First off, improved battery technology is needed. "The current version of the Durango uses lead-acid batteries," Robertson notes, "which would be unsuitable for a production vehicle."
He says that DaimlerChrysler is working with a major battery manufacturer to develop a lithium-ion battery, which would lower the cost of the vehilce and extend its range.
The technical issues aside, there's also a political issue that must be settled if DaimlerChrysler is about to get a commercial version of the hybrid Durango out in five years, which they say they can do.
"It is crucial that tax incentives currently being considered by the U.S. Congress also be put in place," Robertson says. "These incentives -- up to US$2,000 for use of a vehicle with a non-engine power source and up to US$1,000 per vehicle with regenerative braking -- would make the hybrid Durango competitive costwise with the conventional gas-powered Durango."
This would be critical for Canadians interested in such a vehicle, since it's unlikely that DaimlerChrysler would develop it solely for a market as small as Canada's. Indeed, there's no guarantee that the company would build a version for Canada should it go ahead with a U.S. version, but it's at least possible.