The Chrysler TEVan was a battery electric vehicle

Battery electric vehicle

A battery electric vehicle, or BEV, is a type of electric vehicle that uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs. BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of, or in addition to, internal combustion engines for propulsion.A battery-only electric vehicle or...

 produced from 1993 to 1995 by Chrysler

Chrysler

Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....

 and sold primarily to electric utilities throughout the United States. The first generation used either nickel-iron

Nickel-iron battery

The nickel–iron battery is a storage battery having a nickel oxide-hydroxide cathode and an iron anode, with an electrolyte of potassium hydroxide. The active materials are held in nickel-plated steel tubes or perforated pockets...

 or nickel-cadmium

Nickel-cadmium battery

The nickel–cadmium battery ' is a type of rechargeable battery using nickel oxide hydroxide and metallic cadmium as electrodes....

 batteries. Only 56 were produced and were sold for approximately $120,000 each. Half were produced using nickel-iron batteries and half were equipped with the nickel-cadmium packs. The TEVan was built on the same production line as the gasoline-powered minivans at Chrysler's Windsor Assembly Plant in Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It had a top speed of 70 mi/h, seating for five adults, and a curb weight of 5060 lb (2,295 kg). The second generation, named the EPIC (Electric Powered Intraurban Commuter Vehicle), was launched in 1997 with advanced lead acid

Lead-acid battery

Lead–acid batteries, invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté, are the oldest type of rechargeable battery. Despite having a very low energy-to-weight ratio and a low energy-to-volume ratio, their ability to supply high surge currents means that the cells maintain a relatively large...

 batteries and later in 1998 with nickel metal-hydride

Nickel metal hydride battery

A nickel–metal hydride cell, abbreviated NiMH, is a type of rechargeable battery similar to the nickel–cadmium cell. The NiMH battery uses a hydrogen-absorbing alloy for the negative electrode instead of cadmium. As in NiCd cells, the positive electrode is nickel oxyhydroxide...

 batteries. It was offered for lease in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 and California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 in 1999.

Batteries

The 180V nickel-cadmium pack consisted of 30 SAFT STM5-180 6V 180Ah batteries in six removable pods under the floor of the car, delivering over 50 miles (80.5 km) of range, and used an automatic watering system for easy battery maintenance. The nickel-iron pack consisted of 30 Eagle-Pitcher 6V 200Ah batteries in six pods under the floor and delivered over 60 miles (96.6 km) of range. The TEVan owner's manual stated 80 miles (128.7 km) of range.

Charger

The TEVans' on-board charger was a PFC Martin-Marietta and accepted 120 VAC@20A or 40A, 240 VAC@20A or 40A, and as high as 220 VAC@40A- three-phase inputs.

Powertrain

The TEVan used a 27 hp, 65 hp max (48 kW) Separately-Excited GE

Gê

Gê are the people who spoke Ge languages of the northern South American Caribbean coast and Brazil. In Brazil the Gê were found in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Piaui, Mato Grosso, Goias, Tocantins, Maranhão, and as far south as Paraguay....

 DC traction motor coupled to a two-speed FWD trans-axle that featured Hi, Lo, Reverse and Park. The owner's manual referred to it as a 'semi-automatic transmission' although it used a clutch. The motor controller was also manufactured by GE. The EPIC used an AC traction motor and single speed transmissions.

Accessories

The TEVan had an 8.8 kW three-stage ceramic electric heater. The 120A DC/DC converter provided all the 12v power, there was no auxiliary (12V) battery. Gauges included motor temperature and SOC (state of charge, akin to "Fuel Level") using the stock instruments. It was also equipped with electric air conditioning

Air conditioning

An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...

 (R-134a), regenerative braking, power brakes using a Delco electric vacuum pump, power steering

Power steering

Power steering helps drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel.Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. Power steering helps considerably when a...

, AM/FM Stereo

Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...

, and airbag

Airbag

An Airbag is a vehicle safety device. It is an occupant restraint consisting of a flexible envelope designed to inflate rapidly during an automobile collision, to prevent occupants from striking interior objects such as the steering wheel or a window...

s. The original equipment tires were LRR, (Low Rolling Resistance), Goodyear P205/75R15 Momentum at 50PSI.

External links

• Dave Davidson's '93 Dodge TEVan - evalbum
• Don Buckshot's '93 Dodge TEVan - evalbum
• James Wolfe's '93 Dodge TEVan - evalbum
• electricdrive.org article
• electricdrive.org pdf