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Chrysler’s Dodge EV on the streets and Electric

Now when it comes to Chrysler we know they produce some good cars and then some bad, well it seems Chrysler’s Dodge EV is something very special indeed. We love the look of this car, a lot of work came from lotus and the Read more

GM and Chrysler in Merger talks: would stock strengthen

The No.1 and No.3 biggest automakers in American, GM and Chrysler have held talks about a possible merger. This idea of a merger comes at a time when both companies are struggling to try and cut costs and try to shore up some cash. Read more

Chrysler to bring Wi-Fi into the car with UConnect Web

Ok so you know what it is like, you are driving around and you need to check to see if you have received that important email that you have been waiting on. However; you never seem to be able to find a parking spot and see if you can find a Wi-Fi hotspot. Well worry no more as Chrysler are to use a new system called UConnect Web, this will allows drivers to turn most of their vehicles in to hot spots.

Chrysler unveiled this new system yesterday, this will allow motorist to check their emails while at a set of stoplights, just remember to keep an eye on those lights. Hey the kids in the back might get a chance to play a couple of games on the net as well.
The automaker will unveil a system today that will let motorists check e-mail on their laptop at stoplights, while the kids play online video games in the back seat. Keefe Leung, who works for Chrysler, has said “What UConnect Web does is turn the whole vehicle into an Internet hot spot,” he added “We see great potential for this.”

The UConnect Web is an add-on system for their UConnect information and entertainment systems; this makes Chrysler the first automaker to bring Wi-Fi to the car on a mass scale. A wireless router is used and will work together with a cellular-based Web connection; this will then help provide Wi-Fi access for laptops that are Wi-Fi enabled. You can also use it for a number of other devices, such as the iPhone and a range of other smartphones.

UConnect Web will be available for most 2009 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles from August. The system will cost $449 and there will be an installation fee of $50. You will then have to pay $29-a-month subscription after paying an activation fee of $35. The service will be provided through Autonet Mobile.

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Chrysler Jeep Renegade Concept looks like Halo 3 Chief Spartans Vehicle, do you like it?

Chrysler has a fair few concept cars and this one is apparently the third release in the way of final sketches, below we have a few images for you to look at. Before I go into the car itself, does anyone think that the Jeep Renegade Concept looks like Chief Spartans car from Halo 3 game?

This vehicle was shown off at the Detroit Auto Show in January, now you are wondering why the heck we are publishing about it now, well the reason we are is because many people may have missed this little beauty. The Jeep Renegade Concept has been designed to be rugged, you know something that can take a beating or two, it is a B-segment-sized two-seat eco-friendly vehicle that is capable of dune surfing and off roading. Those who love the world to be green will love the fact it uses minimal materials and has a hybrid drive train, it is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack which has a 40-mile range, and it can be recharged by a small onboard BLUETEC diesel engine. The combined mileage of the hybrid system is said to be 110 mpg.

Check out the Jeep Renegade Concept pictures below, and then below these you can see the full press release.

Halo 3 Vehicle

PRESS RELEASE:
Jeep® Renegade Concept
BLUETEC diesel Range Extended Electric Vehicle in fun, open-air, sustainable design package

A B-segment Jeep® concept vehicle, the Renegade is a sporty, “minimized” two-seater ideally suited for the all-weather fun of dune-surfing or rock-crawling.

“With an electric motor powering each axle, the Jeep Renegade concept is designed for a ‘hang on and have fun experience,’” said Tony Shamenkov, Jeep Renegade concept principal exterior designer.

Constructed of environmentally responsible materials, sustainability is a key theme of the Jeep Renegade concept.

Renegade is targeted at customers in the “Stylish Green” segment of the marketplace – those who are extremely environmentally oriented, appreciate high-tech and innovation, and enjoy performance combined with style in keeping with their “green” attitude.

Jeep Renegade Concept Technology
The advanced propulsion system in the Jeep Renegade concept starts with a 40-mile lithium-ion battery pack. A range extender – in Renegade’s case, a small-displacement (1.5-liter, 3-cylinder) BLUETEC diesel engine – allows for journeys beyond 40 miles. In fact, the Jeep Renegade concept boasts a 400-mile range.

