Chrysler has announced that in late September 2008, three
vehicles will be shown to the dealerships, and all three of these vehicles are
said to be “production capable” electric vehicles.As a company, Chrysler has been slower to
actively jump into the hybrid game, with Honda, Toyota, and General Motors being the most
publicly vocal about their programs, but Chrysler has plans to join GM with not
one, but three plug-in models.
This is not a complete shock, as it was only a matter of
time before Chrysler and Dodge jumped into the ring, and with the release of
the Dodge Zeo Concept at the 2008 North American International Auto Show
(NAIAS), they showed that they were already elbow deep in R&D.The Zeo is powered by lithium-ion batteries
and uses no other fuel source, having an advertised range of up to 250 miles;
the styling may have been a bit too much for the average hybrid shopper.
There was very little information given as to what class of
vehicle these new plug-ins might be, but with three vehicles that could all see
production according to Chrysler’s Jim Press, one would think that they will be
in different classes.We will find out
later this month what the new face of Chrysler could be as the market shifts
towards EVs and other alternative powered vehicles.
"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.
