Chrysler has confirmed that it will put an all-electric Fiat 500 on sale in the US in 2012.
The Fiat 500 is seen as a key part of making the Fiat/Chrysler alliance work in America, with petrol-powered versions of the car going on sale in the US in 2010.
See electric Fiat 500 pictures
"Beginning in 2012, Chrysler Group will manufacture the Fiat 500EV for the US market," a Chrysler statement said.. "Pricing will be announced closer to launch, but will be competitive with similar electric vehicles in the market."
Few technical details were revealed, beyond the fact the car will use a lithium ion battery and will be developed at Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
A prototype of the vehicle was unveiled at the Detroit motor show earlier this year.
Fiat has mad eno official comment on whether an electric Fiat 500 will be sold in Europe, beyond confirming that a suitable car is "under development".
Chrysler has also announced it is no longer developing a hybrid 2011 Ram pick-up truck. Instead, it has received a government grant to build a plug-in version of the pick-up.
"After closely evaluating the response to hybrid pickups in the marketplace, the company could not formulate an appropriate business case and has decided to cancel development work on the 2011 Ram HEV," Chrysler said in a statement.
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