Renegade’s BLUETEC diesel engine generates an additional 115 horsepower when needed, while greatly reducing exhaust emissions when compared to standard gasoline engines. Renegade is capable of achieving an equivalent petroleum fuel economy of 110 miles per gallon, which is four-to-five times greater than an equivalent gasoline-only vehicle.

The all-new Jeep Renegade concept’s lightweight aluminum architecture and regen-braking system help to improve overall efficiency, while dual electric 200 kilowatt (268 horsepower) motors propel a very capable 4×4 system – complete with low range and locking differentials — worthy of carrying the Jeep name.

Jeep Renegade Concept Exterior
The Jeep Renegade concept’s “one-with-nature” personality is emphasized by its large, flaring wheel openings, oversized wheels and tires, and cut-down speedster windshield — all of which combine to deliver on the Renegade’s promise of cross-country fun and agility.

Among the unique exterior details are “deconstructed” rubber-clad headlamps and taillamps, as well as just-for-fun elongated triangular openings in each of the two sculpted doors.

While the Renegade features a roll bar, it has no top. Instead, the cargo deck just behind the cockpit can be fitted with a variety of “lids.” Options include a plain lid, or lids configured to accommodate the gear of a particular outdoor day-trip activity, such as mountain biking or kayaking. Or it can come “as built” — with formations designed to accommodate two matching water scooters with open storage underneath. Fluid-fill caps, a plug-in port and a first-aid kit are also included.

Jeep Renegade Concept Interior
Sustainability – a ratio between the energy needed to build and ship the vehicle as compared with the impact these processes have on the environment – is a key focus of the Jeep Renegade concept’s interior design.

Materials used in constructing the Jeep Renegade concept were deliberately selected to be environmentally responsible, both in manufacture and end-of-vehicle-life recyclability.

Innovative construction includes one-piece molded soy-based foam seats and doors, a one-piece co-molded instrument panel with a urethane skin, a co-molded aluminum/silicone steering wheel, a one-piece molded chassis created without using environmentally-harmful resins, and a one-piece molded interior compartment “tub.” This environmental care in designing the Renegade’s interior is aligned with Jeep’s “harmony with nature” philosophy.

“The Jeep Renegade concept’s interior - actually the entire vehicle - is designed to minimize the number of parts necessary for assembly and function,” said Scott Anderson, principal interior designer of the Renegade concept. “We designed the Renegade with an eye toward simplification of systems, both in parts and processes.”

The HVAC system, for example, is not coolant-based, while the color, grain and gloss of the interior parts are molded in one piece. Even the no-gloss exterior color of the Renegade’s lightweight composite body is molded in to avoid the use of solvents present in automotive paints.

The dual-cockpit instrument panel is symmetrically balanced for easy “plug and play” left-hand drive and right-hand drive applications. There is no conventional wiring. Instead, the instrument panel features wireless electronics in sealed, self-contained units, removable by the customer. The panel is built about an exposed cross-car beam containing an integrated power strip, and on the passenger side, yaw, pitch and roll indicators (also built into the fluid-fill gauges). The instrument panel itself is hollow, allowing ample open storage below the beam. Separately-configured impact-absorbing vinyl-wrapped knee-blockers “float” beneath the cross-car beam.

The thin multi-plane acrylic instrument cluster mounts to the steering column, while the similar but separate center control screen mounts on a swivel base — providing easy access to both occupants.

Located at the intersection of the steering wheel’s T-shaped spokes, the circular LED screen rotates, allowing the driver to select the drive mode, while a flattened rim provides roomier thigh clearance. A driver air bag is concealed beneath the screen. Red or green translucent shift buttons allow Park, Reverse or Drive selections.

The Jeep Renegade concept’s sporty doors incorporate unique canvas-pull remote “handles,” while the rush of the moving landscape visible through the door’s elongated openings enhance the feeling of carefree, open-air mobility.

The Renegade’s contoured, figure-form seats — covered in scuba-like waterproof materials that are both soft-touch and flexible — feature in-seat belts and unusual, hollow, lightweight upside-down “U-shaped” headrests. The seats feature a urethane skin with soy-based foam co-molded with a composite substructure. The integral seatbelts, along with slender accent strips on the seats and instrument panel, repeat the Palm Metallic exterior color.

