By Richard Truett Automotive News / December 13, 2004 As part of a deal to develop gasoline-electric powertrains with General Motors, Dodge will add a hybrid version of the Durango SUV in 2007. This is the second time Chrysler has promised a Durango hybrid. In 1999, Chrysler promised a Durango hybrid for 2003 that would boost fuel economy by 25 percent without compromising performance or towing capability. Test versions of that vehicle used an electric motor to drive the front wheels, while a conventional gasoline engine powered the rear wheels. But the TTR (Through The Road) system was too heavy and expensive and did not provide the performance or fuel economy gains engineers expected. Chrysler killed the Durango TTR in 2002, tested the powertrain in a minivan and then shelved the technology for good. The 2007 Durango hybrid will use technology developed with GM. GM and DaimlerChrysler announced Monday that the two companies signed a memorandum of agreement to collaborate on gasoline-electric hybrid powertrains. GM will provide the controller technology, with each company adapting the hybrid system to its own transmissions. Both GM and DaimlerChrysler are trailing Toyota, Honda and Ford in getting hybrid technology on the road. GM has two mild hybrid pickups in production, but has only committed to build 2,500 units of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra in 2005. DaimlerChrysler built just 100 diesel-electric Dodge Ram pickups for fleet use; none were offered to consumers. Eric Ridenour, Chrysler's group executive vice president of product development, would not give volume projections for the Durango hybrid, but it is one of the company's vehicles that could benefit most from the fuel saving technology. The current Durango, with its 5.7-liter V-8 engine gets 14 mpg in city driving.
