DaimlerChrysler Will Deliver Electric Minivans to California

4 December 1998
DaimlerChrysler Will Deliver Electric Minivans to California
    PHOENIX, Dec. 3 -- DaimlerChrysler will deliver
120 electric minivans to 11 dealers in California, making them available for
fleet lease.
    EPIC (Electric Powered Interurban Commuter), an electric version of the
1999 Dodge Caravan, is the world's only electric minivan.  The vehicle has a
top speed of 80 miles per hour and a driving range of up to 100 miles.
    "With EPIC, we're combining our latest ZEV (Zero Emissions Vehicle)
technology with the utility of our minivans," said Craig Love,
DaimlerChrysler's Engineering Director of Electric Vehicles, at the North
American Electric Vehicle and Infrastructure Conference in Phoenix.  "The
result is an electric vehicle that offers unsurpassed passenger/cargo carrying
flexibility and the clean, quiet power of electric drive."
    DaimlerChrysler will make EPIC available in California for fleet leasing
at a rate of $450 per month for a three-year period.  Included with the
vehicle is an off-board universal conductive charger which recharges the
vehicle within five hours.  The charger also has the capability of recharging
competitive electric vehicles.  When used with a 90kW conductive fast charger,
EPIC can be recharged in less than 30 minutes.
    "We built on our five years of experience with conductive 'fast charge'
technology," said Love.  "Conductive fast charging allows fleet managers to
refuel quickly and get their vehicles back on the road and back to business."
    EPIC is powered by an AC traction motor.  "Fuel" for EPIC is stored in a
nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack located under the interior floor of
the minivan.  To maximize vehicle range and reduce road friction, EPIC uses
P205/75R/15 low-rolling resistance tires.  In addition, a regenerative braking
system is activated when the brakes are applied, charging the battery during
vehicle deceleration.
    "At DaimlerChrysler, we are constantly exploring alternative fuel
technologies and the energy conversion systems that use these fuels to provide
environment-friendly automotive transportation," said Love.  "EPIC is our
state-of-the-art entry into the electric vehicle segment.  While there's still
a gap in cost and operation range between electric and gasoline-powered
vehicles, we're working hard to make electric vehicles a truly viable
alternative."
    EPIC production takes place at the company's Windsor Assembly Plant in
Ontario, Canada, on the same production line where gasoline-powered minivans
are built.  The only noticeable difference in the production process is that
an electric motor and battery pack are installed as opposed to a gas engine
and fuel tank.
    Since 1983, the former Chrysler Corporation, now known as DaimlerChrysler,
has sold over seven million minivans.  The company sells approximately 700,000
minivans worldwide every year and has a 45 percent share of the North American
minivan market.  Industry-wide, minivans account for eight percent of all new
vehicles sold in North America.  DaimlerChrysler minivans, which include
Plymouth Voyager, Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country are manufactured
in St. Louis, Missouri; Windsor, Ontario; and Graz, Austria.