The Chrysler TEVan was a

battery electric vehicle A battery electric vehicle (BEV), pure electric vehicle, only-electric vehicle, fully electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that exclusively uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, wi ...

produced from 1993 to 1995 by

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

and sold primarily to electric utilities throughout the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The first generation used either nickel-iron or nickel-cadmium 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 ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. It had a top speed of , seating for five adults, and a curb weight of . The second generation, named the EPIC (Electric Powered Interurban Commuter Vehicle), was launched in 1997 with advanced

lead acid Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cut, le ...

batteries and later in 1998 with

nickel metal-hydride Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow to ...

batteries. It was offered for lease in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

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 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 of range. The TEVan owner's manual stated of range.

Charger

The TEVan's 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 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 Electric heating is a process in which electrical energy is converted directly to heat energy at around 100% efficiency, using rather cheap devices. Common applications include space heating, cooking, water heating and industrial processes. ...

. The 120A DC/DC converter provided all the 12v power, there was no auxiliary (12V) battery.

Gauge Gauge ( or ) may refer to: Measurement * Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments * Gauge (firearms) * Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire ** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, es ...

s 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, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

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

power steering A power steering is a mechanical device equipped on a motor vehicle that helps drivers steer the vehicle by reducing steering effort needed to turn the steering wheel, making it easier for the vehicle to turn or maneuver at lower speeds. Hydraul ...

, AM/FM Stereo, and

airbag An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate extremely quickly, then quickly deflate during a collision. It consists of the airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag, an inflation module, and an impact sensor. Th ...

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

- evalbum

- evalbum
electricdrive.org articleelectricdrive.org pdf
{{Chrysler Electric cars TEVan CARB's ZEV Mandate Cars introduced in 1993