Chrysler's "Volt" to Arrive In 3 to 5 Years. Or Not.
Chrysler set up its "ENVI" electric vehicle (EV) program last September to develop advanced propulsion technologies for the Pentastar brand. Ten months on, Chrysler's green-eyed program has finally produced a weapon for Chrysler to use in the mounting EV wars: a press release. Today's Detroit Free Press reports that "Chrysler LLC's answer to the much-anticipated Chevrolet Volt could be three to five years away." Which is like telling the kids in the backseat that "we'll be there when we get there" five minutes into a road trip. So why even report on Chrysler's late-starting EV hopes and dreams? Because the dealers in the backseat of Chrysler's road trip to bankruptcy are starting to get antsy for some fuel-efficient product. Says one dealer: "You don't have to have every car — not everyone wants a hybrid — but it's obviously a profound proportion of the industry right now." J.D. Power's mob predicts that Chrysler will launch [non two-mode] hybrid versions of the Caravan, Avenger and and Journey over the next five years. But just like GM, Chrysler wants to do some leapfrogging. "If you want to go ahead and make everything a full hybrid system, fine, but what if you can turn everything into a range-extended vehicle and take it beyond the 2020 campaign for 35 miles per gallon?" asks Chrysler spokesperson Nick Cappa. "The new technology ENVI is developing could do that." The operative word here being could. In five years. Possibly.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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Well, busbodger, some of us have been trying really hard to be smarter going in to the inevitable decline, so that we might come out with something other than the shirt on our back and no pants on like most people are likely to. Like putting up a little silver every payday for the past 5 years (went from $3 to $19 an ounce - much a reflection of the collapse of the true value of the US dollar than anything else). Every month paying some principal ahead on the mortgage, on a modest home (taking into account the increasing costs of energy - I was right - so we bought a new home with good insulation, bought a place with natural gas not propane, etc). Having no carry-over debt on credit cards. Only a car loan other than a mortgage for debt. About 18 months ago I moved my 401k monies from bonds and US stocks to foreign stocks, then just last month moved most of it to "cash" - low returns but safe - and 25% of it to "gold". Also opened a bank account (hate banks) and a 2nd credit union account in case my main credit union fails. We therefore have 3 choices. As for this Chrysler Envi thingie, it's even more vaporware than the GM Volt. As in aintgonnahappen dot com, coz Chrysler is a dead company stumbling (not even walking) and just about ready to keel over deader than dead. No Lazerus or Phoenix for this company; 1980 was a near fatal heart attack and it survived, I don't think Chrysler will be around within months. As in fewer months than I have fingers (ten, thankfully).
I just hope they know where the steering wheel goes.
"Ten months on, Chrysler's green-eyed program has finally produced a weapon for Chrysler to use in the mounting EV wars: a press release." Then the program is a success. After all, the game for Detroit is "dead cat bounce." Everybody wants to hang on until one of the other two dies. Since all GM is shooting in the advanced tech theater of this war is press releases, that should do just fine for Chrysler, too. Ford should get a little extra credit for actually delivering the hybrid Escape; they have built an effective, reliable vehicle that people actually want to buy (and will pay top dollar for it). It's just too bad they can't loosen up the supply chains a bit and get more of them on the road.
Hello Everyone, I feel we are all missing the obvious here. Chrysler will not be in business 3-5 years from now. Mattel could construct a higher quality automobile. Keep on pumping out the “Hemi” advertisements, we all know how well that is working. For goodness sake...