Chrysler Group LLC Providing DTE Energy with Test Fleet of 10 PHEV Ram 1500 Pickup Trucks

 Chrysler Group LLC, working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will deliver 10 demonstration fleet Ram 1500 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) pickup trucks to DTE Energy of Detroit.

The PHEV Ram 1500 pickups, delivered by Abdullah Bazzi, senior manager of the Chrysler Group’s advanced hybrid vehicle project, are part of a national demonstration fleet of 140 vehicles that will be used during the next three years to evaluate customer usage, drive cycles, charging, thermal management, fuel economy, emissions and impact on the region’s electric grid. In addition to DTE Energy of Detroit, more than 100 vehicles have been delivered to 16 different cities in the past six months.

“Cities have been carefully selected to help the Chrysler Group LLC collect a wide range of data,” explained Abdullah Bazzi, senior manager of Chrysler’s advanced hybrid vehicle project. “Working with a local energy partner like DTE that is in our backyard offers a great combination of suburban and rural driving, as well as ever-changing Michigan weather, is ideal as a test cycle for these vehicles. The constant charging will allow us to measure the impact on battery life and charging efficiency.”

Chrysler Group LLC began delivering Ram 1500 PHEV trucks to the city of Yuma, Ariz., in May, 2011 to take full advantage of hot weather and conduct thermal testing in the desert southwest. Other cities that have received the demonstration Ram 1500 pickups include San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif., Charlotte, N.C., Boston, Mass., and Albany, N.Y. Just recently, the New York Police Department also took delivery of five PHEV Ram 1500 PHEV trucks.

“The trucks will provide us with a glimpse of what kind of fuel savings cans be afforded with PHEV technologies so we can, at some point, make our truck fleet more environmentally friendly,” said Trevor Lauer, DTE Energy vice president Marketing and Renewables. “We’ll be using the trucks at our service centers and in the field at our renewable energy facilities.”

Strictly a demonstration program, there are no plans for a production version of the PHEV Ram 1500 trucks at this time.

Cities and states were selected to evaluate temperature extremes, urban traffic cycles and diverse climates and geographies.

The Ram 1500 PHEV includes a liquid-cooled 12.9kWhr lithium ion battery pack and a 6.6 kilowatt (kW) on-board charger. Additional features include AC power generation of up to 6.6kW; directional charging; reverse power flow and full regenerative braking used to capture more energy. For fuel economy improvements, the front axle of the four-wheel-drive automatic transmission can be disconnected when not needed. The powertrain also includes a 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine and a two-mode hybrid transmission. The 5.7-liter Hemi is equipped with a Fuel Saver technology that improves fuel efficiency at highway speeds by shutting down fuel delivery to up to four cylinders.

The battery pack is located under the second-row seat of the pickup and is liquid cooled to help maintain a consistent battery temperature. For on-the-job electrical power tools, a 240 volt/30 amp four-prong outlet and 120volt/20amp duplex outlet power strip is located in the rear box.

Urban use will be tracked to measure battery performance and overall hybrid efficiency with the demonstration fleet of pickups. Other uses include military bases where vehicles will be able to provide power back to the electric grid in what is termed “reverse power flow” of up to 6.6kW.

Funding for the program in part is provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 through the Transportation Electrification Initiative sponsored by the DOE. The grant, totaling $48 million from DOE and $49.4 million from Chrysler Group LLC, was designed to develop vehicles that will be cost efficient for consumers, satisfy safety concerns of daily travel without recharging and help reduce dependence on foreign oil.

The Chrysler Group LLC also is developing a similar fleet of 25 Town & Country minivans with plug-in hybrid technology for demonstration and evaluation that will be allocated to select cities next year.

Eleven 2012 Chrysler Group LLC Models Named Top Safety Picks by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

• Latest testing by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) names 11 Chrysler Group models as Top Safety Picks for 2012
• Dodge Journey and Avenger Top Safety Pick four straight years
• Eight other 2011 models return as Top Safety Picks

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has named 11 models from Chrysler Group LLC as Top Safety Picks for 2012. The 2012 models include the Chrysler Town & Country, 300 and 200; Dodge Grand Caravan, Durango, Charger, Journey and Avenger; Jeep® Grand Cherokee and Patriot and the Fiat 500. The IIHS annually recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rollover and rear crashes based on a “good” rating in a series of tests conducted by the Institute.

