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DaimlerChrysler's EPIC Competes in Electric Road Rally

17 May 2000

DaimlerChrysler's EPIC Competes in National Electric Vehicle Road Rally; Progress Can be Followed on the Internet

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 17 DaimlerChrysler's EPIC
(Electric Powered Interurban Commuter) electric minivan is a competitor in
this week's American Tour de Sol, and the progress of the vehicle in the
annual road rally for electric and advanced technology vehicles can be tracked
via the Internet.
    One of the two EPICs in the New York-to-Washington event is equipped with
an Air Link Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) modem and receiver, and its
precise position along the route will be mapped in real time.  The EPIC is one
of the five vehicles in the event whose location will be constantly mapped and
displayed on the Web site of the Tour organizer, the Northeast Sustainable
Energy Association (NESEA) in Greenfield, Massachusetts.  NESEA Web site can
be located at http://www.nesea.org .
    The site will also show current scores for each of the approximately 50
vehicles in the competition, ranging from vehicles produced by major
manufacturers such as DaimlerChrysler to one-of-a-kind vehicles designed and
built by high school and college students.
    The five-day rally began in New York on Sunday, May 14, and ends at the
Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 18.
    The EPIC is the electric version of DaimlerChrysler's popular Dodge
Caravan minivan.  More than 200 EPICs are in use in California and New York
State, including U.S. Postal Service offices and Xpress Shuttle at Los Angeles
World Airport.  The two EPICs are being driven in the Tour de Sol by students
from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan.
    The EPIC took first place for Customer Acceptability at the 1999 Tour de
Sol.
    This is the first time that a high-tech, automated scoring system,
including GPS timing, has been used for the NESEA Tour.  The automated scoring
and the mapping of the five vehicles is being done by ENSCO, Inc., and
advanced technology consulting firm headquartered in Springfield, Virginia.
    DaimlerChrysler is a major sponsor of NESEA's American Tour de Sol, now in
it's 12th year.  The competition is intended to encourage the design and
manufacture of "green" vehicles that meet the demands of the buying public.
Competing teams are scored on reliability, range, acceleration, handling, fuel
economy and emissions.
    In addition to the road rally, the NESEA Tour will feature festivals and
educational displays for the public and students along the route.
    DaimlerChrysler will be displaying and offering test drives in the EPIC
and a prototype Dodge Durango gas-electric hybrid sport utility vehicle.  The
Durango hybrid is powered by DaimlerChrysler patented Through-the-Road
powertrain which includes a V-6 engine and electric motor.  The hybrid
achieves the performance of a V-8 equipped vehicle with 20 percent better fuel
economy.