2003 Chrysler Sebring Lx Sedan 4-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

An early gas-electric hybrid was developed by...Exxon?

We're not sure which aspect of Exxon's 1970s-era efforts to develop advanced and electrified powertrains is the most ironic. There's Exxon, that of the Valdez oil spill infamy, being on the leading edge of hybrids and electric vehicles. There's a boat-like Chrysler Cordova getting 27 miles per gallon. And there's the central role a Volkswagen diesel engine plays in that hybrid development. It's all outlined in an article (linked above) by Inside Climate News, and it's an amusing read. Flush with cash and fearing what it thought was peak oil production in the 1970s, Exxon funded a host of new ventures divisions geared to find alternatives to gas-powered powertrains. In the early 1970s, Exxon lured chemist M. Stanley Whittingham to develop what would become a prototype of a lithium-ion rechargeable battery. Then, in the late 1970s, Exxon pioneered the concept of using an alternating-current (AC) motor as part of a gas-electric hybrid vehicle. The company retrofitted a Chrysler Cordova (yes, that's the model Ricardo Montalban used to hawk) with a powertrain that combined 10 Sears Die-Hard car batteries, an alternating current synthesizer (ACS), a 100-horsepower AC motor, and, yes, a four-cylinder 50-horsepower Volkswagen diesel engine. The result was a rather large two-door sedan that got an impressive 27 mpg. And while US automakers didn't see the potential in the early concept, in 1980 Exxon and Toyota began collaborating on a project that would involve retrofitting a Toyota Cressida with a hybrid engine. That car was completed in 1981, and may have been one of the seeds that eventually helped sprout the concept of the Toyota Prius. Soon after rebuilding the Cressida, Exxon would get out of the advanced-powertrain-development business, as oil prices began to fall in the early 1980s, spurring cost-cutting measures. Cry no tears for the Exxon, though, as what's now known as ExxonMobil is the largest US oil company. Related Video: News Source: Inside Climate NewsImage Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images Green Read This Chrysler Toyota Electric Hybrid battery

Hurricane Sandy cost automakers 15,000 vehicles, may have ruined up to 200k

Hurricane Sandy was the largest Atlantic storm in US history, and its total economic impact is just now coming into view. According to Automotive News, Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan and Honda are set to scrap around 15,000 new vehicles ruined by the storm. Nissan alone accounts for about 40 percent of those, with 6,000 Nissan and Infiniti models deeded "un-saleable" due to damage. The company saw 56 dealerships shuttered due to the storm, but 51 of those have since reopened.
Toyota, meanwhile, had some 4,000 vehicles at its Newark port facility, and of those, 3,000 may be scrapped. An additional 825 were dealer inventory when they were ruined. Honda and Acura dealers are reportedly sending 3,440 vehicles to the salvage yard. By comparison, Chrysler weathered the storm fairly well with 825 units destroyed, while Hyundai suffered only 400 lost units and Kia scrapped around 200.
As you may recall, Fisker also suffered some losses, and Automotive News reports the manufacturer saw 320 Karma models damaged beyond repair. Ford and General Motors have yet to come up with estimates, and no automaker has commented on the full cost of replacing the vehicles.

Chrysler 300 soldiers on for 2021 with pared-down range, higher price

Chrysler's last remaining sedan, the 300, will enter the 2021 model year with fewer trim levels and a higher price, according to a recent report. The 2021 model will be the second-generation 300's 10th year on the American market. Well-informed website CarsDirect received a dealer ordering guide, which reportedly confirms the Limited and 300C trims levels will not return for 2021. They're the two most expensive trims offered for 2020, and the publication added that removing them will likely mean upscale features like wood interior trim, Nappa leather upholstery, and quilted seats will no longer be available. It concluded the 2021 300 lineup will consist solely of the Touring and the 300S models, though it oddly made no mention of the Touring L. It doesn't sound like Chrysler will make any major visual or mechanical changes to the 300 — sorry, Hellcat fans. Available with rear- or all-wheel drive, the entry-level Touring model will be powered by the company's venerable 3.6-liter V6 tuned to make 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Marketed as a sportier sedan, the rear-wheel drive-only 300S will come standard with a 300-horse version of the V6, but buyers who want more power will be able to order a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 rated at 363 horsepower and 394 pound-feet of torque at extra cost. Pricing for the 2021 300 Touring will start at $31,940 including a $1,495 destination charge, a $405 increase over the 2020 model. Stepping up to the 300S will require spending $38,980, but the cost of the optional V8 will increase from $3,000 to $4,000, bringing its price to $42,890 once the aforementioned destination charge enters the equation. Keep in mind none of these figures are official, and Chrysler hasn't commented on the report. Most of the carmakers operating under the Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) umbrella will announce the changes they're making for 2021 on September 1 — that's next Tuesday, so we won't have to wait long to find out what's in store for the 300. Chrysler has kept its lips sealed about what's next. Rumors claiming the sedan wouldn't live to see 2020 were evidently false, yet it can't remain in production for another decade. Sales fell by 37% to 29,213 units in 2019. Chrysler can either develop a third-generation model that will likely need to represent it in the sedan segment through the 2020s, or it can hike the path blazed by many of its rivals and throw in the towel.