GE, Chrysler to work together on plug-in hybrid

Posted Thu Jun 12 2008 1:09 PM by Nelson Ireson

Toyota is building battery plants as fast as it can to help it meet its goal of putting a million hybrids on the street each year by 2010. GM is considering buying out its troubled battery supplier, Cobasys. Now Chrysler and General Electric are considering teaming up to develop the technology that will underpin a next-generation plug-in hybrid.

Built around GE's dual-battery energy storage system, which has been used at the heart of a hybrid railroad locomotive that generates 6,000hp, the new car would help GE explore the technology's real-world applications while providing a much-needed supplier for Chrysler, reports Automotive News. Competitors GM and Toyota have already announced plug-in hybrids in development, while Ford recently declared that the new technology should become 'a national priority.'

Chrysler has fallen behind in the race for the next-generation automotive power solution as it struggles to deal with its difficult financial and product situation in the present. This arrangement with GE and its extensive and well-funded research and development division could be the boost the company needs to pull itself into the future. Chrysler recently announced that it would release its first hybrids ever this year, with a goal of making its entire lineup hybrid-drive in the future.

At this year's NAIAS, Chrysler showed a trio of concepts (Dodge Zeo concept shown) that showcase its thoughts on the development of hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, but none of the concepts is expected to enter production.

Dodge ZEO Concept at NAIAS

Gallery: Dodge Zeo at NAIAS

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Reader Comments

Thu Jun 12 2008 3:58 PM
Knight3058 says

I can't think of a better partner in power research than General Electric. This looks like it could end up being the best one of the Hybrid developers.
Thu Jun 12 2008 4:14 PM
Gus says

Makes sense.
Fri Jun 13 2008 8:46 AM
chris says

incase no one knew, GE is the industry standard when it comes to turbines in power plants, power transmission equipment, and so forth.

they're an electricity company that has been so successful they bought NBC for the hell of it.

I expect GE to be at the forefront of automotive hybrid systems within 5 years. All the have to do is decide that they want to do it. They'll partner with chrysler and no doubt be licensing the systems to ford next, and beyond that? they may just monopolize the industry in the only legal way possible: outstanding success of an absolutely superior product.

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