Earlier this week, Chrysler announced that they have submitted three proposals to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) worth $448 million outlining their plans to rapidly bring electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) to market. Chrysler applied for two initiatives established by the DOE—the Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative and the Transportation Electrification Initiative, both designed to accelerate the development, testing, and manufacturing of EVs and PHEVs. The funds Chrysler applied for would actually represent a 50/50 match, with the DOE matching the $224 million fronted by Chrysler and its partners. If approved, Chrysler plans to use the matching funds to develop and build a test fleet of EVs and PHEVs, and build a technology and manufacturing center in Michigan.
Chrysler's $365-million proposal for the Transportation Electrification Initiative would be used to build a nationwide demo fleet of more than 365 test-fleet vehicles for use by select customers and partners, among them a planned 100 Chrysler Town & Country PHEV minivans and 100 Dodge Ram PHEV pickup trucks in various driving conditions and climates across the U.S. Given the popularity of those two products, that would seem like a great place to start when Chrysler electrifies their line-up.
Source: Chrysler
