Chrysler revamps electric program

Alisa Priddle / The Detroit News

Chrysler Group LLC is restructuring its electric program as it works to develop hybrids and electric vehicles for its own brands as well as for partner Fiat SpA.

The combination of the extra duties, a change in the lineup of electrified vehicles on tap and the adoption of Fiat's product development system has resulted in the need to redistribute engineers who were grouped together in a special division known as ENVI under the leadership of Lou Rhodes.

"ENVI is absorbed into the normal vehicle development program," said Chrysler spokesman Nick Cappa.

The number of employees involved in electric programs remains the same or slightly higher than under ENVI. Some have been redeployed to the vehicle development side and others are now part of powertrain development.

Rhodes continues to oversee electric vehicle development for both Chrysler and Fiat.

But the product lineup and some ambitious targets to get electric vehicles on the road have been changed under the new management of Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne who took over the top spot after Chrysler forged an alliance with Fiat in June.

Prior to the partnership, and in the months leading up to Chrysler filing for bankruptcy April 30, the automaker had shown hybrid and pure electric concept vehicles of a number of existing products including a minivan, some Jeeps and a Dodge sports car with a Lotus body.

During last week's presentation of Chrysler's five-year business and product plan, a new electric vehicle strategy emerged.

Unchanged are plans to offer a two-mode hybrid version of the Dodge Ram pickup next year.

It will be followed by a plug-in hybrid Ram and a plug-in hybrid minivan in 2011. They will be part of a test fleet of 220 hybrids for which Chrysler received a $70 million Department of Energy grant.

But the first pure electric vehicle will not be the Dodge Circuit sports car. Rather it will be a commercial van from Fiat, due in late 2011 or 2012, according to a presentation by powertrain chief Paolo Ferrero last week as part of Chrysler's five-year business and product plan.

Marchionne let it slip during the question period that the van will likely be the Fiat Doblo.

The CEO said Chrysler's electric vehicle strategy is still under review, but these vehicles will account for 1 percent to 2 percent of total volume by 2014 as the industry struggles to refine battery technology.

apriddle@detnews.com (313) 222 - 2504