Hey all. It's the minivan's 25th Birthday and you get to make the wish. How well do you remember the 80's! Play and win. Good luck!! http://www.minivan25.com/play.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Chrysler's Under the Pentastar on UTube
You can find out what is currently happening at Chrysler at their Under the Pentastar broadcasts on UTube. http://bit.ly/3eTiHE
Friday, April 24, 2009
Scoop! Chrysler Hopes to Build Plug-In Ram and Town & Country - Car News
Car and Driver have a scoop:
Electrified trucks and vans have been offered to New York state for trials.
Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab Plug-In Hybrid
The plug-in Ram likely will be a modified version of the upcoming Ram two-mode hybrid, which is set to launch sometime in 2010. The plug-in version will use the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and a lithium-ion battery pack, together making a maximum of 399 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. The plug-in pickup will have a 20-mile electric-only range, and Dodge claims it will have a total range of over 650 miles. The truck is claimed to return as high as 42 mpg in certain situations, a lofty promise to be sure. The battery pack can be fully recharged in two hours from 220-volt power or four hours from a 110-volt plug. Like most hybrid systems, regenerative brakes will help replenish the batteries.
Electrified trucks and vans have been offered to New York state for trials.A little internet birdie told us that Chrysler has approached government officials in New York state about participating in a trial program for upcoming plug-in hybrid vehicles. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has been offered about 20 such vehicles, to be comprised of Dodge Ram crew cab pickup trucks and Chrysler Town & Country minivans.
Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab Plug-In Hybrid
The plug-in Ram likely will be a modified version of the upcoming Ram two-mode hybrid, which is set to launch sometime in 2010. The plug-in version will use the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and a lithium-ion battery pack, together making a maximum of 399 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. The plug-in pickup will have a 20-mile electric-only range, and Dodge claims it will have a total range of over 650 miles. The truck is claimed to return as high as 42 mpg in certain situations, a lofty promise to be sure. The battery pack can be fully recharged in two hours from 220-volt power or four hours from a 110-volt plug. Like most hybrid systems, regenerative brakes will help replenish the batteries.
The Ram will also have the added feature of being able to act as a generator. Four 120-volt and one 240-volt outlet in the bed, as well as a 120-volt plug in the truck’s center console will feed electricity from the batteries that can be restocked by the truck’s engine. The trucks offered to the state of New York are crew cabs with a four-wheel-drive system that can decouple the front axle to save fuel. Payload is listed at 1300 lb, while the truck is rated to tow 6000 lb. The truck itself should tip the scales at about 5900 lb, or nearly the same as a standard Ram crew cab.
Chrysler Town & Country Plug-In Hybrid
New York government agencies will also be able to opt for a Chrysler Town & Country plug-in hybrid. The plug-in vans will not be offered with Stow ‘n Go seats, because the lithium-ion batteries occupy the underfloor storage bins; Swivel ‘n Go second-row seats will be included. The program’s vans will use Chrysler’s new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6—running on gasoline or E85—as part of their hybrid powertrain. (This revelation, of course, leads us to conclude that the Pentastar powerplant will soon make its way into regular consumer-grade minivans.) Output will stand at 290 hp with battery assistance. Fuel economy is quoted as high as 53 mpg, a claim we find as dubious as the 42-mpg figure for the Ram. Chrysler says the van can run up to 24 miles on electricity alone and travel a total of 700 miles.
Unlike the Ram, the plug-in T&C will weigh considerably more than its standard gas-powered counterpart; curb weight is listed at 5240 lb, about 600 more than a conventional Chrysler van. Charge time matches the Ram’s, taking either two or four hours depending on supplied voltage. Payload is rated at 1200 lb and the van will be able to pull 1000 lb.
The New York trials would begin in January of 2011 and last for three years. The vehicles would be expected to log at least 50,000 miles over that time. Vehicles would be leased to the government at no cost, with the agencies only having to cover fuel and regular maintenance. It’s likely that Chrysler is offering similar loans to other states or organizations, as they recently showed an all-electric van concept to the U.S. Postal Service.
