Environmentally Responsible Electric-drive vehicle technology

Chrysler's three concept vehicles for the 2008 North American International Auto Show provide a glimpse into how Chrysler envisions surprising and delighting its future customers through seamless integration of advance production technology into its future product portfolio.

ENVI — an in-house Chrysler organization — was formed late last year with a focus on establishing Chrysler leadership in electric-drive vehicles and related advanced-propulsion technologies. Team members were selected for their exceptional skills in portfolio management, modular architecture, product engineering, manufacturing, design, and procurement and supply.

"ENVI has an entrepreneurial small company spirit that can apply the vast resources available at Chrysler to create environmentally responsible vehicles customers aspire to own," said Lou Rhodes, President — ENVI, Chrysler LLC. "With ENVI, Chrysler will be able to quickly address the unique dynamic that is taking place between changing consumer attitudes, the worldwide regulatory landscape, and the acceleration of propulsion technologies."

Providing exceptional fuel economy and reducing emissions is part of Chrysler's environmental commitment, thus allowing customers to make environmentally responsible choices without compromising their mobility needs.

"Electrically driven vehicles are zero emission vehicles," said Rhodes. "Generating electricity from renewable sources to power tomorrow's vehicles breaks the dependency on fossil fuels and promotes the development of renewal and clean energy production."

Engaging the Customer

ENVI will develop electric-drive vehicles and technologies that draw from our customer insights for each of the Chrysler brands — Chrysler, Jeep^® and Dodge.

"We are committed to deeply understanding the needs of our future customers by being market focused and customer-centric," Rhodes said. "ENVI is applying new and unique ways of engaging our target customers into the product development process. Each member of the ENVI team will have a deep understanding of our customers' needs, priorities and lifestyle, in addition to the predominant trends that will likely affect their future purchase decisions."

These initial customer insights — and expectations - are conveyed in the Chrysler ecoVoyager, Jeep Renegade and Dodge ZEO concept vehicles.

Specifically, Chrysler buyers seek both understated luxury and purposeful technology — without compromising "elegance and simplicity."

In harmony with nature, Jeep enthusiasts seek "stylish green" vehicles that offer capability, comfort and style packaged together as only Jeep can.

Dodge "driving enthusiasts" crave performance without compromising the need for comfort and space. Practical but innovative features complement the experience that is expected from a Dodge performance sedan.

The technology

ENVI will focus on executing Chrysler's next-generation vehicles with technologies that complement the company's current hybrid vehicle plans, and extend hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) benefits to the next level.

"Taking full advantage of these emerging technologies requires a holistic approach involving the development of the entire vehicle," said Rhodes. "Vehicle architecture, package, design and propulsion cannot be decoupled. Chrysler's concept vehicles represent the marriage of all these elements, while staying focused on our target customers wants and needs."

Chrysler's electric-drive systems are envisioned to be modular, with a high-level of technology sharing and component reuse. Common elements include a 200-kilowatt electric motor, electrical architecture, power electronics, and next-generation, safe lithium-ion battery technology, to name a few.

The Chrysler ecoVoyager concept is an electric vehicle with a 40-mile, 16 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery module. Total driving range is 300 miles when coupled with the advanced hydrogen fuel cell range extender. The common 200-kilowatt electric motor drives the front wheels.

The Jeep Renegade concept is also an electric vehicle with the common 40-mile, 16 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery module, but uniquely incorporates electric motors on each axle for true four-wheel-drive capability. Driving range is extended by an electric generator coupled to a small-displacement BLUETEC diesel engine. Renegade has a 400-mile range, and is capable of achieving an equivalent petroleum fuel economy of 110 miles per gallon.

The Dodge ZEO concept is a Battery Electric Vehicle powered by the common electric motor driving the rear wheels. Driving range is 250 miles with the integrating of multiple lithium-ion battery modules for a total energy rating of 64 kilowatt-hours.

Addressing future challenges such as global warming, energy security and customer wants and needs will require the production implementation of one or more of these technologies in the not-too-distant future.

