Whoa, not so quick — “For every unit of energy delivered at the pump, corn ethanol requires 0.76 units of fossil energy” — and that is from a pro-ethanol website. Solving our energy problems with ethanol is like solving a hair loss problem with a combover, makes you feel good perhaps but doesn’t really solve the problem. The government heavily taxing gasoline while it subsidizes ethanol just makes things worse by messing up the economics of it.

Speaking of which also note the “electricity contains less than 40% of the energy of the coal used to make it” line. Not saying that electric cars are bad (I love my electric r/c airplanes), but please don’t forget that the electrical energy has to come from somewhere. Kudos to those who spend $100K on solar cells, but I don’t think I can afford that.

Back to ENVI, I don’t think that making electric versions of *heavy* rear-wheel drive vehicles like Jeep Wranglers was ever the answer. That was obvious “viewgraph engineering” to get favors from Uncle Sam.

Website quoted above:
http://www.energyfuturecoalition.org/biofuels/fact_ethanol.htm

Later.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20091109/AUTO01/911090421/Chrysler-revamps-electric-vehicle-program

[quote]Chrysler revamps electric vehicle program

Alisa Priddle / The Detroit News

Chrysler Group LLC is restructuring its electric program as it works to develop hybrids and electric vehicles for its own brands as well as for partner Fiat SpA.

The combination of the extra duties, a change in the lineup of electrified vehicles on tap and the adoption of Fiat’s product development system has resulted in the need to redistribute engineers who were grouped together in a special division known as ENVI under the leadership of Lou Rhodes.

“ENVI is absorbed into the normal vehicle development program,” said Chrysler spokesman Nick Cappa.

The number of employees involved in electric programs remains the same or slightly higher than under ENVI. Some have been redeployed to the vehicle development side and others are now part of powertrain development.

Rhodes continues to oversee electric vehicle development for both Chrysler and Fiat.
>
>[/quote]

MikeD: I really liked the C200 concept. It was something I could see myself driving. And it looked like it wasn’t far from production-ready

The C200 is still likely, just as a gas-powered car, not a BEV.

truthguy: I blame the US Government and all the idiots who voted for Obama.

#83

Yeah what a shame. All of George II’s good work gone for nothing.

Dave K.: Early 2010 will mark the ramp up of military activity in Afghanistan.

#73

Disaster!!