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After all the hoopla around the official reveal of the production Chevrolet Volt, preceded by equally breathless press around an apparent leak of unofficial photos, I was about to emit a strangled scream: "STOP already, the damn car won't be here for more than two years!"

Well, this morning Chrysler dealt with all that. In a CNBC exclusive interview, Detroit's perennial underdog and favorite whipping boy stole a bit of buzz from the omnipresent Volt. By announcing it intends to produce three EVs—one of them by the end of 2010—the company has gone GM one better, by giving each of its three brands an uber-cool electric-drive halo car. (Most commentators have justifiably ignored the oddly styled GEM Peapod, although it may spawn a limited-range urban vehicle—of which more later.)

To me, the interesting questions are: Who's supplying the batteries? Will the cars share anything at all with any vehicles Chrysler now builds? And will it actually build any of these cars itself?

Chrysler says the lithium-ion batteries in each of the three vehicles come from a different maker. This morning's Wall Street Journal reports that the company is talking to usual suspect A123 Systems, which recently filed for its initial public offering (IPO) and needs all the publicity it can get. Others include LG Chem (it is vying with A123 for the Volt contract), EnerDel, and JCI-Saft.

More intriguing, Chrysler may not adapt an existing platform for upcoming electric vehicles, as GM has done. The upcoming GM "global compact car" architecture, to be used for the 2010 Chevrolet Cruze and a zillion other vehicles, has been engineered to accept the Volt's E-Flex components, as well as standard gas and diesel engines for all the other variations.

But in a piece I wrote just before Chrysler's announcement at just-auto.com (you'll have to register, sorry), ENVI president Frank Rhodes nixed the idea of a single platform with two masters. Asked about integrating new powertrains—battery packs, electric drive, small range-extender engines—into architectures also built to accommodate standard engines, he reacted sharply. "Sharing platforms? We don't think that makes sense. We believe that end result is sort of the worst of all."

(He did suggest that unique designs and architectures didn't preclude shared production lines and intermingled assembly. That's an ambitious task, if the aluminum structures and reorganized packaging of the company’s Detroit show concepts carry over into production.)

Finally, Chrysler seems to be drifting toward outsourced vehicle assembly. The Dodge EV was the only "new" vehicle of the three it showed off today, and that appears to be a converted Lotus Europa—albeit in bright yellow with Viper-style double black stripes. Lotus already assembles the Tesla Roadster, which is based on some components of its Elise. Now Chrysler and Lotus are reportedly discussing assembly of the Dodge EV in Hethel. Do I hear an echo? Tesla can’t be particularly happy about this one …

Chrysler has also outsourced assembly of its not-yet-arrived small cars, both an unnamed version of the Nissan Sentra and its "Waiting for Godot" Chery small car. On the flip side, it's serving as an outsourcer to Volkswagen, for the Routan minivan (nee Dodge Caravan) and Nissan, for the next Titan pickup truck (nee Dodge Ram). Whether Chrysler decides to build its all-new EVs in house or finds a partner to assemble elsewhere—reducing all those annoying capital expenditure for things like plants and machinery—will be one to watch.

About that urban car, by the way: Chrysler may be serious about the idea of a limited-range city vehicle. In that same piece, the company gave strong hints that it thinks there's a market for a car that offers a range higher than 40 miles, but far lower than the 300 expected of a "regular" car.

Taking a stance against GM’s notion of "range anxiety," Chrysler suggests that it sees a group of buyers—apparently anal-retentive list-makers and mileage loggers—who'd be entirely comfortable with such a vehicle. The secret sauce may be that Chrysler owns Global Electric Motors (GEM), which has sold almost 40,000 "neighborhood electric vehicles" over the past 10 years. In other words, the company probably has a fair grasp on what EV users actually like and want. It promises to be a fascinating market exercise, if it actually happens.

In the end, I'm happy that Chrysler dropped this bombshell into our hidebound little world. For a long time, GM was the only North American electric-drive pioneer out there—and you know what they say about pioneers. (Something about arrows in the back…) Of course, Toyota is quietly spending hundreds of millions of dollars (cash the U.S. makers don’t actually have) to maintain its decade-long dominance of hybrid vehicles. And it's said to be thinking about making the Prius its own brand, with its own lineup of vehicles. One day soon, those cars will start rolling into showrooms, with less hoopla and much shorter lead times.

Meanwhile, let's give Chrysler two cheers. I'm keeping the third one until I actually drive production-ready versions of these suckers. And by the way, GM: That goes for the Volt, too.—John Voelcker

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Not to be outdone in the hot new electric and E-REV segment, Chrysler has announced not one but THREE new Chrysler electric cars that rely solely or predominantly on electric motors for their forward propulsion, according to CNBC--not to mention the expansion of a fourth electric vehicle that's already been for sale for nearly a decade. All three concepts are intended for eventual production, with at least one slated for production sometime in 2010.

Number one: A Tesla competitor. A roadster in form and based on the Lotus Europa, this all-electric sportscar, the Dodge EV, will accelerate to 60 mph in less than five seconds, have a 150- to 200-mile range on a full charge, and be driven at the rear wheels. Charging times for the Dodge EV are cited by CEO Bob Nardelli as 4 hours on a 110-volt outlet, 8 hours on a 220-volt line.

Number two: An E-REV (extended-range electric vehicle) Jeep Wrangler that can travel solely on electric propulsion up to 40 miles and then, with the assistance of a roughly 1.0-liter gasoline generator delivering electricity to the electric motors and back to the battery, travel up to another 400. Chrysler execs claimed on CNBC that this Wrangler, each wheel powered by its own electric motor, can travel "400 miles on 9 gallons." That works out to 44 mpg for this beast of burden, more than double the economy it's capable of with its overburdened 3.7-liter V-6. And individual throttle control, in essence, for each wheel could conceivably be a remarkable advancement in the land of four-wheeling.

