Dodge Circuit
Fiat pulling the plug on the ENVI team is at once understandable and regrettable.
The gist is that a company’s first and foremost aim is to stay afloat. Even though Chrysler did not manage this well on its own, hopes were flying high when Fiat stepped in. Many questions come to mind at this stage, such as what will happen to the Department of Energy’s $70 million grant in August to develop an electric and hybrid fleet.
From Bust To trying To Get Back On Its Feet. Chrysler is still battling its recovery ever since its bankruptcy. The take over from Fiat also clearly shows that the new company is aiming at become solvent. That means pulling the plug on the ENVI team and related projects.
Future Of The Dodge Circuit? Does the Circuit still have a place in the Fiat-Chrysler group? That is a good question that so far has not been answered. It would be a shame to completely remove the Circuit from the distant landscape. Looking at both side of the equation it makes sense to put it on hold for a while. It makes sense for the new company to focus on more fuel efficient cars based on Fiat technology, something Chrysler was sorely lacking and lagging. Understanding this, funds cannot be allocated to the ENVI group. We should also take into consideration that there already is a Lotus based electric vehicle, EV that is already in production, namely the Tesla Motors Roadster. Nonetheless, a little competition never hurts the industry.
We sincerely hope to see a reiteration of the Dodge Circuit appear at auto shows again in the near future. Chrysler will have to offer advanced hybrid designs, such as plug-in hybrids and pure EVs. In the meantime, the strategy to disband ENVI makes sense, at least on paper.
[...] 2 + 1. The Detroit Trio are not more, and Chrysler certainly proved it with a lackluster show of yesterday’s car freshened up for yet another [...]
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