Global viewpoints: technology leads the way
Chrysler electric-hybrid effort picking up steam
 Larry Oswald, Vice President, Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Platform Engineering, Chrysler Group. |
The Chrysler Group's work on hybrid-electric vehicles is gearing up with the introduction of a Dodge Durango with electric front-wheel drive and conventional rear-wheel drive, and a Dodge Ram Contractor Special that features a hybrid powertrain and an auxiliary power generator. Moving those vehicles into production as soon as possible is the job of Larry Oswald, Vice President, Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Platform Engineering.
According to Oswald, who worked on hybrid-electric technology for part of his 26 years at General Motors in R&D, the company has spent "perhaps less than $10 million" on hybrid-electric vehicle development since the Durango program was initiated three years ago. "That figure is going to grow rapidly" as production nears, he said. About 100 engineers at the Chrysler Tech Center in Auburn Hills, MI, staff the team, which was formed this past October and is leveraged by an equal or larger number of engineers from outside companies.
The hybrid-electric Durango is slated to launch in late 2003 at a price premium of about $3000, according to Oswald. The Contractor, which launches a year later, will have a price premium of about $5000. But those premiums will be more than canceled out by a fuel savings of 15-20% or more and other benefits, he said.
 The Dodge Durango hybrid is quicker from 0-97 km/h (0-60 mph) than the conventional 5.9-L, V8-powered version. Click to enlarge |
Oswald sees the Chrysler Group's approach to hybrid-electrics as being "more pragmatic" than either Ford's or GM's. The conventional Durango's fuel economy is not good, and buyers of that type of vehicle are environmentally conscious, he said. And the Contractor Special by definition is all about practicality, he added.
Reducing battery pack costs is the big technological hurdle with hybrid-electric vehicles, according to Oswald. The company recently changed its mind about the type of battery pack to be used in the Durango, opting now for nickel/metal-hydride instead of lithium-ion. Oswald credits the federal government for advances in NiMH technology through its funding of the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium. "But there's still a lot of work to be done," he said.
Under California's ZEV mandate, battery packs (as part of the emissions control system) must be warranted for 15 years or 150,000 mi, according to Oswald. Will the Durango's original-equipment battery pack last that long? Oswald would say only that Chrysler engineers will try to get "as many miles as possible" out of it.
 Chrysler's Dodge Ram Contractor Special can be converted to a 20-kW stationary generator. |
The Chrysler Group is leading the overall DaimlerChrysler charge in hybrid-electric light-duty vehicles, according to Oswald. Fuel-cell development is being done in Germany, and while some buses of that type will be marketed there next year (and fuel-cell passenger vehicles in 2004), the Durango will be the first DaimlerChrysler light-duty hybrid-electric to hit the world stage. There is some integration of development efforts, Oswald said, noting that the electric motor for the Durango is the same type used for fuel cells, "so in effect, we're developing technologies for fuel-cell vehicles as well."
What the Chrysler Group needs to do now is "get a fleet of them (Durangos) into the public's hands" within the next year for feedback, Oswald said. While the Durango will be the company's first hybrid-electric on the streets, the Contractor Special should prove more important because its hybrid-electric powertrain is being examined as a potential option across a range of Chrysler products, he added. Oswald said Chrysler expects annual sales of about 30,000 Durango and 50,000-60,000 Contractor Special hybrid-electrics.
When parked, the components that make the Contractor Special a hybrid vehicle are converted to a stationary electrical generator to deliver up to 20 kW of power for work, recreation, or home use. The vehicle can be equipped with different gasoline and diesel engines and can be operated in electric-only mode for short distances.
 The Dodge Powerbox version of the Durango uses compressed natural gas for the 186-kW (250-hp) internal combustion V6 engine. The hybrid is expected to achieve 9.0 L/100 km (25 mpg). Click to enlarge |
As for pure electric vehicles, there are more than 200 EPIC (Dodge Caravan) minivans on the road in California and New York. The EPIC has a range of 144 km (90 mi) and can be quick-charged in about 30 min. The Dodge ESX-3—DaimlerChrysler's concept vehicle developed under the government/industry Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV)—achieves 31 km/L (72 mpg) fuel efficiency using a mild hybrid (or "mybrid") diesel-electric powertrain with a lithium-ion battery pack. There are no plans to produce the ESX-3, though a production prototype is due in 2004 under the PNGV program.
Last fall, DaimlerChrysler purchased GEM (Global Electric Motor-Cars) of Fargo, ND, the largest U.S. producer of neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV). Thirty-seven states presently have approved the use of NEVs, and the State of California certifies them as Zero Emission Vehicles. DaimlerChrysler is the first major U.S. automaker to offer NEVs for sale.
Chrysler will not reveal the impact that its "turnaround" plan, which includes the layoffs of 6800 salaried and 19,000 hourly employees, will have on the engineering organization. The turnaround plan also calls for the closing of three vehicle assembly plants and for powertrain plants in North and South America. The company is also implementing shift reductions and line speed reductions at seven North American vehicle assembly plants.
