Dodge EV

[cspak71]

Originally Posted by designer

So they decided to just plant the Dodge logo, electric engine on an existing frame. WOW genius!
1. The Chrysler brand is sinking
2. Looking for bail out money
3. Selling the Viper brand

Not surprised at all. I hope it's just a prototype one off.

And trust me folks this adds NO VALUE to the Lotus brand.

As much as I hate to see Chrysler using a recognizable body from a Lotus car... it's not very surprising.

Lotus have been hiring themselves out to other companies for many years... I recall my desire to get a Isuzu Impulse that had Lotus engineering. In the end, if this can keep Lotus up and running and help them financially, I wouldn't want to stop them.

[delise]

Also Tesla will be moving out of their Lotus dependency asap and making their own chassis and cars soon, it is part of their short term plan.

[JLSELISE]

Only for their sedan version, if it every is actually built. The roadster chassis will continue to be Lotus-built as long as it is produced.

[waydui]

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Sad thing is, 90% of people who see the Dodge EV will not know it is Lotus derived.


Worse yet, they will applaud Chrysler for its vision and foresight...

Regards,
Wayne

[Allan Gibbs]

More electric sports cars are great!

Funny thing is, I like it as a Dodge but didn't like it as a Lotus. Maybe it's because of the stripes and colors...or a higher expectation for Lotus.

[Allan Gibbs]

Originally Posted by waydui

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Sad thing is, 90% of people who see the Dodge EV will not know it is Lotus derived.


Worse yet, they will applaud Chrysler for its vision and foresight...

Regards,
Wayne

That's okay. Because there will always be people like us to tell them the truth.

[6_speed]

I don't know who is the more desperate party.

The next question to Lotus/Tesla owners - "Got a Hemi?"

[teekster]

Originally Posted by wallabyguy

It is a Lotus Europa. What's funny is once you put the stripes and Chrysler badges on it (getting ready for the flying veggies), it looks more like a Dodge than a Lotus.

At the time of the Europa thread, I seemed to be the only one who thought it looked like a Dodge Stealth. Perhaps that is where Lotus got the Europa design.

[dasmoofler]

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (Sept. 23) - Chrysler LLC said Tuesday it will put an electric car on sale in North America in 2010, revealing that despite missing out on the buzz surrounding the Chevrolet Volt, it is neck and neck with General Motors Corp. in the race to put a mass-produced electric vehicle on America's roads.
The company showed reporters three electric prototypes: a Dodge sports car, a Jeep Wrangler and a Chrysler minivan. Chrysler's product development chief, Frank Klegon, said the automaker hasn't decided which one it will roll out first.
Chrysler Goes Electric AP 4 photos Chrysler LLC Vice Chairman and President, Tom LaSorda, left, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Nardelli stand next to a Dodge electric sports car prototype in Auburn Hills, Mich., Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker)

The Dodge sports car is completely electric and based on Lotus Europa underpinnings, but the Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler minivan models will be extended-range vehicles similar to the Volt, which GM has said will go on sale in November 2010.
Like the Volt, the Wrangler and minivan plug into a standard wall outlet and can go 40 miles on battery power alone, but then a small gasoline engine kicks in to recharge the batteries. Chrysler said its vehicles will be able to travel up to 400 miles on 8 gallons of gas.
Chrysler wouldn't reveal pricing, but GM's Volt is expected to cost $30,000 to $40,000 initially, far more expensive than most conventional cars. Chrysler officials said they hope to drive down the cost as more vehicles are sold.
With gasoline near $4 per gallon, all automakers have scrambling to roll out more efficient small cars and eventually electric vehicles. But even their new fuel-efficient gas-powered vehicles are about two years away, leaving struggling automakers to scrap for buyers in a shrinking U.S. market that has shifted dramatically from trucks to cars.
Chrysler's sales have taken the hardest hit, and the automaker appeared to be behind other manufacturers that have touted plans to launch electric vehicles in the next few years. But Vice Chairman Tom LaSorda said Tuesday that Chrysler is further ahead on developing electric vehicles than many had thought, though it kept the cars secret until recently.
"We believe in the saying, 'Actions speak louder than words,'" LaSorda said.
Chrysler Chief Executive Bob Nardelli denied that Chrysler showed off its electric prototypes now because Congress is considering a $25 billion loan program to help automakers and their suppliers modernize plants to make more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Vice Chairman Jim Press said the timing of the announcement also had nothing to do with the publicity GM gained last week by revealing the production version of the Volt.
"This shows that our commitment is not to public relations, but to actually advancing technology and putting it in the hands of customers in an affordable manner," Press said. "These are vehicles that are being engineered to move from the laboratory into the street and the showroom. This isn't just for publicity. This is part of our development process."
Nardelli told reporters the government loans would help speed the technology to market. But if they aren't approved, Chrysler will have to spend limited resources on developing new technology and would have to make cuts elsewhere, possibly in employment and development of conventional products.
"Unfortunately we have had to furlough many families as a result of the economy turmoil and certainly the downward spiraling in the industry," he said. "I'd like to make sure that we don't have to go further to be able to support advanced technology work."
The three vehicles displayed Tuesday at Chrysler's Auburn Hills headquarters complex were second-generation prototypes, built largely on existing models in order to speed them to market, Klegon said.
Chrysler also unveiled the Peapod, a new small "neighborhood electric vehicle" that can go up to 30 miles on a charge, and said it would sell an electric vehicle in Europe sometime after 2010.
Klegon said Chrysler is still working with several partners on the battery technology for its vehicles. The company has agreements with General Electric Corp. and the U.S. Department of Energy, and also is working with battery maker A123 Systems Inc.
The Chrysler executives said the day is coming when the whole Chrysler fleet has electric powertrains.
"The goal is to achieve fundamental technology, get economies of scale, improve our ability to make the future generations more robust, less cost, smaller, more powerful, better performance," Press said. "Ultimately it will lead to a transformation of our entire fleet that will be in some manner electric drive."
Toyota Motor Corp. also is pushing to get a plug-in electric vehicle to market in 2010, while Ford Motor Co., which is testing 20 on roads in California, says it is five years away from producing them in significant numbers.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-09-23 14:27:51

