Green With ENVI

CHRYSLER LLC IS SETTING ITS SIGHTS ON its first dedicated hybrid-electric vehicle with ENVI, a separate engineering group created to develop electric-drive production vehicles and advanced-propulsion technologies.

The new division will be charged with producing a dedicated HEV from the ground up, giving the auto maker its first vehicle in the category of Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius and General Motors Corp.'s planned Chevrolet Volt.

Named president of the organization is Lou Rhodes, former director of advance vehicle concepts and innovation.

The name ENVI is taken from the first four letters of “environmental.” The group began operation recently at the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills, MI.

CEO Robert Nardelli, on the job at Chrysler less than three months, was instrumental in establishing ENVI.

Chrysler's decision to focus an engineering team on electric-drive development follows GM's move in June to beef up the engineering team for its E-Flex architecture designed to support plug-in hybrid-electric and fuel-cell vehicles. E-Flex serves as the basis for the Chevrolet Volt concept, targeted to be production ready by the end of 2009.

Positioning ENVI as a standalone entity will hasten development of dedicated HEVs, a spokesman says.

Some technology from Chrysler's current hybrid system, “Multi-Mode,” which was developed with partners GM and BMW AG, will be utilized by ENVI. But the technology swapping between the two programs will be minimal, the spokesman says.