Chrysler asks for an additional $2B, promises EVs and EREVs in return
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Dodge Circuit EV As expected, Chrysler has submitted a detailed plan to Congress outlining how it will attemp to once again regain its status as a viable standalone automaker, and included in the plan’s highlights are promises of improved fuel economy and fully electric vehicles. Chrysler says it will launch 24 new vehicles in the next 48 months, at least one of which will be an electric vehicle slated for a 2010 release. That’s likely to take the form of the Dodge Circuit that’s based on a chassis from Lotus and a battery pack from A123. After that, Chrysler promises to launch more unnamed EVs and extended-range EVs in the following years. Chrysler also touts the strategic global alliance with Italy’s Fiat as another way to get eco-friendly vehicles in the hands of the American population through “access to competitive fuel-efficient vehicle platforms [and] distribution capabilities in key growth markets.” The long-rumored Phoenix engine family is also mentioned, which will reportedly improve fuel economy by 6-8% over Chrysler’s current V6 engines. The automaker further says that it supports the development of a uniform national fuel economy standard that reflects the input of all constituents. Sorry, California . To make all of this a reality, Chrysler says it needs an additional $2 billion on top of the $7B that it’s already asked for, $4B of which it’s already received. There’s plenty more to the story, including production cuts, workforce reductions and a slew of concessions from the UAW and pretty much anyone else that has dealings with the automaker. We’ve pasted the official press release after the break and you can click here to Car Blog GreenAutoblog’s take on the situation and click here to download the 177-page document as a PDF file. Gallery: Dodge Circuit EV [Source: Chrysler] Continue reading Chrysler asks for an additional $2B, promises EVs and EREVs in return Auto Blog: Chrysler , Legislation and Policy , USA Chrysler asks for an additional $2B, promises EVs and EREVs in return originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Chrysler asks for an additional $2B, promises EVs and EREVs in return
Americans eager for Fiat and Alfa could get two Euro models soon
Here’s one more rumor from the Chrysler-Fiat merger: if you lust for a Fiat 500 or the soon-to-be released Alfa Romeo 149 (codenamed 940) you might be in luck. Automotive News quotes an anonymous source from the Italian manufacturer who said that the new group could start importing hundreds of European-made cars before the American-made cars arrive in showrooms. The two models named above might be distributed in the U.S. by selected Chrysler group dealers. Another rumor places up to four Fiat platforms with 1.4 and 1.8-liter 6-speed powertrains being developed for Chrysler while one American platform, the LX, might make the jump to Europe under the upcoming big Alfa Romeo, the 169. [Source: Automotive News (subs. req'd)] Auto Blog: Chrysler , Fiat , Alfa Romeo Americans eager for Fiat and Alfa could get two Euro models soon originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Americans eager for Fiat and Alfa could get two Euro models soon
Americans eager for Fiat and Alfa could get two Euro models soon
Here’s one more rumor from the Chrysler-Fiat merger: if you lust for a Fiat 500 or the soon-to-be released Alfa Romeo 149 (codenamed 940) you might be in luck. Automotive News quotes an anonymous source from the Italian manufacturer who said that the new group could start importing hundreds of European-made cars before the American-made cars arrive in showrooms. The two models named above might be distributed in the U.S. by selected Chrysler group dealers. Another rumor places up to four Fiat platforms with 1.4 and 1.8-liter 6-speed powertrains being developed for Chrysler while one American platform, the LX, might make the jump to Europe under the upcoming big Alfa Romeo, the 169. [Source: Automotive News (subs. req'd)] Auto Blog: Chrysler , Fiat , Alfa Romeo Americans eager for Fiat and Alfa could get two Euro models soon originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Americans eager for Fiat and Alfa could get two Euro models soon
BMW plans to hold course with larger cars
Being BMW has its advantages. Just the other day, we heard news that Renault’s future large cars were in trouble due to the prevailing winds in the automotive sector pushing new car buyers towards smaller, more fuel efficient cars. BMW, on the other hand, is set to launch at least one relatively large model in concept form at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show next month called the 5 Series Gran Turism. This vehicle is widely expected to spawn a future production model. Perhaps Strategy Number ONE has moved back a few places? Remember that BMW also owns the Rolls Royce and MINI brands, so the German automaker can stretch out into a wide range of market segments without diluting the hard-earned brand integrity of its own label. Small cars can be introduced under the MINI umbrella. Plus, there’s rumors of another brand in the works to focus on even smaller city cars. On the opposite end of the spectrum, BMW can produce a line of Rolls Royce models that are just dripping with luxury, size, weight and, of course, high fuel consumption. Even that premium moniker is downsizing, though, with the new smaller, gentler RR4 expected to debut next month as well. For what it’s worth, BMW claims that the new Roller will lead its segment in fuel economy and carbon emissions. [Source: Channel 4 ] Auto Blog: BMW , MINI , Rolls Royce , Geneva Motor Show BMW plans to hold course with larger cars originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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BMW plans to hold course with larger cars
Spain announces $5.3 billion in aid for domestic auto industry
Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Seat Ibiza Ecomotive The United States , the United Kingdom and France have already announced plans to stimulate the ailing automakers and suppliers that do business in their countries, so it’s not too surprising to hear that Spain has joined in the ranks as well. Like those other bailout packages, the Spanish government is highlighting the need to invest in eco-friendly automotive technologies. According to data provided by the Spanish government, 350,000 people are employed in auto-related industries in Spain and 6 percent of the country’s GDP is related to the automotive market. Last year, new car sales in Spain dropped by about 28 percent, which seems to be about the average slump worldwide. The European Union has requested additional information from Spain regarding the plan before it will sign off on the aid package. Some European countries have complained that France’s plan amounts to illegal protectionism. Gallery: 2009 Seat Ibiza Ecomotive [Source: International Herald Tribune ] Auto Blog: Legislation and Policy , Europe/EU , SEAT Spain announces $5.3 billion in aid for domestic auto industry originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Spain announces $5.3 billion in aid for domestic auto industry
No surprise: Nissan-built small Chrysler model in trouble
Click above for high-res image gallery of the Dodge Hornet concept Color us unsurprised at the revelation that the long awaited tie up between Chrysler and Nissan has hit a rocky patch. Recall that the two automakers struck a deal last April that would have Dodge supply the next generation of the Nissan Titan fullsize pickup truck (built atop its Ram platform) in exchange for a duo of small cars to be built by Nissan and sold as Dodges. After the last few years of failed attempts to get some other automaker (first by way of Chinese automaker Chery , then Nissan ) to build a small car for sale here in America, we’ve grown immune to the disappointment of not getting the Dodge Hornet concept produced in a timely fashion. According to reports, sales of the Dodge Trazo, which is literally nothing more than a Nissan Versa wearing new badges, will go on as planned in South America. The other small car and the Dodge-built pickup have reportedly been put on hold as the companies work to fix their own financial problems. Our last hope may be that Chrysler is able to drum up enough money to make the planned strategic alliance with Fiat work out as hoped before its too late. Gallery: Dodge Hornet [Source: CNN ] Auto Blog: Chrysler , Dodge , Nissan , Fiat No surprise: Nissan-built small Chrysler model in trouble originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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No surprise: Nissan-built small Chrysler model in trouble
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Leave a commentWashington 2009: Riding in the Chrysler EVs [w/VIDEO]
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Chrysler , Dodge , Jeep , AutoblogGreen Exclusive , Green Daily , Washington DC Auto Show Click above and scroll down to watch the video People are rightly skeptical about whether or not the Chrysler electric vehicles will ever make it to market. For now, all we can say for sure is that some of Chrysler’s EV prototypes can go for a spin around the Washington DC Convention Center. We were able to go for a ride in the Dodge EV and the Jeep ER-EV with Crysler’s Douglas Quigley, executive of product engineering for ENVI (the Chrysler electric vehicle “start up” ) when we were in town last week, and you can see our video of the rides (no drives yet, sadly) after the jump. Quigley said that it is not Chrysler’s intention to sell 100,000 of the Dodge EVs a year. You can roll your own joke about that, but his explanation was that the battery pack that is good for 150 miles will be expensive and therefore the target audience is someone who wants to cruise through the city or on the track for a few hours on the weekend. He’s got a lot more to say about these two vehicles in the video, including how they’re being used for testing in Arizona, what might make it into a possible production version and how fun it is to drive the Lotus Europa-based Dodge EV. Continue reading Washington 2009: Riding in the Chrysler EVs [w/VIDEO] Washington 2009: Riding in the Chrysler EVs [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Washington 2009: Riding in the Chrysler EVs [w/VIDEO]
Posted in Auto Green | chinese, chrysler, daily, dodge, dodgeev, electric dodge, entirely, envi, featured, fifth gear, jeep ev, jeep re-ev, jeepev, latin-america, lotus europa | Leave a commentPeapod now out on its own. Will it find love?
