Fiat/Chrysler Drops Electric Cars After Promoting Them for Bailout Cash
Despite having received $15 billion in taxpayer bailout money, Chrysler’s plan to build electric and hybrid vehicles has been dropped by its new owner, Fiat. As reported in the Washington Examiner, this is a “direct slap in the face of U.S. taxpayers,” who gave Chrysler a huge bailout in part to create more fuel efficient cars.
Chrysler also received $70 million in taxpayer money for its electric car program. Automotive News reports, “As late as August, Chrysler took $70 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a test fleet of 220 hybrid pickup trucks and minivans, vehicles now scrapped in the sweeping turnaround plan for Chrysler announced this week by Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne.”
The Automotive News also points out that Chrysler cited its devotion to electric vehicles as one of the key reasons why it needed bailout money, and USA Today reports that “if you believed all the talk from Chrysler about how our tax dollars would help finance its fast-track electric-vehicle future, you're in for a big disappointment.”
The promise to create more fuel-efficient cars? Broken. The promise to save jobs? Broken. We think it’s time to ask our elected officials to demand answers from this bailed-out auto giant.
