Chrysler recharged its surprising leap into the electric car race Sunday when the ailing automaker announced plans to add the Jeep Patriot small SUV to its stable of proposed electric vehicles.
The company also unveiled a concept version of an electric-powered sedan, with executives saying the vehicles represent Chrysler’s commitment to investing in future products and spending taxpayer loan money well.
“We’ve gone through some tough times, we’ve made good progress on our major restructuring. ... At Chrysler, we’re executing a prosperity plan. We’ve continued to invest in products,” Chrysler LLC Vice Chairman Jim Press said.
“We now have a special bond with the American public, and we’re committed to fulfilling our side of the bargain.”
In September, the company unveiled three rechargeable electric prototypes at its Auburn Hills headquarters and pledged to bring one of them to market sometime in 2010. The Dodge sports car, four-door Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler minivan put Chrysler LLC in the electric car race with prime competitors General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp., both of which also have promised plug-in electric cars by next year.
On Sunday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Chrysler announced that it has added the Patriot to its testing lineup. It also has some new technical advances in the vehicles, including an additional 50 kilowatts of power for the all-electric sports car and new battery technology that uses more-efficient thin plates instead of the previous generation’s cylinder-shaped cells.
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