Chrysler Group President and CEO Tom LaSorda Speaks at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference 2006
01 Juin 2006 - 11:31PM
PR Newswire (US)
* LaSorda announces plans to offer first diesel-powered, full-size
SUV in the U.S.; 2007 Jeep(R) Grand Cherokee with a 3.0-liter
common rail turbo diesel engine launches first quarter '07 * CEO
challenges Michigan to enact state legislation that requires
medical service providers to be linked to a central IT system by
the end of 2008 * Urges innovative solutions at the state level to
be pursued for health care reforms MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. and
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Chrysler
Group President and CEO Tom LaSorda announced today plans for the
first diesel-powered, full-size SUV in the U.S. market -- the 2007
Jeep(R) Grand Cherokee with a 3.0-liter common rail turbo diesel
(CRD) engine. LaSorda made the announcement at the Detroit Regional
Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference 2006 in Mackinac Island,
Michigan. "The Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel will offer class-leading
torque, outstanding towing capacity (7,400 lbs.), and up to 30
percent improvement in fuel economy," said LaSorda. "Plus, it will
have a class-leading driving range of approximately 425 miles." The
Grand Cherokee diesel news was part of a speech in which LaSorda
challenged business leaders and state government officials to work
together to boost competitiveness and fuel growth in Michigan,
regardless of political party. Health care reform and the continued
availability of new technology alternatives for greater fuel
efficiency were all themes touched on in the speech. Health Care
Reform Health care, according to LaSorda, is an inhibitor to
competitiveness for the auto industry, for small businesses, for
the state government and for the country as a whole. Chrysler Group
alone expects to spend approximately $2.3 billion on health care
this year for 360,000 workers, dependents, retirees and surviving
spouses. The cost, said LaSorda, averages out to about $1,400 for
each vehicle the Chrysler Group builds. In contrast, the estimated
cost of health care for each vehicle that Japanese automakers build
in the U.S. is around $400, creating a built-in cost advantage. "At
the national level, the runaway growth in prescription drug costs
is a major driver of health care expenses," stated LaSorda. "One
contributing factor is that pharmaceutical companies are allowed
loopholes to extend patents on their drugs, preventing more
affordable generics from entering the market." LaSorda also pointed
out the need to create standards for collecting and transmitting
health care data, in order to help consumers access information
while reducing errors and redundant testing. This challenge was
posed at the federal level, but he encouraged Michigan to be ahead
of the curve and enact state legislation that requires all medical
service providers to be linked to a central IT system by the end of
2008, in order to save lives and save dollars. Another state-level
initiative in Massachusetts that LaSorda referred to as a "bold
experiment" was an example of states using innovative means to
overcome health care challenges. Massachusetts spends approximately
$1 billion annually to reimburse hospitals that provide emergency
health care for the uninsured. A new law was passed there recently,
mandating each individual to carry health insurance; just as
Michigan mandates car insurance for drivers. This means the state
and taxpayers won't have to subsidize the expense of emergency
care. "Instead of waiting for the federal government to produce
meaningful health care reform, let's just do it in Michigan!" urged
LaSorda. Commitment to Alternative Fuels and Technology The 2007
Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD continues Chrysler Group's commitment to
alternative fuels and technology. The vehicle will be manufactured
at the Jefferson North (Detroit, Mich.) Assembly Plant. Every Grand
Cherokee CRD that leaves the plant will be fueled with B5 -- a
renewable fuel with a 5 percent biodiesel mix derived from locally
grown soy beans. The new 3.0-liter CRD engine, built by
Mercedes-Benz, produces 215 hp (160 kW) @ 3800 rpm and 376 lb.-ft.
torque (510 N*m) @ 1600-2800 rpm and gets an estimated fuel economy
of 19 miles city and 23 miles highway. The CRD engine will be
available on the Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, Limited and Overland
models. Pricing will be announced closer to availability. LaSorda
also confirmed that Chrysler Group has endorsed the use of B20 --
20 percent biodiesel -- in the 2007 Dodge Ram for the company's
military, government and commercial fleet customers. "We believe
this move will help accelerate the development and adoption of a
national B20 specification, which will facilitate the growth of
biodiesel." Gas-ethanol flex-fuel is another option worth
developing and it has been getting its fair share of press, said
LaSorda. Since 1998 the Chrysler Group has produced nearly 1.5
million vehicles that can run on E-85, a mix of 85 percent ethanol
and 15 percent gasoline. In the 2007 model year, Chrysler Group
will produce flex-fuel versions of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep
Commander, as well as the Dodge Dakota. The company plans to sell
more than 250,000 flex-fuel vehicles in 2007 and nearly a
half-million in 2008, committing about 25 percent of total Chrysler
Group production to be E-85 capable. But the lack of fuel
infrastructure for flex-fuel vehicles still exists today. "There
are only four ethanol refineries, and ten fueling stations in the
entire state of Michigan," LaSorda said. "Why can't the state of
Michigan require that 25 percent of a company's fueling stations in
Michigan must offer E-85? That would go a long way toward making
this fuel available for flex-fuel vehicles already on the road as
well as those to come in the next few years." DATASOURCE: Chrysler
Group CONTACT: Shawn Morgan, mobile: +1-248-760-2621, , or David
Elshoff, mobile: +1-248-797-2300, , both of Chrysler Group Web
site: http://www.media.daimlerchrysler.com/
http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/
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