Chrysler unveils 3 electric cars for 2010

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...ESS01/80923029

This can't be right, everyone in Detroit says they need $25 billion from the government to be able to make cars like these.

[clambake]

chrysler sucks beyond imagination.

[ducks]

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...ESS01/80923029

This can't be right, everyone in Detroit says they need $25 billion from the government to be able to make cars like these.

they might get it

[Tully365]

Suddenly-- surprise! We actually do have electric cars! We forgot to mention them before.

[ElNono]

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...ESS01/80923029

This can't be right, everyone in Detroit says they need $25 billion from the government to be able to make cars like these.

Actually, the next news is probably that they're going to need a bailout to bring it to market...

[RandomGuy]

Economics have not favored electric cars, and still don't quite do so.

Chrysler is betting on gasoline to be much higher in the near future. I analysed the underlying assumptions in their recent "gas" givaways once and they are assuming that gasoline will get more expensive.

We will see if they are right. Good luck to them.

[101A]

I'm betting Chrysler loses money on each one sold for a while. However, I think they will be a big deal; living in a small town, I seldom drive more than 20 miles a day; put 10K on BOTH vehicles combined last year (in 2004, put 40K on two while living in SA).

People will pay more for electrics; makes 'em feel good (like hybrids); as production increases; advances will come; economies of scale will come into play. We'll see.

[RandomGuy]

I'm betting Chrysler loses money on each one sold for a while. However, I think they will be a big deal; living in a small town, I seldom drive more than 20 miles a day; put 10K on BOTH vehicles combined last year (in 2004, put 40K on two while living in SA).

People will pay more for electrics; makes 'em feel good (like hybrids); as production increases; advances will come; economies of scale will come into play. We'll see.

I agree 100%. My wife drives less than 300 miles in a month, and that is about 1 or 2 charges of an electric vehicle.

The advantage to this is that for such usage, one can buy a small photovoltaic set up that stores power in a charging system during the day, and pumps that stored electricity into the car at night.

A little bit of capital expenditure, a few panels over the garage, and we are virtually independent of the price of oil or electricity.

Chysler may operate at a loss for a few years on this stuff, but I think the time is FINALLY right for this technology.

Let oil get a little more expensive, and people start factoring in commute distances in to their housing choices by living a bit closer to where they work, and BAM!

We could give a lot of countries that hate us but sell us hydrocarbon energy the big

[Anti.Hero]

ehhh it's still a Chrysler

[RandomGuy]

ehhh it's still a Chrysler

It's a Chrysler built by a privately-owned company that can do ANYTHING it wants to make the company profitable.

I give very good odds that Chrysler, because it can focus a bit more on something beyond next quarter, will really start gaining market share in about 3-5 years, mostly at the expense of GM.

GM is in for a ROUGH few years, as their compe ors at Toyota, Ford, and Chrysler all seem to have better long-term game plans.

Ford ousted Henry's grandson a while back because he was taking the company in a "green" direction, and didnt focus enough on short-term profitability, but the legacy of his tenure leaves Ford a half-step ahead of the other two US carmakers in that regard. They lucked out in that regard, despite themselves.

[RandomGuy]

My knowledge of the car industry is far from extensive, but that is just my reading on it, based on my own opinions and that of the real experts whose bits I occasionally stumble across.