Finally, American automaker Chrysler Group LLC is stepping into the electric hybrid segment. Chrysler will be participating in an evaluation program in selected US cities and states who will test about 140 units of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV).

About fourteen units of Chrysler Ram 1500 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will arrive in the San Francisco, California on August 2, 2011 from Chrysler who will take part in this automobile program that will last for three years.
According to the statement provided by Chrysler, San Francisco will be the one to evaluate the performance of these PHEVs in a real life setting.

The PHEV we’re talking about is the Chrysler Ram 1500 that comes with the combination of a 6.6 kilowatt attached charger, a 12.9kWhr lithium ion battery pack (liquid-cooled), a dual hybrid gearbox, and a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine that is equipped with a Multiple Displacement System (MDS).

However, Chrysler expressed that the RAM 1500 PHEV units are meant for demonstration purposes only for the assessment program. So far, there are no official plans for the production.

Still, the brand is taking lots of baby steps. There are also producing about 25 units of Town & Country minivans with the same plug-in hybrid technology for another automobile assessment program in other cities. While there’s still no official word that the brand will dive into this hybrid arena, the results of the assessment programs might change just that. We’ll just have to see what will happen in the next three years.