COMMON SENSE NOT REQUIRED: Idiots Designing Cars + Hybrid Vehicles

Even this early in the program, we knew a series hybrid would not be the direction for the Chrysler HEV program. Nonetheless, the ESX showcar was to be a series hybrid, building what we knew was obsolete hardware would waste our time leading up to the show. We made-up impressive fuel economy numbers (lies) that were slightly based on our simulation.

After the Detroit auto show in January, press rides in the car were held for several months/years following. We didn’t actually deliver a hybrid drivetrain. On these rides the vehicle was driven as an electric vehicle, with the diesel engine operated for the sound effects. The scheduling of press people to drive the car was done to insure the batteries would not be depleted (only a few at a time, then it was put back on a charger before the next group). The diesel engine and generator controls to charge the batteries had not yet been developed. All show and no go! At least it wasn’t a pushcar.

With the impressive promises made with the ESX and the silence from GM and Ford (they didn’t have the Liberty Way), the ESX garnered quite a bit of attention from the press. Steve Harding and Bob Leery, who did the majority of the work on getting the vehicle ready to show, were interviewed often. It seemed they really enjoyed the attention. The press was told fuel economy would be in excess of 50 miles per gallon. Our simulation showed about 30 mpg. We couldn’t really test for fuel economy, because it wasn’t really a hybrid. Truthfully, it was an electric car with a diesel engine noisemaker! Bob would occasionally wonder about the lies he would tell and weigh the morality of it against the fawning of the press which he clearly enjoyed.

I’ve read many stories by reporters who have driven the vehicle. Rarely do they mention the diesel engine was even started. They think they are driving a hybrid, but in fact they are only driving an electric car. They’d been duped!