Exhibitions such as the Detroit Auto show have the knack of bringing out the oddities in many a company’s line up, and Chrysler does not wish to disappoint with its ecoVoyager and ZEO concepts: both powered by eco-friendly electric powerplants and both styled to sear the retina.
The ecoVoyager is said to hint at the future design direction that Chrysler will take with its Voyager models…although this concept only seats four. There are certain features that do suggest a link to the popular family van, however, such as rotating individual bucket seats, a short MPV-esque nose and high driving position.
Like the Jeep Renegade, the ecoVoyager is powered by a 200 kW electric motor with a 64 km range on a single charge. A hydrogen fuel cell unit serves as this powerplant’s ‘range-extender’ pushing the ecoVoyagers operating range out to 483 km with nothing other than water vapour on the emissions front.
Another recipient of this hybrid powerplant is the Dodge ZEO, which stands for “Zero Emissions Operation”. This sporty 2+2 soprt wagon tips the scales at just 1 200kg, consequently offering a power to weight ratio that eclipses the Nissan 350Z. According to Dodge, this combination of torquey powerplant and light weight should allow the ZEO to crack 0-100km/h in less than 5 seconds, rivaling its iconic Hemi-powered models.
The ZEO’s styling “breaks the paradigm of what an electric car should look like”, said exterior designer Bill Zheng. In keeping with its zesty performance credentials, The Zeo’s exterior has a suitably aggressive edge to it, The “ZEO Orange” and dark silver colour scheme clothes a futuristic body that features scissor doors, an elongated beltline swept-back A- and C-pillars, and a set of 23-inch wheels.
Although the hatch configuration and plentiful cabin space suggest a sport wagon, the ZEO’s dimensions are comparable to those of the 350Z, but while the acceleration is in the Z-car league the range most definitely is not…402 km on a single tank/charge. Still, it goes to show that a future involving electric vehicles need not be a dull one.
