Jeep to join Daimler Chrysler flexible fuel lineup for 2007, company expands commitment to clean, renewable fuels
- Plans to sell more than 250 000 Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) in 2007
- Will expand to nearly 500 000 in 2008
- Nearly 1,5 million DaimlerChrysler FFVs already on the road
Zwartkop, Pretoria – The Jeep® Commander and Jeep Grand Cherokee are engineered to operate on clean, renewable, ethanol fuel which will be available to United States customers as part of Daimler-Chrysler’s lineup of alternate fuel vehicles in 2007.
Overall for 2007, the company plans to sell more than 250 000 Flexible FFVs capable of running on E85 (85 % ethanol) fuel. That number will increase to nearly 500 000 units beginning in the 2008 model year — about one-quarter of the company’s US fleet.
For 2007, all Jeep Commander and Jeep Grand Cherokee retail and fleet buyers in the United States who select the 4,7 L engine option will receive vehicles capable of running on E85 fuel. Also available in FFV capability for 2007 are:
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Chrysler Sebring sedan and convertible with the 2,7 L engine
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Dodge Dakota and Dodge Ram pickups and Dodge Durango SUV with 4,7 L engine
Dodge Caravan and Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans equipped with 3,3 L engines will also be available with FFV capability for fleet customers.
About 1,5 million FFV-capable Chrysler Group vehicles are already on the road, representing about 10 % of all vehicles sold by the company since 1998 — a greater percentage than any other company.
In addition, Chrysler Group is the industry leader in promoting the use of biodiesel, a clean, renewable fuel made from plant oils that can be mixed with conventional diesel fuel. Each Jeep Liberty CRD diesel SUV built at the company’s Toledo, Ohio, assembly plant is fueled with B5 (5 % biodiesel), made from soybeans grown and refined in Ohio.
Beginning this fall, the company will test use of B20 (20 % biodiesel) in its industry-leading Dodge Ram heavy duty diesel pickup trucks, working initially with commercial, government and military fleet customers.
Biofuels, a clean, renewable fuel made from vegetable oils, represent a huge opportunity to reduce consumption of conventional petroleum-based fuel and dependence on foreign oil.
Other benefits are:
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Reduced lifecycle carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) emissions, because the plants from which the fuels are made absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during growth.
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Reduced tailpipe emissions of particulates, carbon monoxide and other pollutants compared with conventional fuels.
For vehicles to operate on ethanol-based fuels, engine computer controls must be adjusted and the fuel system (fuel tank, fuel pump and fuel lines) must be altered to resist the effects of the alcohol (ethanol).
Chrysler Group FFVs use a patented sensor system to determine the exact content of the fuel (E85, gasoline or any mixture of the two). The seamless transition of one fuel to another is accomplished by an advanced calibration system that determines the concentration of ethanol in the gasoline and adjusts for greatest operational efficiency.