New York government agencies will also be able to opt for a Chrysler Town & Country plug-in hybrid. The plug-in vans will not be offered with Stow ‘n Go seats, because the lithium-ion batteries occupy the underfloor storage bins; Swivel ‘n Go second-row seats will be included. The program’s vans will use Chrysler’s new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6—running on gasoline or E85—as part of their hybrid powertrain. (This revelation, of course, leads us to conclude that the Pentastar powerplant will soon make its way into regular consumer-grade minivans.) Output will stand at 290 hp with battery assistance. Fuel economy is quoted as high as 53 mpg, a claim we find as dubious as the 42-mpg figure for the Ram. Chrysler says the van can run up to 24 miles on electricity alone and travel a total of 700 miles.
Unlike the Ram, the plug-in T&C will weigh considerably more than its standard gas-powered counterpart; curb weight is listed at 5240 lb, about 600 more than a conventional Chrysler van. Charge time matches the Ram’s, taking either two or four hours depending on supplied voltage. Payload is rated at 1200 lb and the van will be able to pull 1000 lb.
The New York trials would begin in January of 2011 and last for three years. The vehicles would be expected to log at least 50,000 miles over that time. Vehicles would be leased to the government at no cost, with the agencies only having to cover fuel and regular maintenance. It’s likely that Chrysler is offering similar loans to other states or organizations, as they recently showed an all-electric van concept to the U.S. Postal Service.
Thanks to Caranddriver.com for this Great article picked up on Twitter.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Preview: Peapod Electric Car
This could be the coolest iPod accessory yet: Chrysler's GEM division has introduced a docking station on wheels. And, it can carry you and three friends along with a tune.Launched today in recognition of Earth Day, GEM calls the new docking station "Peapod," and it is actually a futuristic neighborhood electric vehicle, or NEV. Unlike the current GEM car that has an exposed tubular structure, the Peapod offers a sleek, ultramodern, and fully enclosed form. In contrast, when it rains the current open GEM design must be enclosed with accessory cab components if you want to stay dry.
The Peapod is a product of Chrysler's ENVI design and engineering division. ENVI is a skunkworks style operation dedicated to electrically powered vehicles. The organization is said to operate semi-independently to facilitate moving quickly outside the normal corporate climate.
Clearly, the Peapod's design language is intended to look very futuristic. Its rounded teardrop form offers large expanses of tinted glass, including a large overhead glass roof panel. The body design maximizes interior space and has four high-back bucket seats with space saving mesh seatbacks. The dash area is a large elliptical shape with a center dock that can accommodate an iPod or iPhone read more here: http://bit.ly/xBZ70
Provided by Yahoo autos and GreenCar
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Chrysler Unveils Four All-Electric Minivan Prototypes to USPS; Applying for Grant for Nationwide Demo
Chrysler unveiled four all-electric Chrysler Town & Country minivan concepts to the US Postal Service (USPS) in Washington, DC, as part of the USPS Earth Day celebration. Chrysler LLC, in conjunction with the USPS and select energy service providers, also announced that the company intends to apply for the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Transportation Electrification stimulus program for a federal grant, which would enable Chrysler to establish a nationwide demonstration fleet of zero-emission electric minivans that could be used by the US Postal Service for mail delivery. Read more here: http://bit.ly/kbNJx
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Grand Cherokee can still 'deliver the dream’
StarTelegram.com
Special to the Star-Telegram
By G. Chambers Williams III
Jeep introduced the next generation of its Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicle
during the recent media preview of the New York auto show, a 2011 model that goes on sale early next year.
While some in the auto community thought the Grand Cherokee might be discontinued because of the severe decline in SUV demand brought on by last year’s high gasoline prices, that was never Chrysler’s intention.