Additionally, the vehicles must be equipped with standard electronic stability control systems.

Following their introduction last year, both the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger return again after achieving the highest ratings. Both models received ‘good’ ratings in all four categories.

Also returning to the list are the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango and Chrysler 200. The three models were introduced last year and received top marks from the institute too. Dodge Avenger and Journey have been named Top Safety Picks by IIHS for four consecutive years.

Recently, the 2012 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, along with the 2012 Fiat 500, were named Top Safety Picks. Both minivans offer more than 40 standard or available safety features. The 2012 models of Town & Country and Grand Caravan received strength-to-weight ratio ratings of 4.51, among the highest of the minivans tested and above the IIHS requirement of 4.0. The U.S. government’s minimum requirement is 1.5.

The Fiat 500 features a comprehensive list of safety features, including seven air bags.

Among the latest safety innovations that are standard or available on many models is SafetyTec, which includes ParkSense rear park assist, Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection.

“With 11 vehicles that have been named Top Safety Pick for 2012 by IIHS, this underscores our commitment to engineering safety and security across all vehicle segments,” said Scott Kunselman, Senior Vice President – Engineering, Chrysler Group LLC. “As we continue our product transformation, we’ll continue to engineer new technology and more capabilities into all our vehicles.” 

2013 Dodge Dart: Forty Long Miles per Gallon

Chrysler Dodge Dart is hitting the bull's eye of the mileage targets. The 2013 Dart can run 40 miles per gallon, real heartening news, given the ever-rising fuel costs. 

Chrysler has redesigned the Italian platform adding some length and width to make it compatible with American preferences. Dodge Dart is a compact sedan reinforced with 68% high strength steel components. This class-leading feature makes it stronger and more rigid than other compacts. Being lighter helps the mileage economy.

How does it look? 2013 Dodge Dart is sleek and the overall demeanor speaks of the Chrysler class. Projection style headlights, the well-known cross hair grill and the satin black cladding project a special view.

Dodge Dart 2013 offers three engine types. 'Tigershark' 2.4L, 'Tigershark' 2.0L, and a 1.4L MultiAir make up the choice. All of these are 4-cylinder power trains supported, possibly by three types of transmission. Dual-clutch unit may join the classic manual and automatic transmission systems.

Illinois based Belvidere Assembly Plant will be the birthplace for the Dodge Dart: where it shares company with the sturdy and impressive Patriot and Compass Jeeps. Dart is the rebirth of the original Chrysler idea; providing an affordable, mileage friendly and functional car at affordable price for the American families. So, as long as we don't expect the deluxe add-ons and track-burning racing champs, the 2013 Dodge Dart will take care of travelling in comfort.

The compact is also ideal for sliding into the narrow parking slots in the crowded cities. Maneuverability is another distinct advantage. Driving out with the right pedigree and backed by the nationwide service support, Dodge Dart 2013 is set to add fun to driving. Forty miles per gallon is genuine fun on any day.

2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon - 'Four Wheeler of the Year' Award

The new 2012 Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon – the most capable production vehicle on the planet – has been named “Four Wheeler of the Year” by Four Wheeler magazine. The award is given annually by the editors of the opinion-leading off-road enthusiast magazine.

“The 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon owned nearly all aspects of off-road testing during our annual ‘Four Wheeler of the Year’ competition,” said Four Wheeler Editor John Cappa. “The grueling 1,000-mile trek put each contending vehicle through its paces in several on- and off-road environments, including high-speed graded roads, jagged rocks, shifting sand dunes, and more. The universal do-all capability of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon allowed it to outperform the other competing 4x4s, making it our 2012 Four Wheeler of the Year award winner.”

To qualify for the competition, entries had to be entirely new or have substantial mechanical revisions from a previous model year. Testing was conducted over more than a thousand miles on a variety of terrain, including pavement, gravel, dirt, sand, rocks and mud, at elevations ranging from sea level to more than 9,000 feet.

