Chrysler has confirmed plans to develop the Fiat 500EV – a pure electric vehicle – which was shown earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show.
Aimed at the North American market, the Fiat 500EV will go on-sale in 2012 and its drivetrain is comprised of three main systems – high power electric powertrain module, advanced lithium-ion battery and an EV control unit.
Currently Chrysler is also developing plans to launch petrol versions of the funky Fiat 500 for sale in North America later this year.
Separately, Chrysler has received a grant of $US48 million to assist development of a 140-vehicle test fleet of Plug-In Hybrid RAM pickups (utes). These will be used in a three-year project to test electric vehicle suitability in North America’s diverse geographic and climate conditions.
The RAM Hybrid has the traditional 5.7-litre HEMI V8 with a two-mode hybrid engine and 12KwHr lithium-ion battery. An overall reduction in fuel consumption of around 65 per cent is expected with the Hybrid RAM capable of covering 32kms purely on electric power.
“Support for domestic advanced technology is an important enabler for Chrysler Group and its key suppliers in order to understand and test customer acceptance and the capability of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle systems in a variety of real-world conditions,” explained Paolo Ferrero, Chrysler Group’s Senior Vice-President – Powertrain.
