Chrysler Exposes GEM Peapod Neighborhood Electric Car For 2009

By Preeti |

The new gadget technology is now coming to you. This new gadget addition full of new technology issues this is a electric car of 2009. Unlike some past GEM vehicles, the Peapod is fully enclosed and designed to be more aerodynamic. Chrysler has released no details about the Peapod’s range or any new battery technology it may incorporate, but it’s likely to be an improvement over previous models. Chrysler has released some information about the driver comforts, though.

The Peapod will have a built-in interface in the dash for iPod or iPhone and will interface with the iPhone for hands-free calling. As can be expected from a NEV, GEM estimates the PeaPod’s top speed to be no more than 25 mph, allowing it to travel 30 miles on a single charge.

Look for the PeaPod to arrive in early 2009, and possibly spawn a new generation of GEM utility vehicles. The seats will be made of a mesh material to allow better air circulation and will be made of ecofriendly and recycled materials. GEM hopes to have the Peapod into production in 2009 and will follow it with more new models. For now, future plans include an electric light-duty commercial truck and a large city electric car with more range and performance, both of which GEM hopes to get into production next year along with the Peapod.

DODGE DEBUTS NEW R6P8 ENGINE IN KURT BUSCH'S CAR

by captainthunder

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Dodge Motorsports debuted its new NASCAR Sprint Cup engine Sunday in the No. 2 Penske Racing entry of Kurt Busch.

The engine, known as an R6P8, was difficult to assess, though, as Busch endured handling problems throughout Sunday's Camping World RV 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Mike Delahanty, senior manager of Dodge Motorsports, said that the teams have been working with the new engine over the course of this season, first in the shop, then at midweek tests and now in a race.

"It’s the normal evolution, not just [of] an engine, of any type of new part or technology we introduce into the sport," he said.

He said that Penske Racing has been using the model in midweek tests for several months and that the group is confident that it is ready to be tried out in race conditions. He says the other Dodge teams are also in the development phase with the model.

“Our other teams are following a parallel course with Penske," Delanhanty said following the race. "They have the R6 engines in the development phase building power and also out in the midweek test vehicles running durability laps. It’s not clear yet how soon the other teams will roll the new engine out in competition. As we’ve said in the past, it’s quiet.

"That’s a good sign. It will be a period of time before the engine is fully phased in because of the number of engines required. Another factor, the R5, [which is the current engine], is a proven durable piece. The new motor is good. The current motor is still good, too.”

While Delahanty said the group was pleased with the debut, Busch said it was difficult to evaluate it since he hit the wall twice in a three-lap period as he battled the handling of the car.

Mike Nelson, Penske's vice president of operations, said that the 1.5-mile Kansas track was a good site to make the debut and that now the group can look at a variety of tracks at which to use it.

"We’ll have it in the race car at Phoenix," he said. "That will be a good short-track experience. We have Atlanta and Charlotte, a lot of different tracks coming up. We’ll see how it goes and keep moving forward. It depends on where we are at with it and how things go, but we would like to continue to run it the rest of the season.”

That will give the team a good idea of where it stands in developing the model. Despite the Penske team's struggles Sunday, crew chief Pat Tryson said that the new engine does seem to be an improvement over the manufacturer's current model.

“It seems to be an improvement and we expect it to be a good thing for us in the long run," he said. "It’s not earth shattering by any means, but we didn’t expect it to be. This is probably not the best place to tell.

"In order to get your car running good here, you don’t have a lot of rear grip so it’s hard to drive off. I think we’ll see as we go along what advantages the engine will provide.” - scenedaily.com

