Chrysler pegs 2010 as year of its electric car

[IDemo]

What model will it be: A Dodge sports car, a Jeep or a Chrysler minivan?

Associated Press
updated 8 minutes ago

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan - Chrysler LLC said Tuesday it will put an electric car on sale in North America in 2010.

The company showed reporters three electric prototypes: a Dodge sports car, a Jeep and a Chrysler minivan. But the automaker's product development chief, Frank Klegon, said the company hasn't decided which vehicle will come out in 2010.

The Dodge sports car is completely electric, but the Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler minivan models will have a recharging system similar to the Chevrolet Volt that General Motors Corp. is planning. The Volt plugs into a standard wall outlet and will be able to go 40 miles on battery power alone, but then a small gasoline engine kicks in to recharge the batteries, allowing the car to travel hundreds more miles.

Chrysler is still working with several partners on the battery technology for its vehicles, Klegon said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26853468/

[liberal N proud]

1. I like the sports car

[kristopher]

2. Bloomberg

Chrysler Plans Electric-Vehicle Line; Car Due in 2010 (Update2)

By Mike Ramsey

Sept. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Chrysler LLC, the U.S. automaker most dependent on truck sales, plans a full line of plug-in electric vehicles and will sell a battery-powered car in its home market in 2010.

The car will be used in test fleets next year, President Tom LaSorda said today after Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Chrysler showed working prototypes of a sports car, Jeep and minivan. A car model will be sold in Europe after 2010, he said.

Offering electric vehicles is part of Chief Executive Officer Robert Nardelli's plan to stem losses as higher gasoline prices damp demand for the light trucks that make up 72 percent of the company's U.S. sales. Building durable batteries has been a sticking point for electric autos.

``We are well ahead of where people think we are,'' Co- President Jim Press said at the event. ``Perhaps that's because we haven't tooted our horn up till now.''

Unlike hybrid vehicles such as Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius, which is propelled by a gasoline engine and an electric motor, Chrysler's cars would only tap electricity to power the wheels, with the on-board engine running just to recharge the batteries.

Chrysler's Jeep model would be able to travel 400 miles using 8 gallons of gasoline, the company said today. Plug-ins also can be charged at household outlets.

The unveiling came...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aAnpJrLzDcC0&refer=news

[poopfuel]

3. wonder where we're getting all the copper for the batteries

Given people are stealing scrap metal because of high prices and shortages.

[kristopher]

4. High prices do not equal shortages.

And there is no shortage.

Is copper is a critical component of the batteries being used? I haven't heard that it is.

[poopfuel]

5. google it

http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page36?o...

Pertinent section

"Copper, used extensively in electrical wiring, bearings and some radiators, remain a core material in the automotive manufacturing industry. Copper demand from car manufacturers will also increase in the long term with the increase in sales of hybrid and electric cars. This comes as electrical components in these vehicles use much larger amounts of copper."

From another source:
http://www.resourceinvestor.com/pebble.asp?relid=9010
A hybrid uses about twice the copper(50 kg) in typical cars .
In order to make 10m hybrid cars per year, Toyota needs about 600,000 metric tonnes of copper per year"
And as he notes, cobalt and nickel are required.

That's the present hybrid model, this will increase with exclusively electric cars (maybe 100 kg?).

Now I suppose one could raise issues with mining dangers and copper and the cost to the earth. I mean, how much are we willing to mine here?

It doesn't sound sustainable to me, particularly plugging into the polluting electric grid. Majority of us won't plug into windmills or solar power sources. We'll just plug in to whatever the big utility companies want us to plug into.

[kristopher]

6. Ok I understand

Your original remark was: "wonder where we're getting all the copper for the batteries". Since you can't support that baseless attempt at creating doubt about the technology, you try to shift gears and depict your criticism as being against mining minerals generally.

Taken with your responses to other topics I think I understand; you want to keep hyping internal combustion engines.

[poopfuel]

7. I believe the copper numbers speak for themselves N/t

[kristopher]

8. They do. There is no shortage. nt