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Richard Read
You might think Chrysler would be doubled over in pain these days, given all the tsoris of bankruptcy court. But in fact, the company is holding its head high and has developed big plans for tomorrow--at least on paper.
Yesterday, those plans made their way to the U.S. Department of Energy, when Chrysler handed over a $448-million proposal to develop a slate of green vehicles lickety-split. Most of the vehicles included in the plan would be electric and plug-in hybrid versions of the Chrysler Town & Country and the Dodge Ram, based on their broad demographic appeal.
Of course, Chrysler didn't compile this proposal for product development purposes alone. It's doing it for the moolah, too--specifically, cash from two new programs funded by the DOE: the Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative and the Transportation Electrification Initiative. If the DOE likes what it sees in Chrysler's plan, it'll pony up $224 million (i.e. half the project cost) to see it through.
That should be enough to cover phase one of the project, which involves building a research and manufacturing facility in Michigan and cranking out a test fleet. If all goes according to Chrysler's ambitious plans, vehicles could start rolling off the assembly line by the end of 2010. Whether or not the public buys them is another story--but at least the project is giving Chrysler something to think about besides financial ruin.
[source: MotorAuthority]
2009 Chrysler Town & CountryEnlarge Photo You might think Chrysler would be doubled over in pain these days, given all the tsoris of bankruptcy court. But in fact, the company is holding its head high and has developed big plans for tomorrow--at least on paper. Yesterday, those plans made their way to the U.S. Department of Energy, when Chrysler handed over a $448-million proposal to develop a slate of green vehicles lickety-split. Most of the vehicles included in the plan would be electric and plug-in hybrid versions of the Chrysler Town & Country and the Dodge Ram, based on their broad demographic appeal. Of course, Chrysler didn't compile this proposal for product development purposes alone. It's doing it for the moolah, too--specifically, cash from two new programs funded by the DOE: the Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative and the Transportation Electrification Initiative. If the DOE likes what it sees in Chrysler's plan, it'll pony up $224 million (i.e. half the project cost) to see it through. That should be enough to cover phase one of the project, which involves building a research and manufacturing facility in Michigan and cranking out a test fleet. If all goes according to Chrysler's ambitious plans, vehicles could start rolling off the assembly line by the end of 2010. Whether or not the public buys them is another story--but at least the project is giving Chrysler something to think about besides financial ruin. [source: MotorAuthority]
Responses (2 total)
By Bill Burke #1, Posted: 5/27/2009
SURPRISE!!!
To many, especially Chrysler nay sayers, Chrysler LLC was a ponderous,myopic and doomed manufacturer with few redeaming assets. To the astute (Fiat?)it was a lean(and getting leaner) company with some outstanding product,and an evolving viability plan. So it should only be a surprise to the uninformed or rabidly biased that almost daily Chrysler is introducing new and innovative product proposals, "SURPRISE!!!" Well not really, its just that Chrysler was moving towards viability and was just a few billion dollars or one orderly bankruptcy and a solid alliance away from going super competitive. Fiat saw the potential as most journalists were busy reading each others gloom and doom verbiage.Why wouldn't the government fund this proposal? Should we Americans wait for Honda or Nissan to come up with a similar technology fully funded by the Japanese government? Wake up America to our own inate creativity which should be no surprise after all.
By R2dad #2, Posted: 5/27/2009
D'oh!
All of these electrics and most of these hybrids will not sell. The house of cards being built by Team O is based on expensive ($4+/gallon) gas some time in the next two years. What if that doesn't happen? Will we THEN get the huge gas tax to force Americans to buy these vehicles? What happens when team O throws a party and no one shows?
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