Remember Chrysler's ENVI lineup of electric vehicles? They seemed a little farfetched when they were first introduced, but Chrysler has been cranking away trying to make them a reality. The company is one step closer today as it officially announced a battery contract with supplier A123 Systems.
According to the release, "Chrysler LLC and A123Systems have signed an agreement stating that A123Systems will supply energy storage systems for Chrysler's first-generation ENVI Range-extended Electric Vehicles and battery only Electric Vehicles. A123Systems is an American battery supplier with plans for a Michigan-based production facility.
Note that A123 "plans" to have a Michigan-based plant that will produce the advanced Nanophosphate Lithium ion prismatic battery cells for Chrysler's ENVI vehicles. Like much of Chrysler's future, this whole ENVI thing is a big "if" pending the company's bailout by the federal government.
Chrysler Powers Up Its Product Line With New Electric Cars
estreka says:
09:28 AM, 04/ 6/09
I wonder what Fiat thinks of all this.
altimadude00 says:
10:56 AM, 04/ 6/09
Too little, too late?
firstwagon says:
12:16 PM, 04/ 6/09
Why too little, too late?
Of the big 3, I think Chrysler has the best chance of a real turn around. Their line up needs the most work but they are in the best position to make changes. There are a lot of advantages to being smaller.
GM has some really good products but is carrying so much baggage that the only way out maybe some form of receivership to allow a complete redo of the company.
It will be interesting to see if they can come out with a line of electric cars that actually work and are actually available to buy.
So far the electic car industry has been wishful thinking at it's best and a scheme to defraud investors at it's worst.
altimadude00 says:
12:50 PM, 04/ 6/09
Why too little, too late?
Because this smells like the eleventh-hour desperate scribbling on a napkin to come up with some reason to keep feeding a lost cause more "bail-out" money. There is no big technology leap here, no big engineering feat accomplished. The battery manufacturer doesn't even have a plant making batteries yet for these vehicles.
Too little product planning coming too late to try and save the company.
I applaud the effort for a big company wanting to break into the mainstream with EVs, but there's too much in the way to make this a reality, I'm sorry to say.
firstwagon says:
01:30 PM, 04/ 6/09
altimadude00
They do have a plant.
From their website...(For larger projects that require volume manufacturing, we operate state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Asia which have the capacity to scale to millions of battery packs per year. )
The new plant will likely be to meet demand and import rules.
I also don't like it's as 11th hour as you believe. No big technology leap is need to make electric cars. Just good batteries.
There's no way to know what product planning has been going on behind the scenes as they are not a public company. It's a big advantage not having to report to shareholders who care about nothing but short term gain.