The New Dodge Electric Vehicle

This picture is a stealth image of the Dodge EV taken at night.

I wanted to take a break from the circus sideshow that is our legislative body and talk about something exciting, like electric cars! A few months back, Chrysler announced that it was working on three prototype EV's and PHEV's. There was a Jeep model, a Chrysler mini van model and a Dodge sedan. Of the three, the Dodge was the coolest and sportiest and did not resemble an electric car at all. The Jeep looked just like a run-of-the-mill model as did the mini van. However, those two were plug in hybrids that have an ICE and maybe 40 miles electric range as opposed to the all electric Dodge. Don't misunderstand me though as I would love to be able to walk into a dealership and purchase a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

The specifications for the Dodge EV are impressive. Powered by a 200 KW electric motor and a 26 kWh lithium ion battery pack, the car will accelerate from 0 to 60 in 4.7 seconds. That is very quick. Its range is reported to be 150 to 200 miles, which seems like a stretch for only having a 26 kWh pack. The Tesla EV uses a battery pack twice as large and its range is 200 to 250 miles. Hopefully, Chrysler's numbers will hold up for us.

From Autoweek.com:

"We have some stealthy spy shots of a rolling prototype of the Dodge EV, an all-electric two-seat sports car that is part of the electric-car blitz Chrysler says it will start in 2010.

This is a lightly restyled Lotus Europa--look closely, it’s quite similar. Even though these shots were taken from a distance and at night, we now see for the first time a prominent Dodge crosshair grille. The prototype also has large wheels and is orange and white, in contrast to the yellow-and-black version unveiled earlier this year.

In the back we also see taillights with a definite Dodge vibe, and the contoured door panels seen on the earlier prototype remain. It’s sort of like a watered-down Viper or a sexed-up Stealth.

The Dodge EV is a plug-in that draws power from a 26-kilowatt-per-hour lithium-ion battery pack that shoots volts to a 200-kilowatt electric motor that drives the rear wheels. That engine is rated at 268 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. Chrysler says the range is expected to be 150 to 200 miles on a charge, and this pocket rocket can go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds."

It sure would be nice if Chrysler decided to bring the Dodge EV to market in 2010. They previously announced that one of the prototypes would be offered by then.