I would have to say I like the color scheme!

[fitfan]

all manufacturers do this all the time - its called "proof of concept" they all poke around with various ideas - 90% of them never see production. i doubt this (in this form) will either. just makes no sense, but they gotta do it the experiment to run the numbers and get a little feedback internaly and externaly to decide where to go from there.

[Bavarian Motorist]

I wonder if Lotus whoring out its cars all the time weakens the BRAND of Lotus. (not the value of the company) (the Opel and Vauxhall Elises, the Tesla, and now this)

[ksdaoski]

I would buy the Jeep at 50mpg in a heartbeat. would make a great dd!!

[Vampyre]

Hmmm, not sure if this is good or bad...

Kind of like the
VW Tourag vs Porsche Cayenne

[wallabyguy]

With the coming Evora, the Europa simply doesn't make sense anymore in the product line-up. Thus, wouldn't it make sense for Lotus to spin the car (just like the M100 and the Seven before it) to another company whom would continue to build the car under its own name and allow Lotus to reap the financial benefits of the sale? Or even better, allow Lotus to continue to build the car for the other company thus adding to the bottom line and by supplementing the Elise/ Exige/ Tesla/ 2-Eleven production, allow the Lotus models to continue by ecnomy of scale without scarificing the purist orientation of the vehicles. IOW, if Lotus builds a Dodge EV, it allows them to financially continue to build the Elise/Exige models and keep them focused, not allowing them to mold under public pressure (and bean counter demands) to a vehicle appealing to a larger market segment.

Just a thought..........

[delise]

Originally Posted by teekster

At the time of the Europa thread, I seemed to be the only one who thought it looked like a Dodge Stealth. Perhaps that is where Lotus got the Europa design.

The Dodge Stealth was really a Mitsubishi GTO, Dodge did this in the 90s. Their small pickups and the Dodge Colt were also Mitsubishis

[Phantom Lotus]

My first car was a Dodge. They have always been my favorite out of the Big Three. Congrats to everyone involved on this project!

[ivan1]

lets hope they dont listen to public opinion, although I guess from a business standpoint the T and C would make the most sense....

from Automotive News - "which electric vehicle should Chrysler produce?"

[scottyb]

I like it and probably will buy one especially if it's under 40K.

Also that means many of the suspension parts used, will be cheaper for us to place on our Loti.

It definitely looks better than the prius. I doubt Tesla will ever truly be viable. Tesla needs to be bought out now if the brand were to even survive.

[ivan1]

I would be very surprised if the plans werent put on hold given the current financial status of Chrysler.In fact Chrysler is already cutting back on its hybrids:

"Chrysler LLC will stop producing its first two hybrid-electric vehicles slightly more than two months after they started arriving in dealerships.

This summer, Chrysler introduced the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango Hemi hybrid SUVs to great fanfare. Production began in August. "

[scottyb]

Originally Posted by ivan1

I would be very surprised if the plans werent put on hold given the current financial status of Chrysler.In fact Chrysler is already cutting back on its hybrids:

"Chrysler LLC will stop producing its first two hybrid-electric vehicles slightly more than two months after they started arriving in dealerships.

This summer, Chrysler introduced the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango Hemi hybrid SUVs to great fanfare. Production began in August. "

Ah yes, but what about that 25 billion dollar plan the government has to help out the auto industry with the caveat that they need to produce these alternative fuel cars?