Chrysler Seeks Federal $ For Plug-in Pickups, Electric Minivans and EV Batteries; Development Facility Would Help Speed Commercial Production, Company Says
By John O'Dell May 26, 2009By John O'Dell, Senior Editor
Chrysler says the future has a plug on it and that, with a plug-in hybrid drive system, even its Dodge Ram pickups can find a home in the new world of high fuel economy and low greenhouse gas emissions.
We predicted as much last month, and this evening the company proved us right, saying it wants to spend $448 million to speed development and manufacture of plug-in and extended-range electric vehicles and has asked the federal government for $224 million in matching-fund grants to help with two programs.
Chrysler, which is in bankruptcy but is expected to emerge under the control of of Italy's Fiat, said it and a number of so-far unidentified partners would provide $224 million in matching funds
The bulk of the requested federal funding, $183.5 million, would be used for a $365 million demonstration project in which Chrysler would field "at least" 100 plug-in hybrid EV Town & Country minivans, 100 plug-in hybrid Dodge Ram 1500 pickup trucks and 165 all-electric Town & Country minivans (above) in several test fleets.
Manufacturing Center
The remaining federal funds, if the grants are approved, would be used for development and construction of a "vehicle electrification technology and manufacturing center."
The center, to be located in Michigan, would house facilities for developing, testing and manufacturing electric drive components and for assembling rechargeable battery EVs and range-extended EVs (so-called series hybrids which use an internal combustion engine to generate power for an electric drive system).
Chrysler said the facility could cost "up to" $83 million.
The complex could be up and running next year if the funding is approved and could produce electric drives for more than 20,000 vehicles a year, the company said.
Chrysler says the grant applications, filed May 19 under the Energy Department's Transportation Electrification and Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing initiatives.
ENVI Program Lives
A Chrysler spokesman told Green Car Advisor that the programs covered by the grant applications are separate from Chrysler's ENVI electric vehicle program, which has shown five concept battery and range-extended EVs and has promised to put one model into the retail market next year with others to follow in 2013 (this all presumes of course, that there is a Chrysler around next year and on into 2013).
The 365-vehicle demonstration program under the DoE's Transportation Electrification Initiative would place the minivans and pickups in to service "across a range of drive cycles and consumer-usage patterns in diverse geographies and climates throughout the United States," Chrysler said.
The beleaguered automaker said it has set up partnerships with more than a dozen city and local governments, utility companies, universities and research and development authorities that will test the vehicles.
The battery-electric Town & Country minivans will be used by the U.S. Postal Service, with other partners using the plug-in hybrid pickups and minivans.
EV Charging Part of Plan
Chrysler also has established partnerships with a number of energy providers though its EVNI group and will use those relationships to help develop an EV charging infrastructure to serve the demonstration fleets.
"This plan will accelerate our efforts to develop and manufacture electric and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles, which will reduce the amount of time it will take to get these vehicles on the road," Frank Klegon, Chrysler's executive vice president for product development, said it a statement released this evening.
The battery development center is an especially important element of the plan. There is no commercial manufacturing of advanced batteries for hybrids and pure EVs in the U.S. right now and Chrysler and several other automakers and battery firms want to establish factories here to reduce the need to buy the batteries from foreign suppliers.
"Without U.S. innovation and production capacity, we will simply trade batteries for oil in the pursuit of transportation energy," said John Bozzella, Chrysler's senior vice president for external affairs and public policy.
Ah, if only they'd seen the electric light a decade ago.
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