The Dodge ZEO is the Dodge that answered a simple question — how much car can this badge carry? — with 200 kW from Single electric motor. It was built from 2008, in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids.
How it came about
The Dodge ZEO (Zero Emissions Operation) was a concept car built by Dodge. The ZEO showcases that the electric powertrain technology will potentially faster than the gasoline powered muscle cars. The car was shown on 14 January 2008 at the 2008 North American International Auto Show. Due to the automotive industry crisis and Chrysler Chapter 11 reorganization occurred at the time, it never saw for production and the electric vehicle projects were scrapped.
The hardware
Power comes from Single electric motor; 200 kW is the published figure. It weighs GVWR 2650 lb. Work it out per tonne and you get about 75 horsepower — unhurried — enough for the job, not for the bragging. The layout matters: the engine sits behind the driver and ahead of the rear axle, which puts the mass in the middle of the car and is why mid-engined cars change direction the way they do. The wheelbase is 109.9 in (2792 mm). These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Family and rivals
Its contemporaries in the catalogue — the Tatra 810, the Suzuki Equator, the Infiniti QX50 — show what else the money bought that year. Its Dodge stablemates include the Dodge 1500 and the 1955 Dodge.