Elegant luxury design coupled with advanced hydrogen fuel cell Range-extended Electric Vehicle technology

Chrysler's concept for 2008 — the ecoVoyager — marries an elegant American design with fuel cell Range-extended Electric Vehicle technology.

"The 2008 Chrysler ecoVoyager concept vehicle celebrates the romance of automobile travel embodied in a four-door, four-passenger, distinctively American automobile of spirited design," said Greg Howell, principal ecoVoyager concept exterior designer. "While the ecoVoyager's supple, flowing one-box shape is purposely designed to achieve aerodynamic efficiencies, it also pushes the Chrysler brand language in a new direction of 'elegant simplicity,' by taking full advantage of the space normally occupied by a bulky conventional powertrain setup to drastically reduce the front overhang."

Featuring crisscrossing forms defined by hard lines with fluid intersections, the style vocabulary of the ecoVoyager embodies Chrysler's harmonization of functional technology with beautifully-styled exteriors and interiors.

The Chrysler ecoVoyager concept was developed for customers wanting a travel experience on par with a private jet, but without a lot of fancy gadgetry. These customers seek three critical attributes: elegance, simplicity and serenity.

Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept Technology

The all-new Chrysler ecoVoyager's wheels are driven by an electric motor, with power primarily supplied by a lithium-ion battery pack capable of satisfying a consumer's typical daily commute of less than 40 miles.

The electric motor develops 200 kilowatts (268 horsepower), enabling acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in less than eight seconds. A regenerative braking system captures energy that would normally be lost and returns it to the battery, making the Chrysler ecoVoyager concept a very efficient and spacious vehicle.

The ecoVoyager takes advantage of a range extender — in this case, a small, advanced hydrogen fuel cell — to extend the vehicle range for occasional long trips. With this advanced technology, the Chrysler ecoVoyager's total range is greater than 300 miles, while no emissions — besides water vapor — come from the tailpipe along the way.

With the entire propulsion system located below the ecoVoyager's floor, space is maximized for utility of passenger and cargo.

Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept Exterior

Expressive details of the Chrysler ecoVoyager concept include panoramic roof glass bisected by a center spine, tight body overhangs and a dramatic boat-tail back end. The sinuous shapes of the window graphics, headlamps, taillamps and grille openings are inspired by Chrysler's storied winged badge.

The curving trapezoidal shape of the ecoVoyager's grille is echoed by the clear lens-covered shadow box that houses the rear license plate. The sloping backlight features a similar shape, emphasizing the repeating harmony of the ecoVoyager's design elements.

Other exterior touches on the Chrysler ecoVoyager concept include the elongated, flaring "light catchers" on the lower doors and the front and rear fascias, enhanced by the Polar Ice exterior color.

Finally, side doors open a wide 90 degrees. Since the rear doors are hinged at the rear and there is no center B-pillar, entrance into the ecoVoyager is virtually unimpeded.

Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept Interior

By placing the front wheels of the Chrysler ecoVoyager concept farther forward than usual, designers were able to create greater interior roominess and increased legroom, especially in the rear seats.

In the ecoVoyager's spacious interior, the size, design and location of all controls have been rethought to provide its four pampered passengers the luxury of having every feature within effortless reach.

"In some ways, true luxury is in not having to reach or search around for controls," said Ty Stump, principal interior designer of the Chrysler ecoVoyager concept. "With the new ecoVoyager concept, we carefully placed the gauges and controls in order to reduce head and eye movement. We also achieved simplicity in the interior forms, both for visual elegance and to avoid distracting surfaces."

The ecoVoyager's windshield defroster and cabin air-conditioning outlets in the instrument panels and doors, for example, are invisible beneath a recessed perforated mesh. This avoids visually-disruptive array sliding vanes and protruding knobs. Even the color of the interior — soft Dove Gray with warm cherry wood accents – is designed to promote a relaxed ambiance.

The Chrysler ecoVoyager's unconventional instrument panel features a broad, leather-covered angled surface, slightly V-shaped in plan view and fronted by a full-width display screen set just below the windshield. The left and right outer ends of this non-glare screen contain the side-view mirror image, while a third camera image in front of the driver serves as the rearview mirror.

