Lou Rhodes, president of Chryslers ENVI unit has said that Chrysler plans to order 100,000 vehicles from Lotus (the Circuit is going to be based on a Lotus vehicle just like the Tesla Roadster is).  They will be shipped over to the US where the EV parts will be installed and tested.  With that many on order Chrysler can save thousands of dollars per vehicle sold through economies of scale.  They’ll get a lower price on the Lotus vehicle, and will be able to produce all of the EV parts at less cost per part.  This will allow them to price the Circuit well below the asking price for a Tesla Roadster.

As for when this vehicle will be available?  Rhodes hinted that production could start as soon as late next year.

Dodge Circuit

The evolution of the Dodge EV has finally arrived.  The Dodge Circuit is everything the Dodge EV was and more.  Boasting a premium sound system, power windows/doors, cruise control, leather seats, leather wrapped steering wheel – everything you would expect from a high performance sportscar.

“The exterior styling of the Dodge Circuit EV mates bold Dodge styling to the no-compromise performance attributes of an all-electric performance sports car,” said Ralph Gilles, Vice President – Design, Chrysler LLC. “The Dodge Circuit EV offers an extremely fun-to-drive, expressive sports car without fuel consumption and with virtually no impact on the environment.”

The Circuit utilizes a very simple powertrain to get it moving: the electric motor, battery system, and the controller that controls the flow of energy.  The motor is a 200kW (268 HP) motor that’ll propel the Circuit from 0-60 in just under 5 seconds.   It does the 1/4 mile in just 13 seconds and has a top speed of over 120 miles per hour.

The battery pack on the Circuit provides 150 to 200 miles of zero emission driving before needing to be recharged.  That’s more than three times the average daily commute.  The Circuit can be recharged by plugging into any standard 110 volt household outlet, it can also be plugged into a standard 220 volt appliance outlet to cut the recharge time in half.