Ever since Cerberus lifted the burden of Chrysler off the shoulders of Daimler, it seems that all eyes have been on the steady progression of that traditional American nameplate. A lot of the reporting has been focused on how Chrysler was moving toward profitability with plant closings, buyout of workers, etc. But what about the development of new cars?
Well, it appears that Chrysler is ready to go green. The Detroit News reports that the company will be showing three alternative fuel concept vehicles at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. The cars may never actually be produced for release to the market, but it does show a direction for the company.
One of the concepts is called the Chrysler ecoVoyager which uses a hydrogen fuel cell and lithium-ion batteries. According to Chrysler, the fuel cell and batteries offer a range of 300 miles.
Next concept is the Dodge Zeo, a hatchback. The four seater is also an electric car that features lithium-ion batteries.
Finally, there’s the Jeep Renegade. This model combines lithium-ion batteries with a clean burning diesel engine used to recharge the batteries.
Our take? We guess Kermit the Frog was right. It’s easy to be green. And Chrysler just might be on the verge of proving the point.