Behind The Wheel
More Videos
- Will Super Bowl Ad Buzz Generate Sales Buzz?
- Boeing Inspects 787 Dreamliner for Possible Repairs
- Will Toyota Rebound to #1 in 2012?
- What Fueled Record January Auto Sales?
- The Three Year ‘Pinch’ Is Helping New Car Sales
- Ford Earnings Disappoint, Causing New Concerns and Questions for Investors
- Are Ford's Best Days Behind Them?
- General Motors Struggles to Break Out From Uncle Sam's Shadow
- Will Tesla Crack the Range Anxiety Problem?
- Feds Send Message Clearing Chevy's Volt
MOST SHARED
- Stock Gains Turn Hedge Fund Losers Into Winners
- RBA Unexpectedly Holds Rates, Leaves Door Open to Cut
- Saudi Arabia Will Not Let Oil Go Above $100: Prince
- After US Oil Snub, Canada Focuses on China
- Estee Lauder Forecast Lower Profit on Ad Spending
- Rein: When Chinese Tourists Are Not Welcome
- Super Bowl, Madonna Set New TV Audience Records
- Greece Is a ‘Sideshow’ for Global Investors: Fund Manager
- GM Net Income of $10 Billion Isn't 'Crazy': Steven Rattner
- After The Super Bowl: Who’s Buying?
- S&P 500 Earnings: Industrials Lead
- Will Super Bowl Ad Buzz Generate Sales Buzz?
- 5 Stocks That Pay You Twice as Much as Treasurys
- Running Robo-Settlement Numbers
- ‘Goodnight iPad’ — A Bedtime Story for Adults
- 4 Reasons Why Google Should Buy Twitter
- Zynga Set to Ride on Facebook's Coattails: Analyst
- China Growth Could Halve If Europe Crisis Worsens: IMF
- Traders Watch Bernanke for Any Shift After Jobs Report
- Japan Chooses Stealth Intervention to Curb Yen Rise
- Super Bowl, Madonna Set New TV Audience Records
- Why Oil Prices Aren't Rising Despite Sanctions on Iran
- Greece Is a 'Sideshow' for Investors: Fund Manager
- Investors Wary of Stocks Are Flocking to Junk Bonds
- After US Oil Snub, Canada Focuses on China
- Saudi Arabia Will Not Let Oil Go Above $100: Prince
RSS FEED
Testing the Cars as Chrysler Goes Electric
Text Size 
Ladies and gentleman, there's a new team entering the great race in the auto industry to build the first mass market electric vehicle.
It's Chrysler.
Yes, Chrysler. After a year of being the subject of suggestions that the company has a weak product pipeline and lacks a growth plan, the country's #5 automaker is making a big splash showing some electric models it plans to roll out in 2010.
Yesterday, at Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan I had a chance to drive the Dodge sports car that is all-electric and frankly, a hell of a ride.
The prototype, called the Dodge EV, is powered by a lithium ion battery pack, re-charges through a home outlet, and can go 0-60 in under 5 seconds. Pushing the Dodge EV around Chrysler's test track, two things stood out: 1) It's a great ride for a prototype 2) Chrysler is determined to tell naysayers the company DOES have a plan for the future. (See the test drives in the video)
 |
Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli has heard the suggestion he's caretaker for an automaker being prepped for a sale. Yesterday as we drove around in a Jeep Wrangler extended range electric car (first 40 miles all-electric, then an internal combustion engine kicks in to power the electric motor and extend the range to 400 miles), Nardelli dismissed talk of Chrysler sliding into irrelevance. He admits sales have slumped because of a tough market overall, but he points to 28 new models coming out the next 5 years as proof his company is not sitting still.
 |
Jeep Wrangler EV |
But it's the electric cars that will get the most attention in the next couple of years. The Dodge EV I drove is a nice start. Yes, it's a prototype and there is still work to be done before it is close to hitting showrooms, but for a first drive I was very impressed. The acceleration, handling and feel of the car convinced me Chrysler has done it's homework.
 |
Chrysler minivan EV |
We're a ways from seeing who wins the great electric car race among the large global automakers, but make no mistake, Chrysler is in the game.
_____________________________________
Click on Ticker to Track Corporate News:
- Ford Motor [F
Loading...
()
]
- General Motors [GM
Loading...
()
]
- Nissan [NSANY
Loading...
()
]
- Honda Motor [HMC
Loading...
()
]
_____________________________________
 |
Dodge EV |
Questions? Comments?
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
