Ahead of a dealer video conference later today, Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli spoke with CNBC this morning and unveiled the first product of its ENVI electric car division. Nardelli pulled the covers off of the Dodge EV which is based on the Lotus Europa. Like the Tesla Roadster which has a chassis derived from the Lotus Elise, the Europa is also based on an extended Elise chassis. ENVI has created the Dodge EV by adding electric drive and lithium ion batteries to the Europa for a plug-in range of 150-200 miles and 0-60 time of under 5 seconds. Like the Zeo concept unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, the Dodge EV is a pure electric sports car. Paralleling that, Chrysler is also showing a pair of extended range EVs based on the Town and Country Van and Jeep Wrangler. Like the Volt, both of these are expected to have a 40-mile battery range and 400-mile total range. The Jeep at least is also using four hub motors to provide individual torque control at each corner. The fourth vehicle in the lineup is the Pea-pod NEV. During the interview, Nardelli and Tom LaSorda indicated they are targeting a late 2010 launch for at least one of these vehicles. Chrysler will be making a more detailed announcement today at 1 p.m.

[Source: CNBC]

The video above is an 8-minute interview with Ichiro Sugioka of Volvo talking about Volvo's Recharge concept. Ichiro also talks about the many interesting advantages of battery-powered cars like the power company paying you $2,000 or $3,000 a year to use your car battery while it's parked and using recycled hybrid batteries to store energy from wind turbines. These kinds of things, Ichiro admits, won't be done by a car company. Car companies have developed home charging units for cars and Ichiro hints at a very interesting technology that might be coming from Volvo, robot pluggers. I will let Ichiro explain or you can watch 6:40 into the video interview above:

We would also like to have an automated plug-in system. Which is why we put the plug in the nose of the car. So that you could easily position yourself relative a robotic system, lets say. So that you don't have to plug it in yourself.

Please, please, please, make this electric-car-plugging-robot Ichiro! Also, if you can, make the robot wash the windows and mow the lawn.

Related:

• Frankfurt Preview: Volvo ReCharge - The Swedes go series hybrid
• Electric cars could earn owner $500 a month
• Video: iMiEV has wind turbine in the grill, solar panel on the roof
• Volvo introducing a new flexifuel engine

[Source: YouTube]