Carmakers' plug-in plans

Last fall, Chrysler Corp. created an in-house electric vehicle engineering group called Envi. Chrysler's being quiet about what the group is working on, but some type of plug-in hybrid is likely.

At the Detroit auto show in January, Chrysler unveiled three electrically-driven concept vehicles, one each for the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brands. These cars provided a glimpse of what Envi could be working on.

This one, the all-wheel-drive Jeep Renegade, has two electric motors - one for each axle - and a 1.5-liter, 115-horsepower, 3-cylinder diesel engine.

On a full charge, the Renegade should be able to go as far as 40 miles on electric power alone. Chrysler boasts of a 400-mile total range.

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