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Green Car Congress
Green Car Congress (www.greencarcongress.com) has great Chrysler news, photos, videos and more
Tuesday, Nov 3
Former GM Director Projects Flat US Auto Sales in 2010
York said that he thought GM is likely to lose a percentage point or two of market share from its shift to just four brands; that Ford Motor Co’s debt load is very manageable; but warned that he believes Italian automaker Fiat SpA has a less than 50% chance of turning around Chrysler.
Monday, Oct 26
Bright Automotive Launches Bright eSolutions; US Army Hybrid Vehicle Contract
Vehicle DesignVehicle EngineeringEnergy StoragePropulsionConversionsGeneral Consulting Bright eSolutions is led by Nigel Francis, Vice President. Francis’ automotive industry experience includes the acquisition and delivery of several hybrid vehicles. He has had active lea...
Thursday, Oct 15
Zytek To Supply Electric Powertrains for Navistar / Modec JV
In September, Zytek unveiled a fully engineered, electric version of the Mercedes A-Class that it developed in just ten weeks. Designed to demonstrate the capability of the company’s production-ready 55 kW E-Drive electric powertrain, the five-seat electric family car project is a Z...
Thursday, Oct 8
Chrysler Splits Dodge into Ram and Car Brand Organizations
Chrysler has split the Dodge Brand into two separate organizations: the Dodge Ram Brand and the Dodge Car Brand. Fred Diaz Jr. is appointed President and CEO, Dodge Ram Brand with profit and loss responsibility for the Dodge Ram product... Chrysler has split the Dodge Brand into two separate o...
Friday, Sep 25
Auto Industry Backs Additional Funding for Research into Impacts of Mid-Level Ethanol Blends
Under CRC’s leadership, the test Program has broadened and is now referred to as the Mid-level Ethanol Blends Research Coordination Group and includes members from the auto industry and trade associations (Chrysler Group LLC, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyot...
Rasmussen Poll Finds GM, Ford, Toyota Are Top for Planned Purchases in US
Ford is a definite buy for 13%, while 35% more say they’ll consider it. Just 19% rule out a Ford completely, though. Ford has consistently been viewed more favorably by Americans than GM and Chrysler because it is the only Big Three automaker which didn’t ask for and get a federal government b...
Sunday, Sep 6
Aura System’s Generator Incorporated into Azure’s Balance Hybrid for USPS
The AuraGen. Click to enlarge. Azure Dynamics Corporation incorporated Aura Systems’s AuraGen motor/generator into its Balance Hybrid Electric vehicle delivered to the United States Postal Service fleet (USPS). The Balance Hybrid Electric vehicle is a two-ton step van, and will... The A...
Friday, Sep 4
Chrysler Bringing New Dodge Caliber to Frankfurt Show with New Diesel
The new Dodge Caliber. Click to enlarge. Chrysler is bringing the new Dodge Caliber to the Frankfurt Motor Show fitted with a new 2.2-liter, Euro 5 compliant common-rail diesel (CRD) engine. The new turbo diesel is paired to a six-speed... The new Dodge Caliber. Click to enlarge.Chrysler is bring...
Monday, Aug 31
California Energy Commission Awards eTec $8M in Support of Transportation Electrification Project; Almost $7M to Other Plug-in Infrastructure and Vehicle Projects
553,000 to Sacramento Municipal Utility District for Charging Infrastructure for Plug-In Hybrids and Electric Vehicle Demonstration with General Motors 100,000 to Sacramento Municipal Utility District for Charging Infrastructure for Plug-In Hybrids and Electric Vehicle Demo...
Tuesday, May 26
Chrysler LLC Requests $224M from DOE for the Rapid Development and Manufacturing of Electrified Vehicles; Total Investment of $448M
Last month, ENVI, Chrysler LLC’s in-house electric vehicle organization, made multiple announcements aimed at accelerating the market introduction of electric-drive vehicles. The company created a lithium-ion battery production partnership with US-based A123Systems (earlie...
Friday, May 1
Chrysler Files for Bankruptcy; Reaches Agreement with Fiat for New Company; Fiat Percentage Ownership Tied to Fuel-Efficiency Targets
Bob Nardelli, Chairman and CEO of Chrysler since August 2007, also announced to Chrysler LLC’s Board of Management and the US Treasury his plan to leave the company following the emergence of the new company from Chapter 11 and the completion of the alliance with Fiat. He will return to Cer...