Number three: An E-REV Chrysler Town & Country, with batteries located beneath the second row of seats. This enables the minivan's convenient Swivel & Go seating to remain. This vehicle's range and details of its propulsion are not yet known, but as it's called an E-REV, we assume a setup similar to the Jeep Wrangler above, itself nearly an exact copy of GM's recently announced 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

Number four: Electric "neighborhood" vehicles. Chrysler has been building and selling bubbly electric golf-cart-like vehicles for a decade now, and on CNBC, Chrysler execs claimed there are currently 40,000 on the road with a combined total of about 250 million miles on them. Far from the high-tech lithium-ion propulsion systems of today, the lead-acid batteries and short ranges of these vehicles don't have much relevance compared to the three concepts announced by Chrysler. But Nardelli claims that an electric city car will be developed off of this platform, and 40,000 pleased consumers in gated communities and golf courses across America (ever heard of Peachtree City outside of Atlanta?) is pretty significant.

Clearly, Chrysler LLC has cribbed two ideas from other companies in assembling its proposed arsenal of electric vehicles. Just as the "change" mantra was invented by one presidential candidate and then quite successfully adopted by the other in this election season, GM and Tesla started the E-REVolution and electric roadster, respectively, and now Chrysler seems to be stealing the spotlight by being the first automaker to announce a fleet of Chrysler electric cars incorporating the best of both technologies.

Chrysler has something to brag about today, as well as the beginnings of a plan to cheer its loyalists and struggling dealer infrastructure. For now, anyway--Chrysler's long, unproductive track record with electric vehicles aside from the GEM is reason enough to believe this announcement's designed to help its case for federal loans, and that actual production without that money is decidedly iffy.

Tides change rapidly in the automotive universe, it would seem, and we're glad to see automakers tripping over each other in search of the Green Mantle. Wonder if GM wishes it had copyrighted the E-REV nomenclature?--Colin Mathews

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Continuing the push for low-interest loans to Detroit's automakers, 10 governors this week joined the fray in requesting $25 billion in low-interest loans for GM, Ford, and Chrysler. As reported by Detroit Free Press, the governors of Michigan, Illinois, New Jersey, Tennessee, Ohio, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Delaware, Kansas, and North Carolina asked for the support in a letter to Congress. They also requested $250 million for research on advanced battery technology.

Job creation, greenhouse gas reduction, and greater energy independence were the main reasons listed for automaker assistance. Further, the letter stated that it is "imperative that the federal government make these critical investments."

As of yet, no orchestrated voice against the loans has emerged. But critics see government assistance as tantamount to a bailout, and The Club for Growth, a group critical of McCain's tax policy, called the pending loans "a politically motivated transfer of wealth" from taxpayers to a special interest.

The White House has not commented yet on the proposed loans, and Congress is not expected to take the issue up until sometime next week.

In a nod to Jalopnik, could this be the Second Coming of The Malaise Era? Financial malaise, anyway. At least electric vehicles have lots of torque at zero rpm, unlike, say, the beloved Chevrolet Chevette/Pontiac T1000 twins wheezing around when Jimmy Carter was admonishing the country to just turn off the heat and just wear a sweater.--Colin Mathews

Singing with a chorus that includes Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and AIG, the Big Three's top men (GM - Wagoner; Ford - Mulally; Chrysler - Nardelli) this week continued beseeching congressional leaders for $25 billion in low-interest federal loans. The U.S. auto giants claim to be facing the worst business conditions "in more than 30 years," according to Detroit Free Press.

Continuing to link the health of their industries to the fates of the U.S. economy and the American worker, the three powerful CEOs insinuated negative impacts on "tens of thousands of employees" and a "lasting effect on industrial production in the U.S." if no assistance is given. They also cited the housing crisis, high oil and commodities prices, and restrained credit as compounding auto industry struggles that make government assistance critical.

The executives also asked Washington leaders to "widen" the loan terms, loosening items like last year's mandate of 25 percent better fuel economy before funds would be released. Widening would allow more parts and vehicles to qualify under the loan's terms.

Wall Street is suddenly asking a lot of its governmental overseers, but can a penny-pinched, debt-laden U.S. afford another $25 billion on the heels of expensive moves like the $85 billion AIG bailout? And will domestic automakers really change approaches and vehicles this time around, or will it be back to business and SUVs as usual when the sun comes out again? Or can we afford not to? Let us know what you think in a comment below.--Colin Mathews, image from Ninjapoodles

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"In a bid to cheer up its dealers," reports the Wall Street Journal, Chrysler plans to offer its dealers a look at an electric vehicle that it is scurrying to develop. Rumor has it the vehicle would be able to travel up to 40 miles on electric power alone, after which a small gasoline generator would provide electricity to propel the car forward while also re-charging its batteries.

In perhaps the biggest "Me Too!" of 2008, Chrysler LLC seems to have absolutely no qualms in lifting, verbatim, the concept, execution, and functioning of their proposed E-REV from the segment-defining 2011 Chevy Volt.

And in perhaps the biggest "no duh" of 2008, WSJ reports "The future of Chrysler's electric car isn't as clear as the Volt's." It seems no formal agreements with parts suppliers for batteries and other key components have been "hammered out." Chrysler reportedly plans to let suppliers and partners do the bulk of R&D for this proposed vehicle.

A video conference with CEO Robert Nardelli and Vice Chairman Jim Press, to be broadcast next Tuesday to 100 movie theaters across the country where Chrysler dealers will be convened, will "demonstrate the electric car."

Imitation, they say, is the sincerest form of flattery. But simple compliments, careful timing, and innovation always smell better than Essénce de Desperación.--Colin Mathews