Chrysler Announces Plan To Launch Electric Cars Within 3-5 Years - Reuters

[hatrack]

DETROIT - Chrysler LLC is planning to launch all-electric vehicles in the next three to five years, the latest automaker to join the race to produce cars with fuel-saving technologies.

Chrysler's new Envi unit, which was created last September, is developing vehicles that are intended to run on battery power alone for about 40 miles (64 km), Chrysler spokesman Nick Cappa said on Monday. "The group is looking to have a product available in the marketplace in the next three to five years," Cappa said.

Chrysler, which has lagged rivals in its hybrid strategy, is 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.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/49380/story.htm

[YOY]

1. I'd move faster than that if I were them

n/t

[cosmik debris]

2. ....if they survive that long. n/t

[hatrack]

3. Don't worry - Nardelli's on the job!

:eyes:

[Ganja Ninja]

4. Plug-in hybrids should be mandated within 5 years.

We need to set a course and stick to it if we're going to deal with this problem.

[tinrobot]

5. Don't mandate technology, mandate results.

I think plug-in hybrids are great technology, but the ultimate goal is to reduce consumption and emissions. Mandate that through higher mpg standards and higher emissions controls. Let the manufacturers figure out the best way to get there.

When California mandated zero emissions vehicles in the late 90's, the EV1 was born. California didn't mandate electric cars, they mandated zero emissions.

[Nederland]

6. Agreed

Government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers.

[JohnWxy]

7. at $37,500 a copy? How many will be sold and how long do you think it will take to save an

appreciable amount of our total gasoline demand?

if you assume 200,000 units (for all manufacturers of plug-ins) sold initially and 20% annual sales growth and 100 mpg (at the beginning of the period) 250 mpg (at the end of the period) for the plug-ins versus 30 mpg (at the beginning)to 39 mpg (at the end) for the ICE powered cars replaced, it would take 22 years to save 10% of the total gasoline consumption (check out column AC of the spreadsheet at link. At that rate of mpg it would take 56 million plug-ins to save that much gasoline. The estimated price un-inflated and quantity adjusted (see spreadsheet) for these 56 million vehicles would be $752 Billion.

To get to a 50% of total annual gas consumption I compute it would take 31 years at the 250 mpg figure.

If you want to try other assumptions than those you can put different assumptions into the spreadsheet provided at the link, and see how they turn out. volt cost - time table calculations.

Plug in hybrids will be important in reducing our use of petroleum. But it will take some time and considerable investment. We are going to have to have ways of reducing gasoline consumption that work NOW while we build up the number of plug-ins and fuel cell vehicles.