2008 Dodge ZEO Prototype (video)

Chelsea, Michigan - Who said a "green" vehicle has to look like a university professor's car? Well, the Dodge ZEO proves them wrong. The size of a Volvo C30, the "2+2" passenger compartment is cloaked in an elegant body flowing into a distinctive tailgate.

As large as a Volvo C30, the Dodge ZEO is a "2+2" sport wagon powered by an electric engine.

It's name, an acronym for Zero Emissions Operation, evokes the sacrosanct principle of the ZEVs (or Zero Emission Vehicles). You guessed it: ZEO stands for zero, i.e. its engine does not release any pollutants into the atmosphere. Not bad, eh?

The ZEO was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2008, along with the Chrysler ecoVoyager and the Jeep Renegade, two other prototypes equipped with eco-friendlier power trains.

The Muscle Car of Tomorrow
"The Dodge ZEO concept is designed to break the paradigm of what an electric car should look like," says Bill Zheng, the main exterior designer. "An electric car can be as expressive as any gasoline-powered vehicle." Not surprising then that Chrysler has dubbed it a new interpretation of the American muscle car!

With its enormous wheel arches, extra-high, receding beltline and sublime colour (christened Zeo Orange, of course), this prototype holds its own against the Chrysler 300C SRT8.

And the comparison doesn't end there: the ZEO's performance rivals that of Chrysler's impressive 6.1-litre HEMI V8 engine. The 272-horsepower electric motor is powered by a 64-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery that allows the ZEO to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in under 6 seconds. That's what the 300C SRT8 can do!

With an estimated 402-kilometre tank range, the ZEO is sure to be a hit, overcoming as it does the biggest disadvantage of 100% electric cars.

A Four-Door Coup
Despite its appearance, the ZEO is equipped with four doors. The doors open like scissors on both sides, which probably makes it easier to slide into.

Four "scissor" doors open onto the passenger compartment.