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Chrysler , GEM , NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle) , USA Click above for a high res gallery of the Peapod Remember back in September when we told you that Chrysler’s GEM division was going to change up its name (but keep the acronym) and be called GreenEcoMobility as it moved forward with the addition of the Peapod to its lineup. Well, scratch all that. Sometime between now and then there was a script rewrite. The new plan keeps GEM the same and creates a new wholly-owned-by- Chrysler company that will market the Peapod and its upcoming offspring under the name Peapod Mobility. We know they’re serious this time because they sprung for a shiny new website . So now that the smiley-faced neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) is out on its own in the big world, will it find the love it needs to survive or will it shuffle off this mortal coil before having the chance to fulfill its aspirations. It has dreams of proliferating and adding a two seater , called the Twinpod, as well as a mini-pickup and van to the range in a little over a year. One day, it even wants its own “real cars.” To make that happen, it’s going to have to find a place in the heart of those in need of a cute (or evil, depending on your point of view) iPod-centered car that can only travel 30 miles, tops out at 25 mph and costs $12,500. The sales period between the official Earth Day launch and the Labor Day delivery target will be telling. Gallery: GEMs Peapod [Source: ADWEEK ] Peapod now out on its own. Will it find love? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Peapod now out on its own. Will it find love?
Posted in Auto Green | a-friend-via, a-high-res, a-little-over, a-two-seater, chrysler, gem, labor, nev, peapod, survive-or-will, time, twinpod, under-the-name, will-it-find | Leave a commentAxion Power gets $800,000 grant for lead carbon electric vehicle batteries
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid Most of the attention in the world of batteries these days focuses on the wide spectrum of lithium ion chemistries. However, in the research labs there are still plenty of scientists, engineers and chemists trying to wring more performance out of our old friend the lead acid battery. Axion Power International is one of those companies. They hope to create advanced lead acid batteries with improved performance at a much lower cost than lithium equivalents. The state of Pennsylvannia has given Axion Power $800,000 to fund testing and demonstration of its lead carbon batteries. Axion claims its batteries, which have negative electrodes containing activated carbon, provide deeper cycling capability, longer life and faster charging. The lead carbon batteries should also be lighter. Axion claims its batteries are suitable for use in hybrids, PHEV and BEV conversions. [Source: Axion Power International] Continue reading Axion Power gets $800,000 grant for lead carbon electric vehicle batteries Axion Power gets $800,000 grant for lead carbon electric vehicle batteries originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Axion Power gets $800,000 grant for lead carbon electric vehicle batteries
Posted in Auto Green, Hybrids | a-friend-via, a-has-given, a-two-seater, chrysler, friend-the-lead, gem, Hybrids, peapod, power, survive-or-will, time, twinpod | Leave a commentFiat Could Help Chrysler With Small Cars
If the proposed alliance between Chrysler and Fiat goes through, the company could produce a total of six new models—ranging in size from small to smaller. The terms of the deal would give the European carmaker a 35 percent stake in Chrysler. In exchange, Fiat’s small car experience could give Chrysler the opportunity to reduce its dependence on larger vehicles. Chrysler suffered a sales decline steeper than any other automaker in January—down 55 percent from January 2008. The decline spanned most of the lineup, but car sales were hit hardest. Two of six future vehicles would be from the smallest ‘A’ segment, two from the subcompact ‘B’ segment, and two from the compact ‘C’ segment. The ‘A’ cars are the Fiat 500 retro 3-door liftback, as well as the 5-door liftback version of the Fiat Panda. The car based on the Panda would probably be badged as a Chrysler or Dodge. In the subcompact category, one of the vehicles could be the Alfa Romeo MiTo—Alfa Romeo is owned by Fiat. The other vehicle is not yet known, but will most likely be placed under the Dodge brand. A brand new vehicle built on Fiat’s ‘C’ platform could be the replacement for the Dodge Caliber. The Caliber is Chrysler’s only compact car and is currently being redesigned for the next model year. The second C-segment car to be introduced would be the Alfa Romeo 147. It would probably retain its name for the US market. read more
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Fiat Could Help Chrysler With Small Cars
Posted in Hybrids | chrysler, city, country, currently-being, dodge, news, opportunity, panda, romeo, small-cars, subcompact, technology, under-the-dodge | Leave a commentGet Approved!
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