Chrysler News
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Chrysler's got bigger problems right now than whether or not it builds hybrid cars. After quickly spiffing up of its line of aging, unappealing cars and crossovers for 2011, the company's engineers are deep into designing modern, fuel efficient compact and midsize Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles to be launched in 2012 and beyond. But to meet stringent fuel economy requirements up to 34 mpg that come into effect for 2016, the company's larger cars and trucks will have to get more fuel efficient yet. Now, trade journal Automotive News reports that Chrysler is developing a hybrid version of...
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Chrysler And EPA Set To Announce New Drivetrain Research ProjectWith all the hoopla surrounding this week’s 2011 Detroit Auto Show, we’re quite surprised to learn that Chrysler has yet another major announcement to make, this time together with the Environmental Protection Agency. The two groups are set to announce a new research and development...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Is Natural Gas The Green Solution for Hybrid-less Chrysler?
Last summer, when Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne lauded his company's line of European vehicles that run on compressed natural gas, it may have seemed like an off-the-cuff remark. But in fact, natural gas may be the only green or alternative fuel that Chrysler can feasibly adopt in any kind of...
John Voelcker -
Chrysler To Tap Federal Money--This Time, for Green Cars
Chrysler may join Nissan, Ford, Fisker and Tesla in winning a share of federal loans to convert old factories to greener-car production. Automotive News reports that Chrysler has applied to the Department of Energy for approximately $10 billion in low-interest loans, to be used for retooling...
Martin Padgett -
The Italian Invasion: Fiat 500 Getting Closer To American Showrooms
It has been a little while since we have checked in on Fiat and Chrysler—specifically about the coming of the Fiat brand to American showrooms. Even more specifically, we are foaming at the mouth for the Fiat 500 to come to American shores and the Fiat 500C would be an even bigger hit for the...
Jonathan McGrew -
A123 Spins Out Energy Storage Startup, Loses Chrysler Deal
Advanced battery maker A123 announced more than its quarterly earnings yesterday. In addition to posting a lackluster $22.6 million in revenue, the company spun off a new energy storage startup called 24M Technologies to work on more unorthodox lithium-ion architectures. The company also tempered...
John Voelcker -
A few years back Chrysler showed off all manner of hybrid, range-extended and all-electric concepts in the hope that these vehicles would eventually see production, thus catapulting the automaker to the forefront of the electrification revolution. Unfortunately, a global economic downturn and subsequent bankruptcy meant that Chrysler’s only priority over the past couple of years was to remain viable. Since being sold to the Fiat, Chrysler’s list of priorities are starting to diversify somewhat but unfortunately, hybrid and electric vehicles aren’t positioned very high on that list. In...
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Chrysler Has Green Strategy
A few years back Chrysler was working on all manner of electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid technologies, even going so far as to release a number of concepts as well as establish a separate division called ENVI to develop them into production models. Ever since Chrysler’s bankruptcy and eventual...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Fuel-Efficient ZF Eight-Speed Automatic Coming To Chrysler Cars By 2013
Chrysler will soon be offering a new eight-speed automatic transmission developed by Germany’s ZF and used by luxury marques like BMW and Audi. The new transmission is said to be both more fuel-efficient and cheaper to manufacture than ZF’s popular six-speed unit that’s currently used by...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Fiat 500 Celebrates 500,000th Vehicle And Lets You Join In
Fiat Makes Another Historical Marker With Their Diminutive Car
Jonathan McGrew -
Atomik Makes Electric Supercar Out Of Fiat Abarth 500
Dual Motors, Instant Torque And Tons Of Fun
Jonathan McGrew -
Fiat 500 Four-Door For North America Behind Closed Doors?
Rumors Swirl About the U.S. Configurations Of the Fiat 500
Jonathan McGrew -
The big green car news from Chrysler yesterday was its announcement that it would build an electric version of the Fiat 500 mini-car for the U.S. market. Win one, lose one, perhaps. The company also dropped a death notice: It has ended development of its Ram Two-Mode Hybrid pickup truck, scheduled for introduction this year as a 2011 model. No business case "After closely evaluating the response to hybrid pickups in the marketplace, the company could not formulate an appropriate business case," Chrysler said in its release. So it "has decided to cancel development work" on the Two-Mode...
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Diesel Designs Diesel Fiat 500 For Geneva 2010
The Little Italian Car Goes For Big Style
Jonathan McGrew -
2010 Detroit Auto Show: Fiat 500 BEV Concept On Chrysler's Crowded Stand
We'd be remiss if we didn't at least nod to the electric Fiat 500 displayed within the many brands on the Chrysler stand. We've written before about an earlier electric Fiat 500 conversion shown 18 months ago at the London Motor Show, but this one came with far less info. Chrysler mounted a new...
John Voelcker -
Want An Electric Vehicle? Wait Until Real Carmakers Build Them
Our mission here at GreenCarReports.com is to cover the greener end of automobiles, for both new-car buyers and enthusiasts. But unlike other sites, we rarely cover conversions to add plug-in capability to existing cars or hybrids. Why? First, they're not available to mainstream car buyers and are...
John Voelcker -
Fiat 500 Going Electric For 2010 Detroit Auto Show?
Fiat Micro Car Could Be Integral To Chrysler’s Success In the Future
Jonathan McGrew -
Four-Way Two-Mode Hybrid Project Ends, Lab Closes; Now What?
The Two-Mode Hybrid project was hailed as a model of technical cooperation when it was announced five years ago. But now the partners are going their separate ways, and the complex hybrid system may end up solely as a General Motors technology. GM said in late 2004 it would partner with Daimler and...
John Voelcker -
That old capitalist tool, Forbes magazine, has issued a list of the 10 dirtiest cars sold in the U.S. At the very top, in first place for filth, is the Jeep Grand Cherokee. But it turns out there are some problems with their list. There's history behind this. A decade ago, the website for Forbes magazine practically pioneered the concept of Top-10 lists online. Remember "10 Best Colleges for Successful Topless Teenage Wealthy Cheerleader Executive Entrepreneurs"? Unfortunately, the cars Forbes flagged has some serious methodology errors (and one wrong photo), as more than 40...
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Tesla Engineering and Manufacturing Chief Resigns
The revolving door of Tesla Motors leadership keeps turning. Today, executive vice president of vehicle engineering and manufacturing, Mike Donoughe, is calling it quits, just over a year after he started the job. Formerly employed by Chrysler, Donoughe was charged with overseeing engineering...
Robert Scardino -
Why $2.4 Billion of Battery Grants? To Get US Competitive in Electric Cars
It's now clearer than ever: Electric cars are coming to showrooms near you. They will be fully competitive, their makers are deadly serious, and they will be "real cars" rather than the golf carts people seem to worry about. At GreenCarReports.com, we've experienced the 2011 Chevrolet Volt mule...
John Voelcker -
Colorado Representatives Fight Back: GM and Chrysler Accused of Mistreating Dealers
Politician's Start To Ask the Hard Questions
Jonathan McGrew -
Cute AND Clever: Chrysler's Coming Green Innovations
Chrysler's on the skids right now, no doubt about it. June sales plummeted 42 percent, and some consider its takeover by--errr, sorry, partnership with--Italy's Fiat to be the blind leading the lame. But Fiat is far from the company it was 20 years ago, when it folded its tents and snuck out of the...
John Voelcker -
Chrysler PT Cruiser Gets a Reprieve: The Popular Retro Wagon Makes It Through 2011
Another Chrysler Model Dodges a Bullet
Jonathan McGrew
