Chrysler 200C: Electric Car Surprise At Auto Show

Well, yesterday I indicated that there might not be room for many surprises at this year's Detroit auto show, but I was just plain wrong. The first on the list of "kinda knocked my socks off" surprises is the Chrysler 200C. Not only is this sedan good-looking and extremely technology advanced, but it's also being billed as an extended-range electric vehicle.

Of course, Chrysler left the door open for the concept to also, maybe, be a regular gasoline powered V6.

That isn't too much of a surprise, really, since it'd be a shame to waste this styling on a car that Chrysler (or whoever owns Chrysler in six months) might not be able (or want) to produce.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[rkimball]

no surprise here. another concept car from detroit. china is selling them right now while we still get concepts. no wonder detroit is going extinct.

[SARGE1]

Auto manufacturers taking advantage of a government bailout must only sell clean and green vehicles that do not contribute to global warming.

by Neil Young

Find a new ownership group. The culture must change. It is time to turn the page. In the high technology sector there are several candidates for ownership of a major car and truck manufacturer. We need forward looking people who are not restricted by the existing culture in Detroit. We need visionary people now with business sense to create automobiles that do not contribute to global warming.

It is time to change and our problems can facilitate our solutions. We can no longer afford to continue down Detroit's old road. The people have spoken. They do not want gas guzzlers (although they still like big cars and trucks). It is possible to build large long-range vehicles that are very efficient. People WILL buy those vehicles because they represent REAL change and a solution that we can live with.

http://www.lincvolt.com/pblog/

-Sarge

[Arthur954]

I wish that there where some government department that could coordinate these matters of car technology and make available to the public all the latest and most advanced technologies, so that anyone, an upstart, new small businesses, family repair shops that did retrofitting work, etc could benefit.
The government helps car companies in Europe and Japan, so why should we not do it here ? and by helping I mean technology, trade policies, access to the know - how of other fields like aerospace and defense ....... no reason why we cannot do it here.

[mick7191]

It's still a coal powered car.

[SARGE1]

This Vehicle Is Hot , PERIOD ! They retain the excellent independent Mercedes suspension and will be a Multi-Platform so Anything up to a 6.1 HEMI can be under the Hood. The EV/Hybrid is just The Ticket ! Chrysler was saved by the K-Car Platform 30 Years ago so hopefully this will work. It is strange but Neal Young gave a suggestion to the American Auto Makers what to and now Chrysler is doing now Please Read:
http://www.lincvolt.com/

I"m looking forward to the rest of the Chrysler Line Up

-Sarge

[Arthur954]

In what part of the Lincvolt website does Neil make the suggestion that you mention?

[SARGE1]

HOW TO SAVE A MAJOR AUTOMOBILE COMPANY

The big three must reduce models to basics. a truck, an SUV, a large family sedan, an economy sedan, and a sports car. Use existing tooling.

Keep building these models to keep the workforce employed but build them WITHOUT engines and transmissions. These new vehicles, called Transition Rollers, are ready for a re-power. NO NEW TOOLING is required at this stage. The adapters are part of the kits described next.

At the same time as the new Transition Rollers are being built, keeping the work force working, utilize existing technology now, create re-power kits to retrofit the Transition Rollers to SCEVs (self charging electric vehicles) for long range capability up to and over 100mpg. If you don't think this technology is realistic or available, check out the Progressive Insurance Automotive X prize. Alternatively, check out Lincvolt.com or other examples.
http://www.lincvolt.com/pblog/

-Sarge

[gjohntheterrible]

Chrysler will manage to f u c k this up in some manner. If there is one thing Chrysler is incerdibly capable of is that it knows how to s h o o t itself in the foot and then show up for a bailout.

[rkimball]

this may save chysler. more plug in hybrids & bluetech diesel extended range electrics can save the enire usa auto industry. however, these are the very autos that will get axed to save money.

toyota now has it's third generation hybrids on sale. even the chinese lead the usa in electric vehicles. if detroit misses the boat this timer, it's all over. we will all be driving chinese sooner than later.

[Arthur954]

PLEASE CHRYSLER dont make this beautiful car on the existing Sebring platform ! then it will look DUMB the existing Sebring is a very awkward and clumsily proportioned car. Chrysler needs a new modern platform for its mid sized sedans, such as this beauty .
I know that a new platform costs money, so what better use of the public bailout money than to make a new modern platform for Chrysler, instead of throwing the money away down that infinite black hole of AIG, Wall Street and all those crooks ?

[Arthur954]

Lets hope that the production model is not " dumbed - down" as Detroit does so often. In fact, they should make it look even nicer and sleeker !
For references of excellence in proportions and detailing for this future Chrysler, they should take a look at the new Mazda 6 and specially the new Citroen C5 ( the back 1/3 part of this car is EXACTLY how the Chrysler concept car can evolve into the definite final version )
They also have to be careful not to make the front hood too high.
With that beautiful winged logo of theirs, Chrysler could be the most ELEGANT of all Big 3 , and create a niche for itself : not end up being the smallest of the big 3, but the most elegant of all, in a clas by itself
Cheers and good luck !!!

[KillTheMessenger]

Sadly, Chryslers always seem to end up as the dumbest looking cars on the road. They do turn heads... for all the wrong reasons.

[rkimball]

please, no more concepts. we can build them today. if we did build them, i'd gladly trade in my toyota for one.

[Myshkin57]

Accurate headline: "Chrysler Trots Out Chassis and Writes Up Specs on Cocktail Napkin"

[JScott]

I hope the production model is tweaked a little, I don't like the high mounted rear brake light in the antenna bump and change the wheel design to 5 or 10 spokes, and where is the backup taillights.
I might be interested as a next car purchase.

Will there be an equivalent Dodge?

[TommyMcCarthy]

Poor Chrysler............

The teaser says "Chrysler surprises journalists" with the introduction of the 200-C......


I'm sure during the years of R&D engineers and marketers were hoping to surprise the car buying public.

Who could have guessed that by now there would be no such thing??
tm

[DRaymond]

Has anybody outside of the company actually seen the thing driven on electricity only? Ever? I suspect that the hybrid part of the concept car was added by the marketing department to spice up the press release.

[sposton]

Has anyone seen it driven? If not it is a vaporware! They've got the 40 mile number from the Volt. A true EV car is designed specifically to be an EV. While you can convert a regular car to battery powered as many people have done it I don't think converting a true EV to be driven by a six cylinder ICE makes much sense. This is little more than propaganda. Chrysler has probably had this in development for a year or two and has just decided to put some eco gloss onto their brand.

[KillTheMessenger]

All concept cars have one thing in common:

They never get built.

Next!

[Arthur954]

Holy Moses
thats good looking
I wish they got hold of an advanced turbodiesel engine ( they can get it from several European manufacturers ), and then make a diesel - hybrid with WAY more mpg than any gas - hybrid like Prius etc

[KillTheMessenger]

I am not sure a turbodiesel is a good fit for a hybrid. The on-off mode of operation of the engine might not work well with a turbocharger and the intercooler. But I might be wrong. In any case mpg comparisons between gasoline and diesel are apples and oranges. Diesel contains more energy per volume than gasoline.

[Arthur954]

YES, a turbodiesel and hybrid go together great, and are just about to be introduced in Europe on a large scale. You can check Citroen hybrid in Google, and see the work that this french car maker is doing --- the MPG is absolutely spectacular. They are just waiting to find a way to lower the cost before introducing this new option
Im thinking that there could be a good business for TRUCKS with diesel - hybrid
Citroen is a great company with nice cars --- check out the stunning Citroen C5 on Google