Unlike most instrument clusters, only currently-needed information is displayed, designed to be viewed above the steering wheel rim rather than through it (and requiring less up-down eye movement and refocusing). The front-seat passenger can view a movie without its moving images disturbing the driver. A slick, slide-out/retractable center console — fitted with hot-key buttons and a mouse pad — replaces the functions contained in a conventional vertical center stack.

The ecoVoyager's four individual chairs are contoured for personalized comfort. The seat framing is exposed, with under-seat storage drawers. Front seats have individual cantilevered, adjustable armrests containing the window controls and heat/massage switches, while individual rear-seat armrests fold into the cabin back panel. With the ability to store six 20-ounce bottles, the floor console dividing the rear seats accommodates hot or cold beverages.

A recessed area in the headliner between the two longitudinal skylights contains the "Direct Sound" function. With this feature, the musical entertainment choice of each individual occupant can be directed to him or her without the use of headphones, and without disturbing others in the car.

Sleek, refined, efficient and superbly comfortable, the Chrysler ecoVoyager concept vehicle offers a new experience in stress-free travel.

BLUETEC diesel Range Extended Electric Vehicle in fun, open-air, sustainable design package

A B-segment Jeep^® concept vehicle, the Renegade is a sporty, "minimized" two-seater ideally suited for the all-weather fun of dune-surfing or rock-crawling.

"With an electric motor powering each axle, the Jeep Renegade concept is designed for a 'hang on and have fun experience,'" said Tony Shamenkov, Jeep Renegade concept principal exterior designer.

Constructed of environmentally responsible materials, sustainability is a key theme of the Jeep Renegade concept.

Renegade is targeted at customers in the "Stylish Green" segment of the marketplace — those who are extremely environmentally oriented, appreciate high-tech and innovation, and enjoy performance combined with style in keeping with their "green" attitude.

Jeep Renegade Concept Technology

The advanced propulsion system in the Jeep Renegade concept starts with a 40-mile lithium-ion battery pack. A range extender — in Renegade's case, a small-displacement (1.5-liter, 3-cylinder) BLUETEC diesel engine — allows for journeys beyond 40 miles. In fact, the Jeep Renegade concept boasts a 400-mile range.

Renegade's BLUETEC diesel engine generates an additional 115 horsepower when needed, while greatly reducing exhaust emissions when compared to standard gasoline engines. Renegade is capable of achieving an equivalent petroleum fuel economy of 110 miles per gallon, which is four-to-five times greater than an equivalent gasoline-only vehicle.

The all-new Jeep Renegade concept's lightweight aluminum architecture and regen-braking system help to improve overall efficiency, while dual electric 200 kilowatt (268 horsepower) motors propel a very capable 4x4 system — complete with low range and locking differentials — worthy of carrying the Jeep name.

Jeep Renegade Concept Exterior

The Jeep Renegade concept's "one-with-nature" personality is emphasized by its large, flaring wheel openings, oversized wheels and tires, and cut-down speedster windshield — all of which combine to deliver on the Renegade's promise of cross-country fun and agility.

Among the unique exterior details are "deconstructed" rubber-clad headlamps and taillamps, as well as just-for-fun elongated triangular openings in each of the two sculpted doors.

While the Renegade features a roll bar, it has no top. Instead, the cargo deck just behind the cockpit can be fitted with a variety of "lids." Options include a plain lid, or lids configured to accommodate the gear of a particular outdoor day-trip activity, such as mountain biking or kayaking. Or it can come "as built" — with formations designed to accommodate two matching water scooters with open storage underneath. Fluid-fill caps, a plug-in port and a first-aid kit are also included.

Jeep Renegade Concept Interior

Sustainability — a ratio between the energy needed to build and ship the vehicle as compared with the impact these processes have on the environment — is a key focus of the Jeep Renegade concept's interior design.

Materials used in constructing the Jeep Renegade concept were deliberately selected to be environmentally responsible, both in manufacture and end-of-vehicle-life recyclability.