Thursday, Apr 16
Chrysler Introduces Next-Generation V-6 Engine: the Pentastar
The new 3.6-liter flex-fuel Pentastar V-6. Click to enlarge. At the New York International Auto Show, Chrysler LLC introduced the first of an all-new line of V-6 engines intended to improve fuel efficiency across the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge lineup... The new 3.6-liter flex-fuel Pentastar V-...
Thursday, Apr 9
Mercedes-Benz Introduces Two-Mode Hybrid ML450 SUV at New York Auto Show
While at a standstill, the combustion engine is switched off. The air conditioning and power steering functions are fully retained thanks to the electric drive of the air conditioning compressor and the steering servo pump. Manoeuvring, for instance when parking, only uses the electri...
Wednesday, Apr 1
Presidential Auto Task Force Concluded Plug-In GM Volt Likely Too Expensive To Be Commercially Successful in the Short-Term
While Chrysler is investing in newer powertrain development, as are all the OEMs, its limited resources lead it to project spending just over 3% of revenue on R&D over the next five years, versus 4-5% for General Motors, Toyota and Honda.
Monday, Mar 30
Obama Outlines Next Steps for GM and Chrysler
Obama noted that both companies may need to resort to a streamlined bankruptcy process to “clear away old debts weighing them down”. In other efforts to support the struggling auto industry, the President said that: The government will back the warranties on vehicles from GM and Chrysle...
Sunday, Mar 29
Wagoner Out as GM CEO; Obama to Provide Details on New Auto Aid on Monday
The Detroit Free Press reports that the Obama Administration has asked GM CEO Rick Wagoner to resign, which Wagoner agreed to do today. President Obama will unveil his new rescue plan for GM and Chrysler in a White House ceremony... The Detroit Free Press reports that the Obama Administratio...
Thursday, Mar 19
US Treasury To Provide Up To $5B in Financing For Auto Supplier Support
While the President’s Task Force on the Auto Industry continues to review restructuring plans submitted by General Motors and Chrysler, the US Department of the Treasury announced an Auto Supplier Support Program that will provide up to $5 billion in... While the President’s Task Force o...
Saturday, Mar 14
Grant Thornton LLP Warns of Potential Collapse of Automotive Supply Chain
Consider Revisions to the Bankruptcy Code: The current bankruptcy laws may need to be reviewed so that mega automotive cases can continue to pay pre-petition debts. Without removing the automatic stay provision of the bankruptcy code, a filing by an automaker could cause a string of oth...
Wednesday, Feb 18
GM and Chrysler Submit Updated Restructuring Plans; Up to $18.6B More Needed; Outlines for Product Plans
Chrysler also said that it would have a product portfolio to meed the California ZEV mandate, and outlined an aggressive vehicle electrification plan that shows six ENVI electric drive vehicles being introduced through 2014, in addition to a second-generation Dodge Ram hybrid.
Tuesday, Jan 20
Fiat Group and Chrysler Plan New Global Strategic Alliance; Fiat to Have 35% Stake in Chrysler
Fiat S.p.A., Chrysler LLC (Chrysler) and Cerberus Capital Management L.P., the private investment majority owner of Chrysler LLC, have signed a non-binding term sheet to establish a global strategic alliance that will result in Fiat having a 35% stake in...
Monday, Jan 12
Chrysler Introduces New 200C EV Concept, New Jeep EV Concept and Update on Three Earlier EV Concepts; Production to Begin in 2010
The Chrysler 200C EV. Click to enlarge. Chrysler unveiled the 200C EV Concept, the newest Chrysler ENVI electric-drive vehicle , at the North American International Auto Show. The 200C EV, based on a shortened version of Chrysler’s rear-wheel-drive platform, features... The Chrysler 200C...
Sunday, Dec 21
Canada to Provide C$4B in Loans to GM and Chrysler
There will be conditions to the financing extended to automakers. The federal and provincial governments will exercise oversight over the use of taxpayer money as part of its ongoing due diligence. Every stakeholder in the auto industry will also be expected to do their part to reduce str...
Friday, Dec 19
US to Provide Up To $17.4B in Loans to GM and Chrysler
The US federal government will provide up to $13.4 billion in loans to GM and $4.0 billion to Chrysler under terms similar to those Congress considered last week. The funds will be provided by the US Department of the Treasury... GM term sheet Chrysler term sheet
Tuesday, Dec 9
US Sales of Hybrids Down 50% in November
GM. GM posted a combined 1,335 hybrid units in November. The company sold 767 units of the two-mode hybrid versions of the Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade full-size SUVs, representing 9.3% of total model sales for those vehicles. Chrysler. In the first month of reported sales, Chrysler posted 35 un...