A “thermal unit” in the center console plugs into the electrical battery pack, permitting food to be either heated or cooled.

“Inspired by the simplicity and functionality of scuba diving gear, we wanted the interior of the Jeep Renegade concept to be weather-tight and durable,” Anderson said.

The Renegade’s wireless interior is designed to be hosed down. It features a drain in the floor, while the formations built into the floor mat are designed to channel water to the opening. Hollow-section billet-formed pedals float above the tub floor.

Fun, functional and fabricated from recyclable materials, the Jeep Renegade concept offers agile, capable performance without sacrificing the environment its drivers seek to explore. Keeping with Jeep owners’ desire to use their vehicles as an extension of their active lives, the Jeep Renegade concept promotes enjoyment of the good things of the earth while taking care of its future.

Jeep Renegade Concept Vehicle Specifications

Vehicle Type Range-extended Electric Vehicle (40-mile all-electric range with diesel range extender)

Two-passenger, open-air

Weight and Dimensions
Weight/GVWR 3150 lbs./3600 lbs.
Length 153.0 inches/3885mm
Width at H-point 62.9 inches/1598mm
Height 56.3 inches/1431mm
Wheelbase 101.6 inches/2580mm
Front overhang 25.0 inches/634mm
Rear overhang 26.4 inhces/671mm
Track front/rear 62.2 inches/1580mm
Approach angle 44.0 degrees
Departure angle 52.0 degrees
Breakover angle 32.0 degrees
Turn circle 35 feet/10.7m
Maximum width 71.4 inches/1814mm

Powertrain and Suspension
Layout Four wheel drive with low range and locking differentials

Motor Dual electric
Power: 200 kW (268 hp) x 2
Regenerative braking

Battery 16 kWh Li-ion battery pack

Range extender 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder diesel

Fuel volume 10 gallons

Suspension Front – SLA
Rear – Multi-link

Wheels and Tires
Tire size front/rear 235/65R20×7.5 inches 32.1 inches/814mm
Tire manufacturer BF Goodrich

Color Scheme
Exterior Palm Metallic
Interior Black

Key Performance Attributes
0-60 mph 8.5 seconds
Standing ¼ mile 13.6 seconds
Top speed 90 mph
All-electric range 40 miles
Total range 400 miles
Fuel economy 110 mpg (combined, est.)

Source

Jeep Liberty could face recall: Government upgrades investigation into SUV

It seems that there could very well be a new Jeep Liberty recall on the 2002-2003 models SUV; this comes to light after the government has upgraded their investigation as to why the vehicles are losing control. A total of 22 complaints have so far been received by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, because of a problem with the ball joint which actually separates from either of the front wheels.

This is a very bad safety issue as one of the front wheels could collapse, and as you know that would cause the drive to lose control of the Sports-Utility- Vehicle. The problem with the ball joint has affected over 300,000 Chrysler Jeep Liberty SUV’s and covers the 2002 and 2003 models.

According to Max Gates a spokesperson from Chrysler, over 74 complaints have been received by them which is why the automaker is continuing its investigation into the problem however; thankfully there are no reports of any injuries. The people who have made complaints has said that the ball joint became separated while only traveling at 20mph, but reports have come in from the government that some people have reported the joint separating while doing speed of 40mph, one driver was even traveling at 75mph.

This is not the foist time that the Jeep Liberty has faced trouble, back in August 2006 over 800,000 of the SUV’s were recalled.

Source – Associated Press

2010 Dodge Demon: Chrysler concept review

The Dodge Demon concept could hopefully reach car showrooms sometime in 2009, and this stylish car from Chrysler would be a front wheel drive. The 2010 Dodge Demon is classed as a nimble roadster with attitude, and is a dream car that is attainable by many.

You will notice that the styling of the Dodge Demon has some hints from the V-10 Dodge Viper. The concept that has been used has a 2.4 liter, four-cylinder engine that pushes out 172-horsepower. The Demon concept has 19-inch wheels; however the production model will have either 17 or 18-inch wheels.

For full review visit Consumer Guide Automotive