While cars like the Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius have been the talk of the down, their fairly conservative styling are obviously aimed for little more than fuel economy. Dodge, on the other hand, has decided to join the EV competition in the form of a sleek sports car. Released alongside the new Chrysler EV (based on the Grand Caravan) and the Jeep EV (based on the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited), this new all-electric sports car currently wears the skin of a Lotus Europa. Where the other two EVs are based on current vehicles, the drivetrain of the Dodge EV was the focus of the year-long engineering effort from Chrysler’s ENVI group. Little information has been given to the details of the design process, but considering Lotus also worked with Tesla on their roadster, working with them on this concept may have helped Dodge focus less on chassis design and more on the drivetrain.
Even when little is said about the exterior design, Dodge was quick to
boast of the drivetrain, which is fully electric. Utilizing a 200 kW
electric motor driven by an advanced lithium ion battery and an
integrated power controller, the Dodge EV offers 268 horsepower and 480
ft-lb of torque. This drivetrain layout allows the EV Concept to
rocket from 0-60 in under 5 seconds, travel a standing quarter mile in
under 13 seconds, and hit a top speed of 120 mph.
There is
little indication of what Dodge plans to use for a body should it see
production, but the running gear of the Dodge EV certainly seems to
offer a great alternative to an EV market dominated by somewhat bland
economy cars. We would expect that there will be a body of its own
emerging at some point (dare we pray, SEMA?), and whether or not it
keeps the Lotus look is questionable as an aggressive sports car could
fill the empty space created by the departure of the Dodge Viper.
Chrysler
has said that they plan to have an EV Hybrid ready to compete with the
Volt when it hits the market in 2011, and the Dodge EV is realistically
the least likely of the three new EV Concepts, as the other two use
existing, popular vehicles, but with no current sports car options in
the EV field, the Dodge EV Concept could create a whole new market for
the Big 3. There is also no definite answer as to whether Chrysler
will release a full electric model, or a gas-electric hybrid, but the
Dodge EV Concept could certain reach a completely different audience
from the current EVs in the market.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
While cars like the Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius have been the talk of the down, their fairly conservative styling are obviously aimed for little more than fuel economy. Dodge, on the other hand, has decided to join the EV competition in the form of a sleek sports car. Released alongside the new Chrysler EV (based on the Grand Caravan) and the Jeep EV (based on the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited), this new all-electric sports car currently wears the skin of a Lotus Europa. Where the other two EVs are based on current vehicles, the drivetrain of the Dodge EV was the focus of the year-long engineering effort from Chrysler’s ENVI group. Little information has been given to the details of the design process, but considering Lotus also worked with Tesla on their roadster, working with them on this concept may have helped Dodge focus less on chassis design and more on the drivetrain.
