Chrysler is going to release a plug-in hybrid version of the next-generation Chrysler Town & Country minivan late next year, according to CEO Sergio Marchionne.
Chrysler is going to release a plug-in hybrid version of the next-generation Chrysler Town & Country minivan late next year, according to CEO Sergio Marchionne.
Sergio Marchionne confirmed the new hybrid at the Paris Motor Show, which will arrive about a year earlier than the automaker originally planned. Chrsyler is also going to release a hybrid version of an upcoming full-size crossover.
Although Chrysler is going to add more electrified models to its lineup, Marchionne is quick to point out that they will not fully replace the standard gas powered models.
“I think you need to be very, very careful if you think that electrification, given its inherent limitations on range, especially in markets like the U.S., will effectively displace combustion,” he told Automotive News. “It will never provide the travel distance that you require, especially based on what we know today about the storage capabilities of batteries.”
He continued, “I keep on running into this fundamental economic obstacle of overcoming the cost equation of electrification. You can’t.”
Source: Chrysler via Automotive News
