What if they made an electric Challenger?

[jeryst]

I've been following the development of electric vehicles, and there are a lot of new and exciting things comping down the line.

Tesla Roadster. Capable of 120 MPH and 0-60 in 4 seconds.

ZAP-X. An all electric SUV coming out next year. Has a seperate motor on each wheel, which makes it all-wheel-drive. It has an equivalent 655 hp, and a top speed of 155 MPH, and it also does 0-60 in 4 sec or under. Has a range of 350 miles, takes 10 minutes to charge, and costs $3.50 to recharge. That's $.01/mile!

Of course, they'll be expensive at first ($60k-$100k), just like everything else. I remember when a 20" LCD TV cost $30k+, now you can get them for $200!

SOOOOO....  Once the prices come down, if they made an electric, AWD Challenger with 655 HP, 0-60 in under 4 sec, and costs $3.50 to fill up, would you buy one?

[Pistol Gripper]

$3.50 to fill up?  I'd buy a golf cart that ran like you described for that kind of cost.  Just don't call it a Challenger.

P.G.

[xblade]

maybe the extension cord would come in hi-impact colors

[Bearcuda]

Here we go with the electric car crap. I don't care how much horsepower these things put out or how economical they are. Nothing beats the brutal sound of a cammed out V8 sucking down high octane. The wealthy elite enviro nazis are trying to force us to buy into their global warming crap and make us more accepting of alternate fuel vehicles by continuing to jack up gas prices. We are such pawns in this game and I wish there was something we could do about it. There is plenty of oil in places like Alaska that could fuel Americans for hundreds of years, but they continue to whine about the "devistation" it would impose on the environment, when, in fact, they already EXPORT billions of gallons a year to other countries. How is that for backward economics? I don't buy their hype and I'll NEVER buy their cars.

[jeryst]

I agree that nothing will ever replace the sound of a V8, especially a Mopar. But there's nothing we can do about the situation, and the guys making the money aren't going to let oil prices fall anytime soon. And I'm not comparing the new electrics to our beloved classics. I'm just wondering what people think about the direction in which we are headed, and what they think about the coming wave of electric muscle cars, because performance-wise, they're going to beat everything out there.

[Bearcuda]

Yeah, but I'm just a rebel. I'll ride my bike everywhere before I drive an electric vehicle, no matter how prevalent they become.

[Jacksboys]

The bad thing about using the Challenger as an electric car would be the weight.  Most electric cars weigh 2000 lbs or less, so the 4000lb Challenger minus about 1000lbs(?) for drivetrain parts, plus 300lbs(?) for the electric parts needed, would still be a very heavy electric car.

The whole car would have to be redesigned to cut more weight and I dought the new owners would be willing to spend the money. 

It was an interesting idea though.

[Pistol Gripper]

Only reason I'd ever buy an electric car would be to pi$$ off the eco-terrorists ( if they ever wake up to the fact that coal is the primary fuel to produce electricity ).  For now, I'll just burn dino-pi$$ and do my part to fuel .3% of global warming.
 

P.G.

[Super Blue 72]

The bad thing about using the Challenger as an electric car would be the weight.  Most electric cars weigh 2000 lbs or less, so the 4000lb Challenger minus about 1000lbs(?) for drivetrain parts, plus 300lbs(?) for the electric parts needed, would still be a very heavy electric car.

The whole car would have to be redesigned to cut more weight and I dought the new owners would be willing to spend the money. 

   Usually they have to go that route for a totally electric car but this past weekend I read of the hybrid Lexus LS600 that makes 430+hp with a 5 litre V8 and electric motor.    They promote it by saying it has the power of a modern V12 but best in class fuel milage for a V8 and 70% cleaner emissions than it's competitors with a SULEV rating.

I wonder if they can take a 5.7L Hemi and make it a hybrid?  They already have the MDS system. 

