(Photo by AchimH on Flickr)
The 2010 Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) Congress in Detroit will host a range-extended electric vehicle retrofitted by Energy Innovation Group (EIG) and FEV Inc. The collaborators are using a concept version of the Dodge Caliber as the test vehicle for its plug-in drive system. EIG is contributing a lithium-ion battery pack designed specifically for plug-in vehicles to this project. FEV Inc. will integrate the EIG battery into the Dodge Caliber ReEV before the presentation.
The Dodge Caliber ReEV uses a 1.0-liter, four-valve engine and a UQM generator to create a peak power output of 75kW. The 20kWh EIG battery pack is paired with a Delphi DC converter to distribute energy evenly during periods of all-electric driving. EIG and FEV were concerned with keeping the Dodge Caliber’s power but feel that the 8.3 second 0-60mph time would satisfy consumers. While the Dodge Caliber ReEV is slated solely for the SAE Congress at the moment, the 84 MPH maximum speed would make the vehicle ready for highway travel immediately.
EIG’s lithium-ion battery technology is the heart and soul of the Dodge Caliber ReEV project. Each battery system is designed with 3.4 kWh of useable power and features a liquid cooling system. The company’s plug-in battery chemistry has been certified with the requisite IS0 9001 rating due to an intense focus on quality control and safety. The company has expanded its operations in the past year to produce its batteries in North America and Asia.
FEV Inc.’s role in the ReEV may seem less tangible but its engineering and research experiences will be vital to the project’s success. The firm will rework the Dodge Caliber with the EIG battery pack along with its own components to create a plug-in charging system. The auto engineers attending the 2010 SAE Congress will no doubt ask questions about the EIG battery pack but FEV Inc.’s retrofitting process should draw some interest. The Dodge Caliber ReEV may be nothing more than a concept vehicle in 2009 but it would not be surprising if a similar version were to hit the market in the next decade. The popularity of the Dodge Caliber coupled with advancements in plug-in technology could make this simple presentation lucrative for Chrysler, FEV and EIG.
