All Circuits are GO! Dodge Circuit EV 2010 First Look

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Hybrid and electric vehicles are all the rage with most of the world focusing to go green. Saving our environment is a large focus for most car consumers as well as saving money due to higher miles per gallon for the electric and hybrid. Thusly, for 2010 Dodge is unveiling an all new electric sports vehicle titled "circuit". It runs on Dodge's ENVI electric concept. With a new tangerine colored coating, the Circuit has obvious relation harking to the Lotus Europa. The most visible change lies in the front fascia, where designers added the Dodge four bar grille in an attempt to disguise the Circuit's Lotus origins. Keen eyed sports car enthusiasts will notice that the Lotus Europa also influences the design of the headlamps.

Early Test Drives

We got to spend about 15 minutes in the car with John Myers, who works for Chrysler's ENVI and was project lead on the Dodge Circuit EV. Not to take anything away from what Chrysler has done here, but every time we get behind the wheel of an EV, we get the same giddy smile. It will be a long, long time before the thrill of driving an all-electric vehicle wears off. Chrysler isn't the first to realize that building an EV off of a Lotus platform makes for an incredibly fast and fun experience.

 We escaped from the dark confines of Cobo Hall onto a decently sunny day and cruised along the river and past the Ren Cen, gunning the Circuit whenever possible. A car like the Circuit does not like to be stuck on roads with 25 mph speed limits, but those roads made up most of the prescribed route. Still, the instant torque of the electric motor is a rush you get to experience all the time in city driving; each time you pull away from a red light and stop sign you're wondering why gasoline engines ever became popular. The trouble is you then have to stop right away, which brings about some pretty strong regenerative braking action, something that Chrysler needs to work on before making the Circuit available for sale. Keep reading about the EV's good and bad qualities after the jump.

It weighs 300 pounds more than a stock Lotus Europa, but will still accelerate to an impressive speed. The 200 kW electric motor produces an incredible 480 ft·lbf (650 N·m) of torque, the EV plows a quarter-mile in less than 13.0 seconds. After 5 seconds you should achieve 60MPH according to tests. 

Advanced Battery Technology

Due to the advanced lithium ion battery technology the average consumer would be able to do their daily commute almost 3 times over without a recharge. Recharging the vehicle is a simple one-step process: plugging into a standard 110-volt household outlet for eight hours. The recharge time can be cut in half to four hours by using a typical 220-volt household appliance power outlet.

 The Circuit makes it possible to keep the planet squeaky clean while employing the ability to gain impressive speed and feel. And you'll never have to stop for another gas station. Dodge Circuit EV packages zero tailpipe emissions in the unlikely form of a bold, two-passenger rear-wheel-drive sports car with responsive, agile performance including an all-new design inside and out.

Slated to be released around the same time as the Chevy Volt this all new electric vehicle is thirty percent likely to be put on the market as early as the end of 2010. Pricing on the EV has not yet been determined, but this state of the art technology does not come cheap. But with mass production of the battery that powers this car skyrocketing around 2012, the price will most likely come down a bit, making cars such as the Dodge EV more affordable.
All of Chryslers ENVI concepts, the Circuit included, are production intent and could reach dealers by 2013. That said, we wonder how much of a market exists for a low-volume, high-cost electric roadster built in part by Lotus.

Chrysler is advancing the electric-drive vehicle technology quickly and in a broad range of choices for consumers from front-wheel drive platforms, to rear-wheel drive, to body-on-frame four-wheel drive. The advanced electric-drive technology will be packaged in three different vehicles one for each of its brands, Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge. These prototypes give a glimpse of the very near future.

Lou Rhodes, the man who is known to be a straight talking guru of electric vehicles for Chrysler said: "There has always been product that has turned Chrysler around in the past. We believe this is one of the products that will do it for the company in the future." After all his words were said it was time for some fun. Rhodes got behind the wheel of the Dodge EV and lined it up against a Dodge Challenger 6.1 Hemi that was said to be conveniently nearby. A drag strip was set up in the Rose Bowl parking lot. As people lined the strip to watch this high speed battle, Rhodes got ready to represent his car. On the first run, the 480 foot-pounds force (650 N·m) of electric torque on hand to the Dodge EV left the Challenger in its dust to be beaten at the finish line. All credit to the EV at the 800-foot (240 m) line. As Dan Neil said, "No matter the car, no matter the company, no matter the technology, it's never a good idea to show up the boss."

Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Energy

 Chrysler and GE are working in conjunction with the United States Department of Energy to explore advanced energy-storage technology. 

"Chrysler's partnership with General Electric combines the electric-drive technology demonstrated in the Chrysler Electric Vehicles, with GE's research and development of advanced energy storage systems," said Klegon. "Our collective goal working with the DOE is to develop a new, integrated energy-storage system to make electric vehicle battery packs smaller and significantly less expensive than current designs."

Unique battery technology invented by GE will allow the two companies to develop and evaluate new dual-battery solutions.

"One of the challenges with electric vehicles is finding a battery with the correct balance between power for example, during vehicle acceleration and energy for long driving range," said Klegon. "We believe that combining two unique battery chemistries; one biased toward power and the other toward energy into a single battery pack is very promising for a future Chrysler Electric Vehicle."

Early Conclusions and Outlook

Chrysler has hit the nail on the head. A Car that can achieve incredibly fast acceleration WITH impressive fuel economy is definitely a step in the right direction. Assuming the car goes into production at the same time as the Chevy Volt, it would be nice to have competition out there so that the pricing is as competitive as the two cars. The average consumer looking for a sports car would most certainly agree.