures hang in the balance.

SpartyBrutus
09-23-2008, 05:09 PM
Hi Eric:

___.... You do not build a reliable EV with a fast track in < 2-years unless you want trouble.....
___Wayne


Maybe Chrysler is trying to get something (hopefully reliable) to market ahead of the Chevy Volt and other PHEVs.

flatty
09-23-2008, 05:43 PM
"...nature ambassadors...?"

PTDixieGal
09-23-2008, 06:27 PM
Honestly I'd like to see something like an electric or hybrid version of a PT Cruiser. I love driving mine but the gas mileage could be better. That's why I started hypermiling.

Right Lane Cruiser
09-23-2008, 06:31 PM
PT, check out Hybrid Technologies -- they convert PT Cruisers. ;)

Ophbalance
09-23-2008, 06:53 PM
Yep. EPA owns one. I saw it on the in to work last week. It was for something like ORSD (or some other science acronym) ridding on a flatbed trailer on the way to the main EPA campus in Durham.

cuchulain
09-23-2008, 07:26 PM
An overview spec sheet was available at the below link

http://stadium.weblogsinc.com/autoblog/pdfs/Chrysler_EV_Spec_Sheet.pdf

150-200 miles city from a 26kWh battery would give 173-130Wh/mile. Must be very light.

Good Luck
Andrew

juglo-j
09-23-2008, 10:48 PM
And for a sedan/hatchback fuel-economy centered customer there is... nothing.

They said the mini-van will get 400 miles on 8 gallons. That's 50mpg AFTER driving 40 miles using only electricity! How is this not economical? Same with the Jeep.

The sad thing is you know that they will pick the car with the Viper platform first because fewer people will be able to buy them so they will not have to produce as many...:(

Stupid automakers! If people are screaming for EVs, make and sell EVs! We are telling them exactly what we want and they are sitting with their thumbs where the sun don't shine! Lost sales = money down the drain...

voodoo22
09-24-2008, 07:49 AM
Typical American car company. 1 step forward 2 steps back. Let's hope Ford and GM break this pattern of behaviour.

WriConsult
09-24-2008, 01:51 PM
They said the mini-van will get 400 miles on 8 gallons. That's 50mpg AFTER driving 40 miles using only electricity!How much electricity?

This is the problem with focusing on higher power, larger (and inherently less efficient) vehicles ... they're going to appear to get good "gas mpg" (if you only consider the gas input) but electricity is not free. Bigger, less electricity-efficient EVs are going to put a lot more strain on the grid than a small, efficient EV -- something we STILL DO NOT HAVE. I wish they'd start building those FIRST. After all, BEVs do have limited range and the primary market for them is commuter duty, something that generally doesn't require a minivan or SUV.

And I'm skeptical of the timelines offered. ANY new car typically takes 3-5 years to reach commercialization, and we're already talking about a shorter timeline than that to incorporate fundamentally new technology into it.

True, a straight up BEV isn't a terribly complicated engineering feat except for the batteries, but what batteries? "Advanced Li-ion" is a very vague term. Which chemistry? Which suppliers? If Cobalt-Li-Ion (as laptop and cellphone batteries are) what thermal and physical protections are offered so these things don't turn into incinerators in a collision? If these questions aren't ALREADY nailed, there's no way they will meet a 2010 target. And if they'd nailed these issues, why haven't they told the public? At least Mitsubishi and Subaru (likely first to market) have told us which Li chemistry they're using and who's building the batteries for them.

And it sounds like the Jeep and the Minivan are going to be PHEVs? Even Toyota's been seem some big challenges commercializing that technology, let alone getting it to the point where it makes money. And Chrysler thinks they're going to get it done in less than 2 years?



Copyright 2006 Clean MPG, LLC. All Rights Reserved.