When Concept Becomes Reality

Chrysler has conquered the final frontier in the quest to produce the ideal environmentally friendly car. On paper, at least.

The sleek ecoVoyager ranks among the best vehicles unveiled at this week's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It boasts great lines and a luxurious, spacious cabin designed to evoke a private jet.

Its power source is based on a compact lithium-ion battery pack and is supplemented by the latest hydrogen fuel cells. The ecoVoyager ends the complaint that batteries don't have what it takes to challenge gas engines: It has a driving range that rivals traditional cars and its only tailpipe emission is water.

Battery technology has come along far enough so that half the car's interior isn't taken up by the power source anymore. Great looks, a spacious cabin with room for four passengers, green technology, and adequate horsepower. If only Chrysler would build this thing.

Concept vehicles bring out the best and worst in automakers. Car shows buzz with excitement when futuristic designs and creative ideas manifest themselves in a new model. Not only are we reassured that young, talented designers and engineers still exist, but that they continue to flex their muscles at corporate headquarters.

But there always seems to be an executive — we know the MBA type well — who manages to laugh off the possibility of the car ever going into production. The best consumers can hope for is to see elements of the concept vehicle turn up in production models down the line.

Sometimes a concept vehicle comes along that so inspires the public that the company, against the better judgment of its bean counters, decides to build the car. Over the past decade, Chrysler has been the automaker we could rely on to make such a bold move.

The ecoVoyager so inspires us. We were told that until a battery existed that was powerful enough to rival an internal combustion engine, nobody would be interested in making the switch to new power sources. Chrysler's power plant can do zero to 60 in under eight seconds.

This concept also proves that a beautiful design can happily accompany environmental consciousness. Going green is much easier for consumers when they don't feel they're compromising styling and luxury to do so.

Chrysler tells us that its potential customers seek three critical attributes in a new car: elegance, simplicity, and serenity. These three elements have harmoniously found their way into the ecoVoyager, a concept vehicle that might — just might, if we're lucky — be destined for the production line.