Chrysler Pulling the Plug on Hybrid Aspen and Durango

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DETROIT, MI - October 28, 2008: According to Bradford Wernle, writing for Automotive News, Chrysler LLC will stop producing its first two hybrid-electric vehicles slightly more than two months after they started arriving in dealerships.

This summer, Chrysler introduced the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango Hemi hybrid SUVs to great fanfare. Production began in August. But the two were doomed to a short lifespan from the beginning. They are made at Chrysler's Newark, Delaware plant, originally scheduled to close at the end of 2009.

But slow full-sized SUV sales pushed Chrysler to move the closing up a year. The company announced last week it will close Newark at the end of this year. Chrysler has no plans to produce the hybrid SUVs elsewhere, said spokesman Todd Goyer.

"Keeping the plant open for the hybrid versions isn't a sound business decision," he said.

Chrysler is concentrating on the hybrid version of the Dodge Ram pickup, which is due in 2010, Goyer said. "There are more hybrids coming."

The Newark plant employs 1,000 workers on one shift and had been targeted for closing under Chrysler's Recovery and Transformation Plan, introduced in 2007 when Chrysler was part of DaimlerChrysler.

The hybrid powertrains Chrysler used were developed at the Hybrid Development Center in suburban Detroit, a joint engineering project with Chrysler, General Motors, BMW and Daimler AG.