Fiat boss lays out ambitious Chrysler road map

[jwight]

Marchionne plans to address that by introducing to Chrysler the Fiat manufacturing system, a key to the Italian automaker’s turnaround. But he’ll also introduce a lot of Fiat products to the Chrysler lineup, notably including the pint-sized, super-fuel-efficient Fiat 500.
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By 2014, fully 50 percent of the products sold by the U.S. automaker will be based on products — or at least on the underlying platforms — developed by Fiat. And to meet a goal of increasing fuel efficiency 25 percent during those five years, Chrysler will adopt Fiat diesels and downsized gasoline engines accounting for 40 percent of its mix.

CEO lays out ambitious Chrysler road map - The Driver's Seat- msnbc.com

[vwW12]

From USA Today:

Chrysler drops three electric vehicles despite having touted them to get billions in government bailout cash [...] Chrysler has disbanded the engineering team that was trying to bring three electric models to market as a rush job

[Big Panda]

After reading that story, I'm ashamed to be working at a Chrysler dealer.

[Karl Roth]

Automakers need to build what we will actually buy in numbers that will earn them profits. What is wrong with that?
karl

[forestacademy]

Originally Posted by Karl Roth

Automakers need to build what we will actually buy in numbers that will earn them profits. What is wrong with that?
karl

If I respond I will be violating the site rules about discussing politics.

[WhiteNBlack08]

This makes me very sad. I have been a big Chrysler fan my whole life. Over the last year, my faith has been waining. Now I fear I have lost faith all together. The circuit was a bright spot in Dodge's future, and now that has been extinguished. I think my wife's next vehicle will be something other than Mopar.

Me, I'm dedicated to smart forever!

[jwight]

Just to be fair (or maybe accurate), the Chrysler that was planning on production electric vehicles was (or is) not the Chrysler that decided to scale back electric vehicle production:

May 2007 - Germany's Daimler AG agrees to sell 80.1 percent of Chrysler to Cerberus for $7.4 billion, keeping 19.9 percent.
Jan. 2, 2009 - Chrysler receives an initial $4 billion emergency government loan.
Jan. 20 - Italy's Fiat unveils a preliminary deal to take a 35 percent stake in Chrysler in exchange for access to its technology and overseas markets.
March 30 - The Obama administration's autos task force rejects Chrysler's restructuring plan and warns it may be put through bankruptcy to reduce its debts. It gives Chrysler 30 days to complete an alliance with Fiat or risk being cut off from further government funding.
April 13 - Chrysler and Fiat discuss a new management and board for the U.S. automaker.
April 21 - The U.S. says it will make about $500 million available to Chrysler through the end of April.
April 28 - Daimler reaches a deal to exit Chrysler completely.
April 30 - Chrysler and Fiat confirm a global strategic alliance as Chrysler files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after talks with bondholders to restructure its debt collapse.
May 1 - Chrysler idles plants, saying its survival depends on quick court approval of its restructuring plan.
May 4 - Chrysler wins interim approval from a U.S. bankruptcy court to access a $4.5 billion loan from the U.S. and Canadian governments.
May 5 - A bankruptcy court approves bidding procedures for the rapid sale of most assets, overturning objections from a dissident group of about 20 lenders.
May 8 - The dissident lenders' group disbands, removing the last legal hurdle to the merger with Fiat.
May 14 - Chrysler's planned alliance with Fiat poses no competitive issues, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission says.
May 29 - Chrysler says it has suspended operations indefinitely at all five of its Mexican plants.
June 1 - A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge approves the sale of substantially all of Chrysler's assets to a group led by Fiat.
June 8 - A U.S. Supreme Court justice grants a request to put on hold the sale of Chrysler following a request by three Indiana pension funds and others for a stay of the deal
June 9 - Fiat says it will not walk away from the deal.
-- Chrysler wins court approval to cut a quarter of its U.S. dealerships.
-- The U.S. Supreme Court clears the way for the sale of Chrysler LLC to Fiat.
June 10 - Fiat closes its takeover of Chrysler. Fiat Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne will also be Chrysler's CEO.

TIMELINE - Chrysler bankruptcy and beyond | Business News | Reuters

As referenced in the USA Today article, it's a Fiat decision; the Chrysler electric car program was developed pre-Fiat. Never-the-less, the "new" Fiat/Chrysler has some 'splainin to do.

[vwW12]

Originally Posted by jwight

Just to be fair (or maybe accurate), the Chrysler that was planning on production electric vehicles was (or is) not the Chrysler that decided to scale back electric vehicle production

Just to be fair: Fiat put forth no money to get Chrysler. Chrysler was in bankruptcy court and it was about to be dissolved. Now certain people in certain positions did not want Chrysler dissolved. Chrysler was palmed off to the Italians for free, in exchange for certain promises, such as building electric cars and not seeking renegotiation of the labor contracts.

For Fiat this is a magnificient deal, with only upside:
1. If Chrysler somehow survives, profits are Fiat's to keep
2. If Chrysler does not go under, it can be sold, to Fiat's benefit
3. If/when Chrysler dies, Fiat just walks away. Taxpayers, on the other hand, are left with the Federal "loans" that were granted to Chrysler.

Chrysler was given a $6.6 billion taxpayer "loan" in June 2009.

[jwight]

Originally Posted by vwW12

Just to be fair: Fiat put forth no money to get Chrysler. Chrysler was in bankruptcy court and it was about to be dissolved. Now certain people in certain positions did not want Chrysler dissolved. Chrysler was palmed off to the Italians for free, in exchange for certain promises, such as building electric cars and not seeking renegotiation of the labor contracts.

For Fiat this is a magnificient deal, with only upside:
1. If Chrysler somehow survives, profits are Fiat's to keep
2. If Chrysler does not go under, it can be sold, to Fiat's benefit
3. If/when Chrysler dies, Fiat just walks away. Taxpayers, on the other hand, are left with the Federal "loans" that were granted to Chrysler.

Chrysler was given a $6.6 billion taxpayer "loan" in June 2009.

Whether Fiat paid up front for Chrysler was not the issue in post #2 and the reply in post #7- it was the current Fiat/Chrysler Chrysler dropping the three electric vehicles proposed by the previous Cerberus Management/Chrysler. Fiat made no promises to the US government about electric cars that I can find. As for numbers 1-3 above, again not germane to the electric car issue in post #2.

[Big Panda]

'jwight', while technically what you're saying is accurate, it's still not right.

Chrysler, whoever it was, asked to be kept on life support by introducing these ENVI products as the 'future of Chrysler'.

While Chrysler DID file bankruptcy, it did NOT close its doors. It IS essentially the same company, just with different management and owners.

If what you're saying is correct, then Chrysler is not liable to pay back ANY of the BILLIONS OF U.S. TAXPAYER DOLLARS they 'conned' from us.

Hey, I'm a CHRYSLER EMPLOYEE and I'M ISSED POFF that this apparently is going to be allowed. It's JUST NOT RIGHT!