Innovative construction includes one-piece molded soy-based foam seats and doors, a one-piece co-molded instrument panel with a urethane skin, a co-molded aluminum/silicone steering wheel, a one-piece molded chassis created without using environmentally-harmful resins, and a one-piece molded interior compartment "tub." This environmental care in designing the Renegade's interior is aligned with Jeep's "harmony with nature" philosophy.

"The Jeep Renegade concept's interior – actually the entire vehicle – is designed to minimize the number of parts necessary for assembly and function," said Scott Anderson, principal interior designer of the Renegade concept. "We designed the Renegade with an eye toward simplification of systems, both in parts and processes."

The HVAC system, for example, is not coolant-based, while the color, grain and gloss of the interior parts are molded in one piece. Even the no-gloss exterior color of the Renegade's lightweight composite body is molded in to avoid the use of solvents present in automotive paints.

The dual-cockpit instrument panel is symmetrically balanced for easy "plug and play" left-hand drive and right-hand drive applications. There is no conventional wiring. Instead, the instrument panel features wireless electronics in sealed, self-contained units, removable by the customer. The panel is built about an exposed cross-car beam containing an integrated power strip, and on the passenger side, yaw, pitch and roll indicators (also built into the fluid-fill gauges). The instrument panel itself is hollow, allowing ample open storage below the beam. Separately-configured impact-absorbing vinyl-wrapped knee-blockers "float" beneath the cross-car beam.

The thin multi-plane acrylic instrument cluster mounts to the steering column, while the similar but separate center control screen mounts on a swivel base — providing easy access to both occupants.

Located at the intersection of the steering wheel's T-shaped spokes, the circular LED screen rotates, allowing the driver to select the drive mode, while a flattened rim provides roomier thigh clearance. A driver air bag is concealed beneath the screen. Red or green translucent shift buttons allow Park, Reverse or Drive selections.

The Jeep Renegade concept's sporty doors incorporate unique canvas-pull remote "handles," while the rush of the moving landscape visible through the door's elongated openings enhance the feeling of carefree, open-air mobility.

The Renegade's contoured, figure-form seats — covered in scuba-like waterproof materials that are both soft-touch and flexible — feature in-seat belts and unusual, hollow, lightweight upside-down "U-shaped" headrests. The seats feature a urethane skin with soy-based foam co-molded with a composite substructure. The integral seatbelts, along with slender accent strips on the seats and instrument panel, repeat the Palm Metallic exterior color.

A "thermal unit" in the center console plugs into the electrical battery pack, permitting food to be either heated or cooled.

"Inspired by the simplicity and functionality of scuba diving gear, we wanted the interior of the Jeep Renegade concept to be weather-tight and durable," Anderson said.

The Renegade's wireless interior is designed to be hosed down. It features a drain in the floor, while the formations built into the floor mat are designed to channel water to the opening. Hollow-section billet-formed pedals float above the tub floor.

Fun, functional and fabricated from recyclable materials, the Jeep Renegade concept offers agile, capable performance without sacrificing the environment its drivers seek to explore. Keeping with Jeep owners' desire to use their vehicles as an extension of their active lives, the Jeep Renegade concept promotes enjoyment of the good things of the earth while taking care of its future.

Battery Electric Vehicle technology in expressive "2+2" Dodge sports car style

The 2008 Dodge ZEO — Zero Emissions Operation — concept vehicle is a four-passenger, all-electric, "2+2" sport wagon that embraces the bold, emotional characteristic of the Dodge brand. With its 23-inch wheels-to-the corners, heroic proportions and muscular forms, the ZEO exhibits a new youthful breed of muscle-machine interface.

Dodge owners and those who will desire the ZEO concept are unquestionably driving enthusiasts. They are less family-oriented, with a desire for things that are high-tech, and place less emphasis on pure practicality. While they boast environmental and overall responsibility, they also exhibit a "need for speed."

"The Dodge ZEO concept is designed to break the paradigm of what an electric car should look like," said Bill Zheng, Dodge ZEO principal exterior designer. "An electric car can be as expressive as any gasoline-powered vehicle. The Dodge ZEO concept proves that point — and then some."

