Chrysler's Peapod

[compn]

On day two Arnell meets me in a Chrysler skunk-works building outside Detroit, where engineers are working on a little battery-powered vehicle called the Peapod. Arnell has overseen development of the Peapod and even put his initials—as in Peter Eric Arnell—into the name. He says it's not a car, but rather a new category he's invented, called a "mobi." He describes its design as "a mix of Darth Vader, a bullet train, and a Citroën deux chevaux." With no air conditioning and a top speed of 25 miles per hour, the $12,500 Peapod is basically a fancy golf cart.

from : http://www.newsweek.com/id/191396/page/2

[gravitymachine]

chrysler is doomed

[Bigb23]

I thought Chrysler/Benz was crazy for over producing Ram trucks a few years ago. Now this ?

Well, look in your rear view mirror, Tesla seems to be doing some real engineering.

With the Model S, Tesla is aiming for a broader range of customers, Musk said, saying the company was making the car "as affordable as possible." He expects the car to appeal to buyers of mid-range to premium sedans.

The Model S base price will include a battery with a 160-mile range, Musk said. Customers will have the option to upgrade to a battery with a 300-mile range.

The Model S has a top speed of 130 mph and can get to 60 mph in 5.5 to 6 seconds.

http://www.reuters.com/article/scien...52P72Y20090327
Attachment 275

[MoparDan]

This is the Charger they should've put into production, the '99 concept car.


That aside, they need to capture the youth market with an affordable Challenger. Use the base V-6 for the time until it's replaced by the Phoenix version, add the MDS system to squeeze out a few more MPG, put in a decent sound system, slap on a cheap spoiler & keep the price under $23k max. They won't clear much profit per model but they'll sell 'em like hotcakes.
As for that POS peapod, if this Fiat merger goes through, then that will help Chrysler with small car tech. Daimler is determined to run this company in the ground with what little interest they have left.

[Bigb23]

With no air conditioning and a top speed of 25 miles per hour, the $12,500 Peapod is basically a fancy golf cart.

Hell, the electric minibike I posted on the Ev thread went faster than that. We all can't retire to the Villages down in Florida, to use anything like the Peapod.


Although I don't think carjackings would be a problem up here, with that vehicle.

[MoparDan]

I'll tell you what really hurt Chrysler's cause: the lack of a replacement for the Neon. Daimler's solution? The Smart Car! I'll admit this, it will go over 25MPH. Damn that merger of "equals".
I'm sure Mopar will get the loans & hopefully this Fiat situation will actually work out. Otherwise...eh, I ain't gonna go there.

[Flip]

hi Lorax,
Your dad invented the mini van ?? i thought that was a lee Iacocca Design and nurture ?? maybe it me ? I know many designers are involved in the Design and production process, is that what your saying ??
I work for the sad state that chrylser is in, right now, and they have Executive-Itis, Thay wory about Bottom line [[as should be) but For that inovation and Styling is WHAT SELLS !! some of the money wasted by diamler is just criminal ! when Bob Eaton sold [[HA !) chrysler to daimler, the thought came to me,"Well it's been a good run, but i guess thats done!,and i wasn't far off !
If your a mopar man, don't read"How diamler Drove off with chrysler " IT will make your blood boil !
Too bad though, Mr Iacocca brought that company from Bankruptsy to giving the Largest ever Profit Sharing Checks Ever Given to Blue collar guys EVER !
This guy was a maverick among CEO's and those Ego tripping Dufus's over at Daimler couldn't even mimick That !

GRRRRRRRR !!! too far from Retiring too old for new Career !

[Lorax]

Hi Flip, I feel your frustration as well. Yes, my dad did invent, conceive the mini van, and in fact did it in 1975 on a cocktail napkin when having a 'power lunch' at JoAnn's Restaurant on 8 mile & Sherwood. It was presented to J.J. Riccardo, then head of Chrysler, a year later as a concept vehicle.

It was deemed too far ahead of it's time, and in fact was rejected as unbuildable. Industrial espionage being what it was in those days, by the time Iacocca came in, plans for it were known to exist, and were taken, without modifications, and re-presented to the board, where Iacocca was prepared to give credit for it to Gerald Greenwald, his Ford crony he brought with him.

When my father got wind of it, he protested, and threatened to expose the two of them. It was a difficult time for my father, but in the end, he was able to get what he wanted out of the deal, and is the designer of record of the minivan, as well as the other vehicles I mentioned.

Committee design took over in the 60's from single-designer vehicles, though my father was given a pass due to his continued capacity for creativity, and was in fact the last of the old guard allowed to design vehicles from concept through production.

The SAE even recognized my father as the designer, and he has several awards to his credit.

