Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep Unearth Details on Detroit Concepts

ZEO Photos

ZEO electric sports car looks sleek and modern. (Photo: Dodge)

Hydrogen fuel cells give the EcoVoyager is green power. (Photo: Chrysler)

No longer just a trim level, Renegade becomes its own concept, a dune-hopping diesel-powered buggy. (Photo: Jeep)

Chrysler is getting a head start for the North American International Auto Show this year by releasing sketches and preliminary information on three brand new “green” alternative energy concept cars. All three of the cars feature an electrical assist (one being full electric) for the powertrain, enhancing performance while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

Dodge ZEO Concept:
While it puts a great deal of emphasis on the pickup truck and sport utility market, Dodge is also Chrysler group’s purveyor of sports cars. The ZEO predicts the future of sports cars – lean, green and mean. This “sports wagon” features styling that’s similar to some of the environmentally friendly sports cars shown at Tokyo and Frankfurt, and includes seating for four. It might appear to be a two-door in these sketches, but it looks to have a pair of rear-hinged doors attached for better interior access, not unlike the Mazda RX-8. The real surprise about the ZEO is that it’s a pure electric vehicle. The ZEO packs a special lithium ion battery pack that will allow it to be driven 250 miles per charge, which is more than ample for most buyers’ daily commuting needs.

Chrysler EcoVoyager Concept:
Chrysler just launched the redesigned Town and Country this year, but could the EcoVoyager be a preview for the next-generation of the so-called Magic Wagons? This egg-like four-door, four-seat minivan eschews its conventional fossil-fuel powertrain for a hydrogen fuel cell. Similar to the Renegade (below), it is a parallel hybrid with a main battery plus a fuel cell as a range extender. Chrysler predicts that the system should give the EcoVoyager a total range of about 300 miles without producing any tailpipe emissions; on its own the battery pack yields a range of about 40 miles. In addition, the net power that the system makes has been pegged at 200 kW, which is more than enough to allow the van concept vehicle to accelerate from stop to 60 mph in about eight seconds.

Jeep Renegade Concept:
Jeep’s latest concept car might look like a dune buggy crossed with a Wrangler, but in reality it’s an environmentally friendly way of getting up close and personal with the great outdoors. Besides having a low windscreen and open doors, it features wash-out floors for easy cleaning. Significantly smaller than the Patriot or Compass, the Renegade’s styling resembles various military vehicles, but is geared towards civilians with a lightweight aluminum chassis and body panels. Jeep has paired a small displacement Bluetec turbodiesel engine to what appears to be a series hybrid drivetrain, similar to that of the Volt. The end result is that this concept should be capable of 110 mpg, unheard of in a sport utility vehicle.