To this end, the ZEO's body has been given an active, three-dimensional form, with the fenders boldly offset to the body.

Dodge ZEO Concept Technology

The advanced propulsion system powering the Dodge ZEO concept is electric-only with a 64 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack capable of at least 250 miles.

Resting in a rear-wheel drive layout, Dodge ZEO's 200 kilowatt (268 horsepower) single-electric motor contributes to a 0-60 mph time in less than six seconds — which rivals Chrysler's famed HEMI powerplant.

Unlike other such vehicles, ZEO is a four-door, four-passenger vehicle that delivers function as well as environmental responsibility.

Dodge ZEO Concept Exterior

Nestled between the robust circular wheel arches, ZEO's taut, elongated beltline ends with the signature Dodge kick-up at the rear, where the reverse-angle C-pillar is planted directly over the rear wheel arch.

Inspired in part by the architecture of a Möbius strip, Dodge ZEO's rakish A-pillars curve into extended roof rails that twist and converge as they race rearward. The windshield glass continues in an unbroken, curving plane nearly to the rear of the car, giving both front and rear passengers an unimpeded, all-around view while showcasing ZEO's inventive interior.

Other expressive details include "scissor" doors, front and rear lamps treated as separate sculptural forms, and the "ZEO Orange" and dark silver exterior.

"The lit crossbar grille," says Zheng, "is designed to communicate the use of electricity as the ZEO's power source."

Dodge ZEO Concept Interior

Inspired by organic forms and wireless technology, Dodge ZEO's interior is loaded with attitude and intelligence expected by youthful buyers.

"The Dodge ZEO concept is an example of designing for people who are used to a dynamic lifestyle and who are surrounded with information and virtual friends at all times," says Lou Gasevski, principal interior designer of the Dodge ZEO concept.

The entire cabin is treated as if it were a single piece of sculpture.

A broad sloping fabric-wrapped surface in front of the driver curves dramatically into the door and quarter panel. It then sweeps around the back panel to the opposite side quarter and door, ending in a sloping surface in front of the passenger.

This design approach blends the usually separate-looking parts of the interior into a unified whole. A narrow strip of blue LED accent lighting on the doors and quarters lead to the back panel, adding to the sweeping effect. Most of the interior surfaces of the ZEO concept are colored in Super White, adding to the sculptural impression.

A slim center console slopes down from the windshield of the Dodge ZEO, creating a dual-cockpit effect. It then levels off to divide the cabin by continuing clear to the back panel. To avoid visual clutter, customary controls and a viewing screen are set flush with the surface.

Instead of a conventional instrument panel, the steering wheel, column and instruments are treated as a single freestanding design element. The Dodge ZEO concept's steering wheel has two vertical spokes, set closely together, leaving 80 percent of the rim "open" for maximum visibility. The laid-back center hub, containing the driver air bag and auxiliary switches, is stationary, with the wheel rim revolving around it. Left and right horizontal paddle-levers just behind the wheel rim activate the remote radio functions.

The sloping plane of the center hub, which cantilevers forward above the steering column, houses the instruments which are displayed on a thin blue acrylic viewing screen set directly in front of the driver. The entire elegant multi-piece ensemble adjusts with the wheel rim to the driver's needs.

Doors and quarters are bisected by a flaring, wide-to-narrow dark gray panel separating the upper and lower surfaces — with the lower portion of the door and quarter curving inboard to provide an armrest surface. Milled aluminum door pull handles, placed diagonally, act as accents.

Contrasting colored Copperhead stitching follows the forms of the ZEO's Super White leather seats. For maximum comfort, the four bucket seats sport highly-contoured bolsters on the seat cushions and backs. When in the down position, the slim sculpted headrests nestle neatly into the tops of the upper seatbacks. The seat shells are constructed from milled aluminum, with video screens integrated into the front seatbacks.

With its bold exterior and curving, sculptural interior, the ZEO concept appeals to Dodge brand customers who want value, expressive design and useful technology.