Eventhough Iacocca did some good things for Chrysler, he was a real SOB in many ways, and didn't mind stepping on people's toes to get what he wanted.

Chrysler today is only a shell of it's former self, and the Germans did a number on it, and the Nardelli character, now CEO, was paid by Home Depot to go away from his last job for the louse-up he foisted on that company.

[Ltdave]

JoAnn's Restaurant on 8 mile & Sherwood

that building is still there but i understand [[from this forum) its now a gay massage parlor or something along those lines...

where did your dad work? at the warren offices and warehouse kitty corner from JoAnns or at the old Outer Drive Manufacturing and Technical Center [[now called Mt Elliott Tool and Die) on outer drive and mt elliott? i suppose he could have been in highland park [[plymouth road i think) but the fact that JoAnns is so close to the other places i thought he might have been at one of those...

[Lorax]

Hi Ltdave, yes the plant opposite JoAnn's Restaurant is where the magic happened! Advanced Design & Engineering Truck Division for Dodge was located there during those years.

My dad had meetings elsewhere, including Highland Park, and indeed worked in other locations for Chrysler during his nearly 40 years with the company.

I remember he hated going to Highland Park, especially after being attacked in his car while stopped at a light on Oakland Boulevard by a drug crazed zombie back in the early 70's. He had to blow off the stop light and was unharmed, but shaken- and the car was badly damaged by a baseball bat.

[compn]

Yesterday, GM and Segway, maker of a motorized upright scooter, demonstrated a new two-wheeled vehicle that they aim to develop by 2012. Designed to provide urban commuters low-cost transportation, the pod-shaped, battery-powered vehicle is supposed to travel 35 miles on a single charge, with a top speed of 35 miles per hour. GM called the prototype the PUMA, for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility, and said it should cost a fraction of what a regular car would cost.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...040701226.html

save that $25bn for high speed rail. this is the best idea they can come up with? a two person segway + tent?

[Flip]

you know ALL of these so called experts running, the american Dream car compaines Should ALL be ashamed of them selves !!
they tell us [[with their actions ) that americans can no longer bring to the world, Great innovation, or Great Manufacturing techniqes, and that the foreign car makers are the benchmark !!
WELL I SAY BULLS---- BABY !
GET REAL Americans who want to prosper and Bring Great product to the market place !
Kick out the BUMS al of them !!
Where's the likes of Lee Iacoccaa when you need him ??

Where the Henry fords of harvey firestones ??

where have they all gone ??

[Bigb23]

Where the Henry fords of harvey firestones ??

Please lord, forgive us.

[Flip]

To all who Read my Rants ! Sorry about misspellings and half completed Quotes !
the wife was running me out the door, and i was P.O. !!

It seems, many americans have forgotten what being an american means !
Our so called business leaders and business men [[and Women) are content with, being second, and letting someone else make the Bench mark, for Anything, as long as they get rich, and being a luke warm leader, AND a poor role model for any young and upcoming new generation !

Innovation is what made this country, [[and the whole World too) what it is today !
The Henry Fords, The Lee Iacocca's [[Who by the way , Took and american car company, from bankruptsy, to giving out the LARGEST ever profit sharing check, to the blue collar employee's in a single decade) The Harvey Firestones, The George Westinghouse's, The Nickoli Tesla 's !

WHAT HAPPENED ??
Did our greed get the better of us ?
Did we get lazy ?

All I'm saying is that the CEO's that would have us believe that we are NOT a great nation of manufactures of Products is Just Shameful !
We have farmed out all of the labor to third world countries in the name of corperate profits, and here we sit losing all that made america Great !

[Lorax]

I couldn't agree more with one exception- Iacocca's only meaningful contribution to Chrysler's pullback from bankruptcy was the ability to secure loan guarantees from the feds- if it hadn't been for my dad's already 7 year old design for the mini-van which was shelved by J.J. Riccardo before Iacocca was even on the scene, there wouldn't have been a recovery, or for that matter any profitsharing.

[Flip]

hi lorax,

I saw a history channel story that claimed that mr. Iacocca had designed the mini van back when Lee worked for ford motor co. and that he presented the "Caravelle" as the Carousel to then Henry Ford the second [[hank the Duece) as his idea, an Mr Ford laughed it off, thinking it was useless !
lorax, maybe i dont remember it and all of it details, But that basically is what i saw !
As far as Who or How this happened, i Really dont know, BUT our so called leaders today are a bunch of Greedy and Sad self serving Rats , Much like the Horses ASS Robert Eaton, who slod off chyrsler, just for Greed and Self Serving reasons !
If you ever want to Burn inside , read" how daimler drove off with chrysler" and the top exec's who were all paid retirement size payouts, and you would to be an idiot, to not realize the truth !