2008 Dodge Viper ACR Black Single Red Racing Stripe MSRP

BJ Motors is pleased to offer another incredible 2008 ACR Black with single driver racing stripe, this ACR is equipped with Navigation, Sirius Radio. Brand new with delivery miles. The most desirable and incredible car out proven to be the fastest car running the Ring at 7.22 beating the most incredible super cars in existence. Here are the specifications of the car. This car is equipped with navigation and Sirius Radio. Don't wait it will not last long General: Body Style Coupe Assembly Plant Conner Avenue (Detroit, Michigan) EPA Vehicle Class Two-seater Engine: Type and Description 10-cylinder, 90-degree V-type, liquid-cooled Displacement 8.4 liter (510 cu. in.) Bore x Stroke 4.055 x 3.96 (103 x 100.6) Valve System OHV, Variable Valve Timing, 20 valves, roller-type hydraulic lifters Fuel Injection Sequential, multi-port, electronic Construction Aluminum alloy block with cast-iron liners, aluminum alloy heads Compression Ratio 10.2:1 Power (SAE net) 600 bhp (450KW) @ 6100 rpm (71 bhp/L) Torque (SAE net) 560 lb.-ft. (760 N•m @ 5000 rpm) Max. Engine Speed 6,250 rpm Fuel Requirement Unleaded premium—91 Octane (R+M)/2 Oil Capacity (with filters) 10 qt. (9.5L) Coolant Capacity 16 qt. (15L) Emission Controls Four three-way catalytic converters, heated oxygen sensors, engine internal features(a) EPA Fuel Economy (city/highway) N/A (a)Meets Tier 2 standards in all 50 states. Electrical System: Alternator 180-amp high-speed Battery Leak-resistant, maintenance-free, 600 CCA Radio AM/FM/CD radio with MP3 disc play capability, with 310-watt RMS audio amplifier and seven speakers Transmission - Manual Six-speed Overdrive Description Synchronized in all gears, electronic 1-4 skip-shift and reverse lockout mechanisms Gear Ratios 1st__2.66 2nd__1.82 3rd__1.30 4th__1.00 5th__0.74 6th__0.50 Axle Ratio 3.07 Overall Top Gear 1.5 Final Drive: Description Frame-mounted hypoid bevel gear with GKN ViscoLok speed-sensing limited-slip differential Dimensions and Capacities (measured with 2 passengers): Wheelbase 98.8 (2510) Track, Front 61.6 (1565) Track, Rear 60.9 (1547) Overall Length 175.6 (4459) Overall Width (at sills) 75.2 (1911) Overall Height 47.6 (1210) Ground Clearance 5.125 (130) Curb Weight (estimated) 3,408 lbs. (1552 kg), ACR; __ 3,366 lbs. (1533 kg) ACR with Hard Core (Audio Delete) Package Weight Distribution F/R 49.5/50.5 Frontal Area 19.3 sq. ft. (1.79 sq. m) Fuel Tank Capacity 16.0 gal. (70L) Accomodations: Seating Capacity 2 Head Room 36.5 (926) Leg Room 42.4 (1077) Shoulder Room 54.1 (1375) Seat Travel 7.6 (192) Recliner Range 45° SAE Interior Volume NA Body: Description Longitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive Construction Backbone tubular space frame with separate cowl structure. SMC and RIM body panels, aluminum sills, RIM front and rear fascias with composite impact beams Aerodynamics: Front Carbon fiber ‘fanged’ splitter with rub strips; splitter extension; carbon dive planes Rear Carbon fiber ACR wing with 7-position adjustable stanchions Downforce @ 150 mph (high down force set-up) 1000 lbs. Suspension: Type Four-wheel independent with high-performance aluminum control arms and knuckles, and KW Suspensions 2-way adjustable competition coil-over shock absorbers Front Cast-aluminum unequal-length upper and lower “A” arms, high rate coil springs, gas charged 2-way adjustable monotube shocks absorbers, high rate stabilizer bar Rear Cast-aluminum unequal-length upper and lower “A” arms, toe-control links, high rate coil springs, gas charged 2-way adjustable monotube shock absorbers, stabilizer bar Steering: Type Power-assisted rack and pinion Overall Ration 16.7:1 Turning Diameter (curb-to-curb) 40.5 ft. (12.34 m) Steering Turns (lock-to-lock) 2.4 Tires: Size and Type P295/30 ZR18—front, P345/30 ZR19—rear Manufacturer and Model Michelin® Pilot® Sport Cup with low-pressure sensors in valve stems Wheels: Type and Material Lightweight forged aluminum ”Sidewinder” Size 18” x 10.0”—front, 19” x 13”—rear Brakes: Front - Size/Type 14.0” x 1.26” (355.0 x 32) vented disc, with Brembo 44/40 opposing piston calipers, curved fin vented StopTech 2-piece slotted rotors Rear - Size/Type 14.0” x 1.26” (355.0 x 32) vented disc, with Brembo 42/38 dual opposing calipers, curved fin vented StopTech 2-piece slotted rotors Power Assist Type Tandem diaphragm vacuum with zero lost travel

