When you think of a concept car you are usually picturing one rotating lazily at an auto show.

And as you are admiring its graceful, sometimes quirky futuristic lines, and its snazzy and Buck Roger’s-like interior that glows neon like the Las Vegas strip at dusk, you start to think this model is too “way out there” to ever be built and rolled out in showrooms at the local dealership.

Concept cars are just that, right? Flights of fancy. Ideas that will never see mass production. A designer’s whim that will never touch the asphalt.

And who could blame you for thinking that? Although, when Chrysler presents a concept, car buffs today look at them with a little more interest and hope.

Why?

Well, it was Chrysler who gave us access to concept-come production models such as the Dodge Viper, Plymouth Prowler, and daring production favourites such as the PT Cruiser, Chrysler Crossfire, and the latest—a little bit of retro conceptualization with the Dodge Challenger.

So, when you look at what Chrysler is envisioning today for the future of driving, it’s not all just tail fins and glass bubble roofs that will make the car show circuit. It might well be the car you pilot less than five years from now, especially since the latest crop of newcomers has an environmental bent to them where fuel efficiency is high on the list of priorities as much as contemporary styling.

At the top of the list is the Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept which is powered by electricity and a fuel cell.

According to Chrysler, the sleek, egg-shaped, vehicle with a transparent roof will operate on a 64 kilometre range, 16 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery module which will have a total range of 483 kilometres when paired up with a hydrogen fuel cell range extender.

The 200-kilowatt electric motor will drive the four-passenger car’s front wheels and is capable of vaulting the commuter transport from zero to 100 km/h in around nine seconds.

That’s on par with most gas-powered, economy runabouts. And when you add the extra distance it is expected to cover thanks to the fuel cell—for those occasional trips outside the city—the ecoVoyager is not limited to just the home to work jaunts.

In the same way the Mercedes-Benz A Class city car managed to provide maximum interior cabin room, the ecoVoyager tucks its power plant into a relatively thin sandwich under the floorboards.

Add that to the fact the rear passenger doors are hinged at the rear and with no B-pillar in the way and you have a car that should be easy to get in and out of.

Plus, if Chrysler manages to deliver on its promise of zero emissions, the manufacturer may have trouble keeping the showroom stocked.

Also on the drawing board for the future is a car that looks less the part of an economy-minded vehicle and based more on performance. Chrysler has named it the Dodge Zeo Concept.

Unmistakably Dodge with its cross-lined grille, the Zeo Concept is a 2-plus-2 wagon that casts out the idea that an electric car has to look boring.

It has an elongated prow, an expansive front windshield, pronounced wheel arches, flared out rear track, and a very short rear deck.

On the “green” side, the Zeo Concept derives its power from a lithium-ion battery pack capable of at least 402 kilometres.

It is capable of putting out 268 horsepower and a zero to 100 km/h time of under six seconds which is a rival for most of Chrysler’s high performance models that burn fossil fuels.

And to keep off-roaders happy on the trails, Chrysler has extended its forward-thinking design theme to the Jeep line—namely the Renegade Concept.

But rather than go for an exotic power plant with just batteries and fuel cells, the Renegade relies for its motivation from good old fashioned diesel power that is augmented by a lithium-ion battery.

Presumably that’s because the outback where this SUV is expected to be at its best is likely beyond the battery’s 64 kilometre range. Plus, the small displacement, super clean burning, 1.5 litre Bluetec Diesel puts out torque numbers in keeping with climbing steep hills.

And it’s extremely efficient. Chrysler rates it as using just 2.1 litres of diesel per 100 km.

This has to be one of the most appealing designs to come out of the Jeep think tank. And if the technology is there to support the fuel economy, and reliability issues for all three concepts are met, then the future looks encouraging in the world of Chrysler’s concept cars.