Detroit 2009: Jeep Patriot EV joins the ENVI lineup

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Crossovers/CUVs, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge, Jeep

Click above for high-res image gallery of the Jeep Patriot EV

It remains to be seen how serious Cerberus is about keeping Chrysler LLC going or if anyone else will step forward to take control of the Auburn Hills-based company. While the gang in the executive suite determine the company's fate, the engineers at the ENVI division have their shoulders to the grind-stone turning out a fourth electric vehicle for the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. This time the team has applied it's extended-range electric-drive powertrain to the Jeep Patriot. Like the earlier Town and Country EV, this one has an electric motor driving the front wheels, in this case a 150 kW unit. A lithium-ion battery pack of indeterminate capacity gives the Patriot EV a claimed 40-mile range per charge.

A surprisingly small 60-hp internal combustion engine/generator combo keeps the Patriot going after the battery is depleted for up to 400 miles. Since the Patriot is a rebodied Caliber, it seems plausible that if the lights are still on by the time we get to Chicago or New York, we might see an ER-EV version of the Dodge at some point, too. Unfortunately, unless the economy picks up and Chrysler's mainstream lineup is improved, the efforts of the ENVI team might all be for naught.

Gallery: Jeep Patriot EV