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Chrysler: Half of all cars electric by 2020

Posted Sep 29th 2008 at 11:01AM by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Dodge EV

We've taken a good look at each of the three electric vehicle concepts that Chrysler took the wraps off of last week, plus one extra for good measure. For various reasons, none of these vehicles really seems quite ready for prime time - one is based on a Lotus sportscar chassis, two require huge battery packs and the last is limited to 25 miles per hour. Tough bring those to market. Still, Chrysler says it plans to launch one of them by 2010 in the U.S. with European delivery scheduled a bit later. We'll see. If that does happen, Chrysler's EV would join the Chevy Volt as the first mainstream(-ish) cars in the States not powered by gasoline in a very, very long time.

If Chrysler's predictions are accurate, though, don't expect the market to stay petroleum-dependent for long. In fact, Chrysler's executive vice president of product development, Frank Klegon, has said that half the cars sold here in 2020 will feature electric power. That's a long way to go in just a decade. In any case, the future promises lots of interesting things for the domestic auto market.

Gallery: 2011 Chrysler EVs

Chrysler to cut 250 salaried workers, many today

BY TIM HIGGINS • FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Chrysler LLC is dismissing around 250 salaried workers to meet its goal of reducing its white-collar headcount by 1,000 by the end of the month, the company said Thursday.

In July, Chrysler said it wanted to eliminate 1,000 nonunion, salaried positions by the end of September.

David Elshoff, a Chrysler spokesman, said in a statement Thursday that around three-quarters of that goal had been reached through voluntary actions.

"The balance of our separations will be -- by necessity -- involuntary, and will take place by month's end, with the majority taking place on Friday," he added.

Chrysler's sales are down 24% so far this year, more than twice the decline of the rest of the industry.

"Chrysler is committed to maintaining the privacy and dignity of its people," Elshoff said. "For that reason, the company will not be publicly providing further details."

Chrysler also is getting rid of about 450 contract workers, the Free Press reported this month.

Over the past two years, the automaker has announced it wants to eliminate around 28,000 jobs, including 1,000 contract jobs cut as part of a decision announced last November.

The automaker has cut production and eliminated models as it tries to make itself into a smaller, profitable company.

In another cost-saving move, Chrysler is working to implement a workweek of four, 10-hour days at its Toledo assembly facilities.

Ed Saenz, a Chrysler spokesman, said the automaker is coordinating the change with its suppliers. "We're looking at how to implement the logistics," he said. It could be in place in four to six weeks.

Funding approved for historic industry loans Harry Stoffer

WASHINGTON In a rare Saturday session, Congress gave final approval to funding that will launch a $25 billion low-interest loan program for automakers and suppliers. The program, designed to help companies retool for more fuel-efficient vehicles, also is expected to provide a financial lifeline to struggling companies, particularly the Detroit 3. The funding that is needed to begin the program, about $7.5 billion, was attached to a wide-ranging spending bill that will keep the federal government running in the new fiscal year that begins Wednesday. The Senate vote Saturday was 78-12 in favor. The House approved the bill last Wednesday. President Bush is expected to sign it. The loan program, representing unprecedented government involvement in industry operations, was ... story

3 strategies, with the wolf at the door

GM, Ford and Chrysler place new-product bets
Call it Chrysler's Hail Mary strategy. Caught in a vise between looming federal fuel economy regulations and its own desperate financial circumstances, Chrysler LLC revealed last week that it will put a line of electric vehicles into production -- one of the vehicles in 2010. With its revelation, Chrysler hoped to silence critics who said the company had no new products to brag about. FULL STORY