In an announcement timed with Earth Day, Chrysler LLC has announced that it will provide 250 all-electric Town and Country concept minivans to the United States Postal Service.

The vans will be tested by the USPS in Michigan, North Carolina, and New York City to gauge performance in different climates starting in 2009 and continuing into 2010. The vans will have an operating range of 40 to 50 miles.

The retail versions of the concept vehicles will use a powertrain similar to that in the Chevrolet Volt. An electric motor will drive the wheels while a gasoline-driven electric generator will produce electricity for the battery pack.

No production date has been announced for the all-electric Town and Country to go retail. Chrysler actually has five alternative fuel models in development at this time.

The decision to conduct fleet testing with the USPS was based on the fact that the average distance traveled daily is 18 to 20 miles.

The minivans are assembled in Windsor, Ontario and outfitted with electrical powertrains in Detroit. A123Systems will make the lithium ion batteries at a plant in Michigan.

Chrysler, which is fighting for its survival and hoping to conclude a partnership agreement with Fiat, has applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation's electrification stimulus program to expand the use of its demonstration fleet nationwide.