Chrysler LLC announced yesterday that it will begin selling an electric car in North America in 2010.
The company said it has not decided yet which of the three vehicles currently in development will be rolled out first.
At its world headquarters, Chrysler revealed its electric-drive prototypes–a Dodge EV sportcar, a Jeep EV Wrangler and a Chrysler EV minivan.
Bob Nardelli, Chairman and CEO of Chrysler LLC. “The introduction of the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge electric vehicles provides a glimpse of the very near future, and demonstrates that we are serious and well along in the development of bringing electric vehicles to market.”
Chrysler said its electric vehicles will utilize an electric motor to drive the wheels, an advanced lithium-ion battery system to power the electric-drive motor, and a controller that manages energy flow. The electric-drive system is being developed for front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, and body-on-frame four-wheel-drive vehicle applications.
The company also plans to employ a small gasoline engine and integrated electric generator in the Jeep and Chrysler vehicles to extend the driving range. This system is similar to the one GM (NYSE: GM) plans to employ in its Chevy Volt, which was unveiled earlier this month.
Neither Chrysler or GM have announced what companies will be producing lithium-ion batteries for their vehicles.
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