Chrysler bankruptcy: what happens with the electric car plans? to A123 Systems?
Dodge Circuit EV - Click above for a high-res gallery
Pegging down future automobile product plans is hard enough in a normal economy. With the current state of affairs, it's like grabbing a snowflake with a heated fork. It's damn hard and you have to start over as soon as you think you got it figured out. Still, we were curious about what Chrysler's bankruptcy and partnership with Fiat might mean for cars like the Circuit EV and companies like A123 Systems, which is slated to supply batteries for Chrysler's electric vehicle lineup.
Reuters says that "the sum of Fiat and Chrysler's parts does not amount to the kind of electric vehicle powerhouse that Renault and Nissan are trying to build." Still, Chrysler's ENVI project could get a big boost from Fiat's smaller, lighter vehicles - Alfa Romeo and Cinquecento - that could make the jump across the pond. One J.D. Power and Associates powertrain analyst told Reuters that a bankruptcy judge might just shut ENVI down. So there's that.
The same analyst thinks that A123 will be fine if they find another customer. That's pretty close to a truism. A123 Systems did not draw up a statement in response to the Chrysler bankruptcy.
Whatever happens, a delay in Chrysler's previously-announced schedule for 2010 models is a sure thing. Chrysler said as much (subs req'd) in their bankruptcy filing earlier this week. 2011 models might also be affected, depending on how the bankruptcy affects plant closures and suppliers.
Gallery: Fiat 500
[Source: Reuters, Automotive News (subs req'd)]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lad 1:36AM (5/07/2009)
Nissan/Renault will lead us into the BEV future; China's auto companies will lead the rest of the world in BEVs because: these groups have decided to leap into BEVs ASAP and to jump over the ideas associated with developing efficient light ICEs and interim HEVs.
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gorr 9:55AM (5/07/2009)
Why didn't they sell some of their already devellopped gazeous hydrogen fuelcell cars ?
They can make like the microwave suppliers, begin at subtantial prices then with the quantity and expantion reduce their prices toward 15 000$-20 000$ for a 200 h.p sport car and 9 000 to 12 000$ for a regular car, all that without pollution and almost no fuel cost.
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Chris M 6:03PM (5/07/2009)
Because the platinum required for an automotive sized fuel cell costs at least $300,000 so even if they could somehow make the rest of the car for free (recycled garbage car, anyone?) it would still cost several times more than you would ever consider paying.
ohm 4:52PM (5/07/2009)
Fiat Cinquecento is not a Fiat 500. Yes, cinquecento MEANS 500 in italian, but Fiat Cinquecento was a small car, currently discontinued. Next model was Seicento, that means 600.
But Fiat 500 is a completely new thing.
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