Chrysler Electric Car Envi Ready Within Five Years

Posted on July 15, 2008
Filed Under Industry News, Green Machines (hybrid and electric) |

Chrysler has announced it’s planning to launch all-electric vehicles within five years. The new line, called the Envi, was created last September. The vehicles are slated to operate on battery power alone for about 40 miles.

Chrysler is also working on a new generation of hybrid vehicles with lithium-ion batteries that are lighter and store more energy than the nickel-metal hydride batteries now in wide use.

Chrysler has not yet announced any partnership for the project or for the development of the batteries.

General Motors Corp and Toyota Motor Corp are racing to develop rechargeable hybrid vehicles using lithium-ion batteries.

GM’s all-electric Chevy Volt is scheduled to begin production in 2010; Toyota will begin testing a rechargeable version of its Prius hybrid with fleet customers around the same time.

Chrysler, bought by private equity group Cerberus Capital Management last August, showed three “green” concept cars in January during the Detroit auto show that featured electric motors intended to be powered by lithium-ion batteries — Chrysler’s ecoVoyager, Dodge ZEO and Jeep Renegade.

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