Go Go Green Cars

Some people don’t realize that it was Chrysler that introduced the very first modern electric vehicle to market in the United States. It was produced in 1992 and called the Chrysler TEVan. There were very few made and were very expensive. They had extremely high battery and component costs and the price range was around $100,000. So needless to say; they did not sell very well.

Chrysler was seriously involved in designing high technology for electric cars and test marketing an electric minivan. However, the merger with Daimler all but stopped the efforts Chrysler was making in the electric drive development. Chrysler did make an electric concept van in 1992 the Electric Power Inter-Urban Commuter or EPIC for short. The EPIC concept had nickel iron batteries.

Chrysler was also trying to create a viable 4door mid size electric vehicle through a program they called Destiny. It used light weight materials and an AC induction motor. It turned out not to be a viable option so they tried other approaches.

Since the mid 1990’s Chrysler has sold more than 35,000 low speed GEM neighborhood electric vehicles worldwide. The GEM is not a full function vehicle and is suited for specific uses. Its top speed is 25mph and allowed only on streets with speed limits of 35mph or less.

Now that Chrysler is no longer part of DaimlerChrysler they have renewed their efforts to develop and market electric cars. They recently unveiled three electric drive concept vehicles. They include an all electric Dodge sports car and a range extended electric version of the Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler Town & Country minivan. All of these vehicles use lithium-ion batteries. Chrysler has said that they will move beyond the concept stage and will market one of these vehicles in 2

Due to the current turmoil in the auto industry it is complicated and confusing to know where the vehicle market is headed. In 2008 new vehicle sales barely hit the 13 million mark. Sales were 3 million less than in 2007 and the lowest since 1993. The automakers in the US were the hardest hit. Ford, General Motors and Chrysler have all experienced dramatic losses in share prices and huge layoffs.

However, there is good news for the consumers in all of this turmoil. The auto industry is making fuel economy their top priority. The automakers have been spurred on by the high gas prices and the need to compete with the Japanese and European auto manufacturers. This has also led to the availability of a wider range of green vehicles to choose from.

Hybrid and small fuel efficient cars are being mass produced. The automakers are also starting to design efficiency technologies into most all of the new vehicles and redesigned models. This year consumers were introduced to the first “clean diesels.” Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen and BMW released diesel SUVs and cars that are lower in emissions.

Due to all of the latest technology and innovations, new vehicles produced today contribute less harmful emissions into the environment. The auto manufacturers have introduced a variety of innovative designs to the engines and transmissions. They have also tweaked the body design and are using lighter materials to improve the fuel economy of their vehicles.

Even makers of high performance sports cars, such as Porsche are making improvements in their vehicles to lower fuel consumption. The Porsche 911, which has a direct injection gasoline engine, has reduced fuel consumption by 13%. The auto industry is trying to make vehicles that combine fuel economy with better performance. This is good news for consumers who are in the market for a new vehicle.