Former type Division Fate dissolved Founded 2007 | Industry Automobile Parent organization Chrysler Defunct November 2009 | |
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Products Electric-Drive Vehicles Headquarters Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States | ||
ENVI was a division of Chrysler Group LLC formed in 2007 to create electric-drive vehicles and related advanced-propulsion technologies.
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Birth and dissolution
ENVI was headed by Lou Rhodes who had been in charge of "Advance Vehicle Concepts and Innovation" at Chrysler Group LLC. The group was dedicated solely to creating production vehicles, and not basic engineering research.
Chrysler's new owner Fiat SpA disbanded the division in November 2009, removed the three ENVI models from its 5-year plan for Chrysler, and Chrysler announced Lou Rhodes will become the group line executive in charge of electric car development for both Fiat and Chrysler. The first electric vehicle planned from Fiat-Chrysler is an electrified Fiat Doblò light commercial van.
Planned products
In September 2008, ENVI revealed three "production intent" electric vehicles to the public and announced that Chrysler Group LLC would start bringing a portfolio of electric vehicles to showrooms in 2010. The vehicles were the electric-only Dodge EV sports car, the range-extended Chrysler EV minivan and the range-extended Jeep EV. All used advanced lithium-ion batteries. At the time Chrysler said it was investigating in-wheel motors and dual battery chemistries.
The ENVI group announced it was also creating a new hybrid vehicle from "the ground up", designed in the same manner as the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight.