Chrysler to Launch Full-Electric Sports Car By 2010

Even if the company is yet unsure whether it is able to get through the crisis and keep its head above the water, rumors surrounding its future models keep coming. The latest in this series is a report by MotorAuthority.com which claims the American car manufacturer intends to roll out its first full-electric car by 2010. The vehicle will share some parts with the already-showcased Dodge Circuit EV concept displayed at the 2009 North American International Show.

But a more interesting fact is that Chrysler has a fairly uncanny strategy when it comes to this kind of car, as it plans to bring onto the market a high-performance sports model powered by an electric powerplant.

A quick look in Chrysler's viability plan submitted to the US government on February 17 proves this point, as the company claimed the first electric model will be called "EV Roaster" and will develop somewhere around 268 hp (200 kW). Furthermore, according to those early specs, the car would be able to jump from 0 to 100 km/h in less than five seconds, with a top speed of about 120 mph (193 km/h).

Another thing worth mentioning is that Chrysler's electric plans may go even further, with electric sedans, SUVs and crossovers likely to follow the aforementioned high-performance sports model, the editors over at CNNMoney reported.

Some of these cars would be based on vehicle platforms provided by Italian manufacturer Fiat, the aforementioned source said. Nevertheless, taking into account the most recent rumors claiming that Fiat may pull out of the alliance unless Chrysler reaches an agreement with CAW, reminds us that we're still in the very early speculation stage so we'll have to wait until we know something for sure.