[72hemi]

Whether we want to admit it or not global warming is a big issue that cannot be denied. Don't anyone one go and say that I am some tree hugger, because I'm not. I'll be the first to admit that I'll be driving my Mopars when gas clears 10bucks a gallon, and I am a proud registered Republican. But the climate is definately changing and we are not helping the situation any. Electric cars are not the enemy and at the rate we are going you will probably be riding your bike in the rain during the winter sooner than you may like. Yes there is plenty of oil out there, but it is so far down and in such obscure places that the price of the technology to get it will push the price of gasoline to at least 10 bucks a gallon. However cars are not the real issue. The real issue are the coal burning power plants, open pit coal mines, and cargo ships that use more diesel fuel to travel a hundred miles than you or I could use gasoline in our lifetimes. Those are the real problem with this climate change we are facing. On the somewhat brighter side it would appear that for the most part the United States will far really well in this climate change, it will just be a few degrees warmer than it has in the past. Just like the PG&E commercial says "the future is clean energy." Also as a side note, the real people who are going to suffer from our arrogance are our children and grandchildren, because they are the one who will really see the full force of industrial waste. Sorry for the rant, but it just seems that some people think this is just some big conspiracy theory made up by those who want to see the end of gasoline powered cars, or the oil industry to make more money. Personally I think those people ust being living in a cave somewhere with no interaction with people or the environment.

[dougs bs23]

well i'll disagree on the coal problem,,,, The technology exists to cleanly burn coal, even high sulphur coal that is found in the anthracite coal fields in eastern PA and southern NY..  Coal can also be processed into other fuels.  Ever hear of coal gassification? Problem with coal is the yukkapuk enviromental types like Al Gore who, over the years have given coal a dirty name plus the fact that major oil owns and controls most of americas coal fields. Think about this one,,, Americas Alaskan oil getting shipped to Asia, Coal from the producing states in applachia getting shipped to Europe and Asia to "fuel there economies while we here in the U.S. slowly suffer from corporate greed, waste,and mismanagement. Then our labor force is blamed for the downturn in our economy because of excessive labor costs while big oil continues to make record profits, continualy create false shortages to raise crude prices while refusing to reinvest in the technology and retooling  necessary to remain competetive in our "global" society.  I'll stop here as i find myself rambling

[72hemi]

Yes, but clean burning coal is not very clean. Compared to standard coal plants it is much cleaner, however many of the solutions for clean burning coal involve putting the CO2 into the ground, which we don't know the results of that yet, and many of the alternative fuels aren't that clean either, they just pollute in different ways.

[HemiDog]

I am pretty sick of hearing about global warming.  Every time someone says something else is contributing to it, everyone jumps on that bandwagon and stirs up debate.  I am sure that pollution is accelerating the effect a little, but there is so much evidence that says this is a natural cycle that happens about every 250,000 years and we are about due.  Immediately after the warming cycle, the earth goes through an ice age (wish I was going to be around for the global cooling conspiracy  )  On top of all this, the moon moves away from the Earth about an inch every year, causing a slight decrease is the speed at which it rotates.  The slower rotation allows the days to become slightly hotter and the nights slightly colder.  It might sound ridiculous, but all of this and more contribute the weather. 
Don't get me wrong.  I am all about trying to minimize pollution.  I just wish people would quit spending all the time complaining and trying to come up with "WHY'.  We know we pollute.  Lets just fix it. 

Some of the alternative fuels (Ethanol) also require a heck of a lot of natural gas to produce.  So you trade one bad off for another. 

As far as the Challenger, if it would perform and be able to go 250 to 300 miles on a charge, then recharge in 10 minutes or less, I would bite.  I am sure there is someway they can simulate the sound of V8 power, or V10, or V12, etc...   Problem with electrics though are their batteries.  How to properly dispose of them?  Safety issues?   I am sure eventually most of issues will really be worked out.

[Rare_T_A]

NO!!! I'm sorry but if it has that kind of HP I would like to hear it out back.

[Carlwalski]

I'm all for clean & green but just don't make it a Challenger, please. If Chrysler want to build a run of electric cars I'll watch with great interest & applaud but just leave the historic names alone unless you intend to do the job properly.