Interpretation ID: nht92-1.21

DATE: 12/16/92

FROM: DALE E. DAWKINS -- DIRECTOR, VEHICLE COMPLIANCE AND SAFETY AFFAIRS, CHRYSLER CORPORATION

TO: MARION C. BLAKEY -- ADMINISTRATOR, NHTSA

TITLE: PETITION FOR TEMPORARY EXEMPTION: LOW EMISSION MOTOR VEHICLE - DATED DECEMBER 4, 1991; GRANT OF PETITION FOR TEMPORARY EXEMPTION FROM THREE FEDERAL MOTOR SAFETY STANDARDS (DOCKET NO. 91-66; NOTICE 2) - DATED JUNE 19, 1992

ATTACHMT: ATTACHED TO LETTER DATED 2-18-93 FROM JOHN WOMACK TO DALE E. DAWKINS (A40; PART 555)

TEXT: Chrysler Corporation desires to inform the NHTSA that we will manufacture 10 Chesapeake Consortium Electric Vehicles (CCEV's) that will fall under the temporary exemption that the agency has granted for the TEVan, an electrically powered version of the Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager multipurpose passenger vehicle. The exemptions for these CCEV's are to be coterminous with that granted the TEVan vehicle. This consortium is a joint cooperative effort by Chrysler Corporation, Westinghouse Corporation, the State of Maryland, and Baltimore Gas and Electric Power to develop electrically powered low-emission passenger vehicles under contract to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

These CCEV vehicles will be almost identical to the TEVans except for the propulsion system which will utilize an AC electrical motor, whereas the TEVans will be powered by a DC electrical motor. The CCEV with its AC motor will utilize a unique speed reduction direct drive transaxle, whereas the TEVan with its DC motor will utilize a speed reduction 2-speed transaxle. All compliance and product aspects of the vehicle program remain unchanged per our petition to the Agency on December 4, 1991 and later modified via a docket file submission on March 5, 1992. Based on our engineering judgement, there is no significant difference between the CCEV or TEVan in terms of overall vehicle safety.

We seek no broader temporary exemptions from FMVSS for the development of low emission vehicles than those already granted for the TEVan. The combined volumes of the CCEV and TEVan vehicles will not exceed the maximum units of the petition that was granted by the NHTSA.

The above information allows the NHTSA to clearly understand the content of our electric vehicle development programs and the extent of the exemptions under which these vehicles will be manufactured.

If you have any questions concerning this information, please contact Mr. Len Blazic of my staff at (313) 956-5365.