Inhabitat » TRANSPORTATION TUESDAY: Chrysler Reveals the Dodge EV

September 30, 2008

TRANSPORTATION TUESDAY: Chrysler Reveals the Dodge EV

by Jorge Chapa

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Recently Chrysler revealed a lean green supercar that can hit 0-60mph in five seconds flat! The Dodge EV features an emission-free 200 kW electric motor and has a driving range of 150-200 miles, leaving GM’s Chevy Volt in the dust. The sleek all-electric vehicle is not intended to compete with consumer-oriented cars - it has its sights set on the Tesla Roadster!

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The Dodge EV was revealed as part of Chrysler’s ENVI program, whose purpose is to develop clean, economical fuel-efficient vehicles. Just like with the Tesla, Chrysler enlisted Lotus to assist in developing their mean road machine.

The two passenger vehicle is powered by an electric rear wheel drive, and can generate around 270 horse power to take you from 0-60mph in about 5 seconds. The Dodge EV’s top speed is 120 mph, and a single charge will take you for around 150 to 200 miles while in the city. To charge the car, one simply needs to plug the vehicle to any electrical outlet.

Chrysler also revealed a number of aditional entries in their green lineup: A Jeep hybrid, a Town and Country Range Extended EV and the tiny GEM peapod.

+ Chrysler ENVI

Via CNBC

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6 Responses to “TRANSPORTATION TUESDAY: Chrysler Reveals the Dodge EV”

Steve N. Lee Says:

October 1st, 2008 at 2:51 am

See, I don’t get this.

A range of 200 miles is fantastic.

But since when was it vital that environmentally concerned people be able to accelerate from 0-60mph in 5 seconds?

Why would they need to travel at 120mph - that’s 45-55mph over the speed limit!

If this is a truly green vehicle then why has so much been spent on research to make it travel as speeds you can’t use and acceleration you’ll never need? Why has that expensive and wasteful technology then been realised and incorporated in the car, pushing up it’s purchase price and wasting resources in producing features you’ll never use?

This isn’t a green option, it’s a joke. A pretty joke, yes, with some formidable performance statistics, but a joke nonetheless!

Sorry Chrysler, but this is an excellent example of green design gone bad.

Steve N. Lee
author of eco-blog http://www.lionsledbysheep.com
and suspense thriller ‘What if…?’

3304hl Says:

October 1st, 2008 at 9:48 am

” Just like with the Tesla, Chrysler enlisted Lotus to assist in developing their mean road machine”

I guess so; this car IS a Lotus Europa with an electric power package. They haven’t even made changes to the bodywork.

talk about a lame effort.

tgroth Says:

October 1st, 2008 at 12:09 pm

3304hi is spot on. The only body modification Chrysler made to the Lotus Europa was slap on a dodge emblem in the place of the Lotus badge. At least Tesla changed some body panels on their Lotus based product!

Now Chrysler will use this car to try to convince leaders in Washington DC to help them keep afloat. Nothing more than an elaborate branding effort.

chd1977 Says:

October 1st, 2008 at 5:26 pm

Steve n Lee, Who died and made you eco king i agree going green is excellent but who said it had to be boring.It is great chrysler is thinking outside the box in there sports car line. Do your research and look at the SRT line up thEY all havea gas guzzler tax ,now they have somthing to offer that no other mainstream auto makers are.Dont get jealous when this lil dodge blows the doors off that prius you drive!!!!!!! WAY TO CHRYSLER, MORE AUTOMAKERS NEED TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX! P.S STEVE ALL YOUR CURRENT CARS RUN FASTER THAN THE SPEED LIMIT BUT IT IS UP TO THE MAN OR WOMAN DRIVING THAT CAR TO GO FASTER THAN THAT IF THEY WISH TO DO SO IT’S THERE TICKET IF THEY GET CAUGHT.LOOSEN UP GUY!

chd1977 Says:

October 1st, 2008 at 5:49 pm

Great effort Chrysler rather than TESLA it is about keeping the price down.Platform sharing is the best way.that is why chrysler will out sell tesla there is a big diffrence between 100 cars a year and 50,000 cars a year.Its about appealing to the market as a whole not just three people who do not have a clue or just dont get the auto industry .

Dallas Ward Says:

October 1st, 2008 at 10:00 pm

To Steve N. Lee:

It’s greener than any comparable sports car. So…how is that a joke? I don’t see people abandoning sports cars, SUVs, or anything other type of vehicle anytime soon. I know it doesn’t fit with some peoples’ view that green means no more than needed, but it’s not how most people think. To me, this is taking something exotic, and using it for an ultimately pragmatic purpose. This is the type of electric vehicle that is going to sell the general public on going electric. Most Americans don’t want 5 door hatchbacks roughly the size of a Civic.

Using the Lotus platform also mainstreams the use of lightweight materials and construction techniques for auto manufacturing. This is as good for the family sedan as it is for an ultra-exotic sports car.

As for the speed limit thing, the US is not the only market where Chrysler’s brands are sold. I could see this being very popular in Germany, where several stretches of Autobahn are still unregulated.

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