Wednesday, Dec 3
Chrysler Asking for $7B Bridge Loan from Congress; Production of More Than 500,000 Electric-Drive Vehicles by 2013
Chrysler’s product plan includes the introduction of the first full function electric-drive model in 2010, along with the two-mode Dodge Ram hybrid, and expansion to additional electric-drive models by 2013. Chrysler will have close to 100 vehicles dedicated to testing and developm...
Monday, Nov 10
Ohio State University Launches PHEV, EV and Smart Charging Program
Founding members of the SMART@CAR project include American Electric Power; CAR Industrial Research Consortium (Caterpillar, Chrysler Motors, Eaton, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, Hitachi, Oshkosh Corporation, and TRC Inc ); Duquesne Light Company; Juice Tech...
Saturday, Nov 8
GM Posts $2.5B Quarterly Net Loss; $5B in New Liquidity Actions; Spending for Volt and Other Fuel Economy Initiatives to Increase; Chrysler Talks Suspended
Although the timing of several vehicle programs will be revised, key product and technology programs remain on track. In GM’s largest markets, US, China and Europe, 22 new vehicles will be launched in 2009, and 19 in 2010. In the US alone, GM will launch 15 new vehicles through year-end 2010....
Wednesday, Nov 5
US Sales of Hybrids in October Down 10%; Monthly Share Up to 2.6%
Reported US sales of hybrids. Click to enlarge. Chrysler. Chrysler has not yet delivered any of its two-mode hybrid Aspen or Durango vehicles to customers through dealers, although the vehicles are currently being shipped, according to the company.
Thursday, Jun 21
Chrysler Group Announces Broad Series of Fuel-Efficiency Initiatives; More Hybrids and New Engines
Two-mode hybrid. Chrysler Group announced today that its two-mode hybrid program will expand beyond the Chrysler Aspen Hybrid and Dodge Durango Hybrid, which debut next year. (Earlier post.) The possibility of a four-cylinder diesel for the North American market.
Friday, Jun 15
Auto Industry Supporting Levin-Bond Fuel Economy Amendment
Authorizes increased funding for research, development and demonstration in the areas of advanced batteries, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, clean diesel, diesel hybrids, and flex fuel hybrid technologies, hydrogen storage and fuel cell membranes; as well as cellulosic-based ethano...
Monday, May 14
DaimlerChrysler to Sell 80% of Chrysler to Cerebus
Daimler AG, as DaimlerChrysler will rename itself, will hold a 19.9% interest in the new company, Chrysler Holding, LLC, which will hold 100% of the future Chrysler Corporation—which will continue to produce and sell Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brand vehicles—and the future Chrysler Fin...
Monday, Apr 30
Chrysler Announces Hybrid Version of New Aspen Full-Size SUV
The new Aspen full-size SUV will join the Dodge Durango as Chrysler’s first volume production hybrids next year. Both vehicles will use a 5.7-liter HEMI engine coupled with the advanced two-mode hybrid technology being co-developed by GM, DaimlerChrysler and BMW (earlier post) .
Friday, Mar 30
Biden Introduces Bill Focused on Li-Ion Battery Development for EVs and Plug-Ins
S.1055 US Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) has introduced legislation that would significantly increase US investment in the development of advanced lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. “The American Automobile Industry Promotion Act of 2007” (S.1055) authoriz...
Monday, Mar 26
Congressman Proposes Tax Credit for Plug-in Hybrids and EVs
DaimlerChrysler has the Dodge Sprinter plug-in parallel hybrid, currently in road testing (earlier post); General Motors is working on the Volt plug-in series hybrid (earlier post) and its E-Flex architecture; and Ford is researching the Edge plug-in series fuel-cell hybrid (earl...
Friday, Mar 16
Auto Industry Leaders Tell Congress They Would Support Mobile Source CO2 Caps in Principle
The witnesses in the hearing were: Ron Gettelfinger, President, UAW; Rick Wagoner, Chairman and CEO, GM; Jim Press, President and COO, Toyota North America; Alan Mulally, President and CEO, Ford; and Tom LaSorda, CEO and President, Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler.