Instead, the Grand Cherokee – one of the Jeep brand’s stalwarts during the SUV boom of the ’90s and early 2000s – gets a complete redesign as a no-compromises crossover utility vehicle based on the architecture of the Mercedes-Benz M-class SUV.
Nowhere in Jeep’s literature for the new model does the term "crossover" appear, however, because unlike the typical crossover, the Grand Cherokee is designed to be about as off-road capable as a Jeep vehicle can be.
Jeep introduced the next generation of its Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicle
during the recent media preview of the New York auto show, a 2011 model that goes on sale early next year.
While some in the auto community thought the Grand Cherokee might be discontinued because of the severe decline in SUV demand brought on by last year’s high gasoline prices, that was never Chrysler’s intention.
Instead, the Grand Cherokee – one of the Jeep brand’s stalwarts during the SUV boom of the ’90s and early 2000s – gets a complete redesign as a no-compromises crossover utility vehicle based on the architecture of the Mercedes-Benz M-class SUV.
Nowhere in Jeep’s literature for the new model does the term "crossover" appear, however, because unlike the typical crossover, the Grand Cherokee is designed to be about as off-road capable as a Jeep vehicle can be.
While it is offered in two-wheel-drive versions, which would be comparable to most of the two-wheel-drive crossovers in design, ride and handling, the 2011 Grand Cherokee also will be available with serious trail-rated four-wheel drive, so that off-road aficionados can enjoy the highways and the byways.
Technically, the Grand Cherokee has always been a crossover, going by the strict definition of that term – a sport utility vehicle on a unibody chassis like that of a car, rather than having the body-on-steel-frame arrangement of a truck.
For 2011, the Grand Cherokee continues with a unibody arrangement, but it’s completely new inside and out, using the chassis of the redesigned M-class, which moved to the unibody format with the introduction of the second generation for 2006.
Of course, at that time, Daimler and Chrysler were part of the same company. The redesign of the Grand Cherokee is one of the last of the new Chrysler vehicles to benefit from the former marriage of the American and German automakers.
The Grand Cherokee was introduced in 1992 to replace the venerable Cherokee, which then remained in production anyway for nearly another decade, until the less-expensive Cherokee was replaced by the Jeep Liberty. Throughout most of its life, it has been the premium Jeep SUV offering, at least until the Commander joined the lineup four years ago.
Technically, the Grand Cherokee has always been a crossover, going by the strict definition of that term – a sport utility vehicle on a unibody chassis like that of a car, rather than having the body-on-steel-frame arrangement of a truck.
For 2011, the Grand Cherokee continues with a unibody arrangement, but it’s completely new inside and out, using the chassis of the redesigned M-class, which moved to the unibody format with the introduction of the second generation for 2006.
Of course, at that time, Daimler and Chrysler were part of the same company. The redesign of the Grand Cherokee is one of the last of the new Chrysler vehicles to benefit from the former marriage of the American and German automakers.
The Grand Cherokee was introduced in 1992 to replace the venerable Cherokee, which then remained in production anyway for nearly another decade, until the less-expensive Cherokee was replaced by the Jeep Liberty. Throughout most of its life, it has been the premium Jeep SUV offering, at least until the Commander joined the lineup four years ago.
The new model will be capable of towing trailers weighing up to 7,500 pounds. Even with the return of high gasoline prices, not everyone will give up his boat, camper or horse trailer, especially here in Texas. And those people will still need a good tow vehicle that can pull the trailer and haul the family to that favorite leisure spot.
Although the body has been extensively redesigned, it still looks like a Grand Cherokee, which has always been differentiated from the Cherokee by its more-rounded edges. That continues for 2011, along with the traditional Jeep seven-slot grille, short front and rear overhangs, and trapezoid-shaped wheel arches.
The wider stance makes it look more aggressive, but also helps with stability.
The wider stance makes it look more aggressive, but also helps with stability.
You can read more about the new Grand Cherokee here: http://bit.ly/C7w93
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