What's old is new again: Chrysler to make electric minivans for fleet use

[MetroMPG]

Put on your Cynical Hats for Earth Day, people!

Chrysler Celebrates Earth Day by Revealing All-new Electric Minivan Concepts to U.S. Postal Service


source: Green Car Congress: Chrysler Unveils Four All-Electric Minivan Prototypes to USPS; Applying for Grant for Nationwide Demo and Chrysler




I wonder if this one costs more than the $120,000 US that the TEVan cost when it was produced in the '90's...



Chrysler TEVan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

According to the company:

• Chrysler exhibits flexibility of its electric vehicle portfolio with a new Chrysler minivan EV concept, targeted for postal delivery use
• Chrysler intends to submit an application under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Transportation Electrification stimulus program for a federal grant that would enable a nationwide demonstration fleet with the United States Postal Service (USPS)
• Potential partnership with USPS to include infrastructure support from ConEd, Duke Energy, DTE Energy and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

What I wonder: how many demonstrations do we need?

Related: Dodge Circuit EV Will be Chrysler’s First

[rmay635703]

Now lets hope they use the same 200ahr Edison batteries that were available in the first version around 1995.

[aerohead]

Darin,I'm glad you brought this up.I spent a few sleepless nights getting ready for the Earth Day Summit at UNT here in Denton.I was going through my EV scraps and found some amazing ( to me ) facts.

Peugeot was developing an EV based on an existing sedan.They configured everything to "bolt-in" to the existing platform.It was produced on the same assembly line as the gasoline car,by the same workers.

At production levels as low as 4,000 units a year,the car required only a $6,000 premium over the standard Peugeot,and get this,at an annual production level of 40,000-50,000 units a year(which is peanuts for a car maker),the car would demand a EV premium of $0.00

When Paul MacCready was talking about the Impact becoming a 80 mpg car,I thought that GM might produce the EV-1 at Spring Hill,Tennessee,instead of the Reatta Craft Center,and build a look-a-like gasoline version on the same line.They sold the Saturn for $13,000 the year the EV-1 was released.It looks like they could have "sold" the EV-1 for $13,000 as well.This was the price of the Peugeot gasoline,and Peugeot EV.GM would have had to lose some of the exotic materials used in the EV,but if the size and shape were maintained,the alloy wheels and LRR tires,the EV would lose very little,and it would be a quantum leap for the gasoline car.Drat! The EPA gives electric cars a CAFE rating of 135 or 185mpg.This would have really helped GM's aggregate CAFE,it would have made them real heroes,and the purchasing public would have a shot at a real 20th-century car.Guess we'll see what Chrysler comes up with.

[Christopher Jordan]

News this morning is that Chrysler is very close to bankruptcy without help from Fiat. I am starting to wonder about any of the 3 or 4 EVs from Chrysler. Th!nk may begin assembly in Oregon is what I heard recently. Seems to be struggling - but already existing.

[aerohead]

I found the siting I thought I remembered.Under the Alternate Fuels Act of 1988,the EPA gives car makers a CAFE rating of 200-400 MPG for EVs.---------------------- Ford Motor Co. sold EVERY Escort at a "loss" to subsidize the sale of Town Cars,Grand Marquis,and Crown Victorias,due to the effects of CAFE by the 42MPG Escort.Can you imagine what 200-400 MPG would do to a car makers fleet economy?

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by aerohead

Darin,I'm glad you brought this up.I spent a few sleepless nights getting ready for the Earth Day Summit at UNT here in Denton.I was going through my EV scraps and found some amazing ( to me ) facts.------- Peugeot was developing an EV based on an existing sedan.They configured everything to "bolt-in" to the existing platform.It was produced on the same assembly line as the gasoline car,by the same workers.------- At production levels as low as 4,000 units a year,the car required only a $6,000 premium over the standard Peugeot,and get this,at an annual production level of 40,000-50,000 units a year(which is peanuts for a car maker),the car would demand a EV premium of $0.00.-------- When Paul MacCready was talking about the Impact becoming a 80 mpg car,I thought that GM might produce the EV-1 at Spring Hill,Tennessee,instead of the Reatta Craft Center,and build a look-a-like gasoline version on the same line.They sold the Saturn for $13,000 the year the EV-1 was released.It looks like they could have "sold" the EV-1 for $13,000 as well.This was the price of the Peugeot gasoline,and Peugeot EV.GM would have had to lose some of the exotic materials used in the EV,but if the size and shape were maintained,the alloy wheels and LRR tires,the EV would lose very little,and it would be a quantum leap for the gasoline car.Drat! The EPA gives electric cars a CAFE rating of 135 or 185mpg.This would have really helped GM's aggregate CAFE,it would have made them real heroes,and the purchasing public would have a shot at a real 20th-century car.Guess we'll see what Chrysler comes up with.

Peugeot used the 106 as the basis for the EV.They called the electric version the 106/AX.It was reported in WARD'S Auto World,Jan.,1995,p.75.

[MetroMPG]

Here's a short video review of the electric Peugot 106. I think this may be from the Czech Republic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmShJWKQvtI

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Here's a short video review of the electric Peugot 106. I think this may be from the Czech Republic.

Does my heart good to see these things "motoring" down the road on stored power.Thanks!

[cfg83]

aerohead -

Originally Posted by aerohead

...

When Paul MacCready was talking about the Impact becoming a 80 mpg car,I thought that GM might produce the EV-1 at Spring Hill,Tennessee,instead of the Reatta Craft Center,and build a look-a-like gasoline version on the same line.They sold the Saturn for $13,000 the year the EV-1 was released.It looks like they could have "sold" the EV-1 for $13,000 as well.This was the price of the Peugeot gasoline,and Peugeot EV.GM would have had to lose some of the exotic materials used in the EV,but if the size and shape were maintained,the alloy wheels and LRR tires,the EV would lose very little,and it would be a quantum leap for the gasoline car.Drat! The EPA gives electric cars a CAFE rating of 135 or 185mpg.This would have really helped GM's aggregate CAFE,it would have made them real heroes,and the purchasing public would have a shot at a real 20th-century car.Guess we'll see what Chrysler comes up with.

I'm (obviously) an S-Series Saturn junkie, so the thought of this "what if" story is so depressing. I couldn't justify the EV-1 because of it's range and "boutique" lease agreement, but a "GV-1" would have been verrrrrrryyyyy tempting.

Me sad.

CarloSW2