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Dodge electric concept goes beyond the muscle

Chrysler unveiled an electric vehicle concept for its Dodge muscle-car brand at the Detroit Auto Show. The Zeo is an electric vehicle for driving enthusiasts, said the firm.

The designer responsible, Bill Zheng, said: “The Dodge Zeo concept is designed to break the rules of what an electric car should look like. An electric car can be as expressive as any gasoline-powered vehicle.”

That’s an unusual statement for a company whose most famous products are the Viper and the Ram pick-up truck. The concept trades in the V10 gasoline powerplant for a 64kW/h battery pack that produces 200kW (268hp). It still achieves 0-100km in less than six seconds, as fast as Chrysler’s HEMI engine, said the firm.

The interior shows that Chrysler is starting to realise it needs to think more seriously about persuading younger generations to get as enthusiastic about performance vehicles as they are about Facebook and computer games.

Interior design chief Lou Gasevski said: “It’s for people with a dynamic lifestyle and who are surrounded with information and virtual friends at all times.”

Other Chrysler concepts included the ecoVoyager, an electric vehicle that uses a fuel cell to extend its range and the Jeep Renegade concept, a small electric vehicle that uses a diesel engine to extend its range.

The OEM is likely to produce further electric vehicle concepts next year. These will be of more general appeal, said Gasevski.