“By earning the respected ‘Four Wheeler of the Year’ award, consumers – and particularly the most die-hard off-road enthusiasts – can be assured that the new 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon has established an even higher level of unmatched capability,” said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “We are delighted the influential editors of ‘Four Wheeler’ magazine have recognized Wrangler’s new level of capability, along with its improved power, torque and fuel efficiency.”

The 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon “Four Wheeler of the Year” award comes a year after the Jeep Grand Cherokee – the premium icon of the brand – captured the award, and less than two years after the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon was named the Best 4x4 vehicle of the 2000-2009 decade by Four Wheeler magazine.

The “Four Wheeler of the Year” award is the latest in a list of awards the new 2012 Jeep Wrangler has received since its introduction in September. Other recent Wrangler accolades include:

• 4x4 of the Year, Petersen’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine
• Mid-size SUV of Texas, Texas Auto Writers Association
• Best Value Off-Road, Active Lifestyle Vehicle (ALV) award
• Hottest 4x4 SUV, Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) award
• ALG Residual Value Award – Best Compact Utility Vehicle
• Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com Best Resale Value Award, Compact Utility Vehicle
• Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com Best Resale Value Award, Top-10 Cars

For the 2011 calendar year, Jeep Wrangler sales are up 29 percent in the U.S. November marked Wrangler’s sixth consecutive year-over-year monthly sales record.

New 2012 Jeep Wrangler Jeep Wrangler – the most capable and recognized vehicle in the world – becomes even more capable both on- and off-road for 2012, courtesy of an all-new, more fuel efficient and more powerful 3.6-liter V-6 engine, and a new five-speed automatic transmission – both of which it shares with the award-winning Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Chrysler Group’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine – winner of the prestigious Ward’s 10 Best Engines award – delivers 285 horsepower (209 kW) and 260 (353 N•m) lb.-ft. of torque, while delivering up to 21 miles per gallon highway in the 2012 Jeep Wrangler. The improvement, when compared to the previous 3.8-liter V-6 engine, is 40 percent in horsepower and 10 percent in torque.

Additionally, for refined shifting and greater performance, the Jeep Wrangler migrates from a four-speed to a new five-speed automatic transmission. The 2012 Jeep Wrangler also features the company’s first application of a manual transmission to the Pentastar V-6.

Jeep continues to refine the successful Wrangler formula by combining legendary, benchmark capability with an interior that delivers rich styling with significantly upgraded touch surfaces, occupant comfort and versatility, and a premium appearance courtesy of a body color hard top for the popular Sahara and Rubicon models.

2012 Jeep Wrangler interior highlights include a recently redesigned instrument panel and storage areas with improved ergonomics and upgraded materials. A lockable console and upgraded door armrest areas boast comfortable touch points, while a redesigned center stack is easier to reach and operate. Heated, power mirrors are available, and drivers and passengers enjoy enhanced visibility courtesy of large rear windows.

2012 Jeep Wrangler Earns Top Place in Kelley Blue Book 2012 Best Resale Value Awards

The Jeep Wrangler is famous for its rugged style and scores high when it comes to its durability and toughness on road, however, when it comes to resale value, most car buyers will certainly go for SUVs. That has been the general notion so far about Wranglers. But not from now on! Recently, 2012 Jeep Wrangler has earned the number one spot on the Top Ten Models list in the Kelley Blue Book 2012 Best Resale Value Awards.

Vehicle and sales data, market conditions, competition within vehicle segments, expectations of the future economy and the combined experience of its staff and several criteria were considered while selecting the winner in this category. And to everyone’s surprise, the Jeep Wrangler emerged as the winner of this category with a predicted retained value of 68 percent after three years and 55 percent after five years.

For its top class performance, Wrangler has also been awarded by ALG as the Jeep model in its 2012 Residual Value Awards, naming the Wrangler Best Compact Utility Vehicle. 

The secret of Wrangler’s lasting appeal is its remarkable styling, which has been preserved over the decades. From a seven bar grille to large round headlamps, each feature is minutely designed and retained over the years.Visit out website and schedule a test drive to experience the Jeep Wrangler.