Download Print Chrysler Group LLC Providing DTE Energy with Test Fleet of PHEV Chrysler Town & Country Minivans • Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) will be supplied to DTE Energy as part of demonstration project by Chrysler Group LLC • Real-world city and rural miles to be accumulated on demonstration vehicles over next two years • Vehicles developed in partnership with U.S. Department of Energy • PHEVs will be used to evaluate city drive cycles, thermal and charging performance, fuel economy and real world performance April 12, 2012 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - April 13, 2011 , Auburn Hills, Mich. – Chrysler Group LLC, working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), today delivered four demonstration-fleet Chrysler Town & Country plug-in hybrid minivans to DTE Energy to study the technology’s real-world performance. The DTE Energy partnership is one of four that will see a total of 25 plug-in hybrid minivans subjected to a range of driving cycles over two years. “The real-world data that will be obtained from this demonstration project will quantify the customer’s acceptance of the technology, impact on the grid, vehicle performance and fuel economy,” said Abdullah Bazzi, senior manager of the Chrysler Group’s advanced hybrid vehicle project. The plug-in hybrid minivans are each equipped with an E85-compatible 3.6L Pentastar engine mated to a front-wheel-drive, two-mode hybrid transmission. It also is powered by a liquid-cooled 12.1 KWhr lithium-ion battery that affords 700-mile range. Charge times are two-to-four hours at 220 volts with a “Level 2” charge cord unit and eight-to-fifteen hours at 110 volts with a “Level 1” charge unit. The vehicle’s hybrid system does not require charging. A fleet of plug-in hybrid Ram pickups also is being evaluated as part of the project. Chrysler Group dominates the minivan market, selling 13.4 million units globally since inventing the segment in in 1983. About Chrysler Group LLC Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 from a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.p.A., produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, SRT, Fiat and Mopar vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler Group’s culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat’s complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group’s product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300, Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Challenger and Ram 1500. Fiat contributes world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-size cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles. www.chryslerllc.com About DTE Energy DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan, MichCon, a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan and other non-utility, energy businesses focused on gas storage and pipelines, unconventional gas production, power and industrial projects, and energy trading. Information about DTE Energy is available at www.dteenergy.com