Fiat and Chrysler to make an electric car; but brand, other details, still unknown

In Brief: Fiat and Chrysler are reportedly working together on the development of an electric car, with Chrysler contributing the electric propulsion technology.

Vehicle in the news

Make/Model: Electric Vehicle
Manufacturer: Fiat / Chrysler

The Word

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Fiat and Chrysler are working together on the development of an electric car.

At the opening of a gearbox plant in Verrone, Italy, Chrysler board member Alfredo Altavilla became the first company executive to confirm such a vehicle, saying that the electric propulsion technology will be Chrysler's primary contribution.

Chrysler's heavily hyped ENVI platform, which included the Dodge Circuit EV (pictured above, courtesy Chrysler LLC), has thus far produced only prototypes and vaporware, accompanied by the usual combination of excitement and cynicism.

It will be interesting to learn under what brand the vehicle will be built. In the US at least, Fiat would seemingly have more to gain from a successful EV under either the Chrysler or Dodge brand. The latter is the more reasonable choice, which would likely ring the death knell for a production Circuit EV (if that bell hasn't already been rung unofficially).

And so …

On November 4, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is scheduled to announce his five-year plan to save Chrysler; presumably we'll learn more about the EV then. More than one green car site has expressed hopes that Fiat will do little more than equip its classy Fiat 500 (pictured above, courtesy Fiat SpA) with an EV drivetrain.