Chrysler announced today that it plans on releasing an electric car for the U.S. market in 2012. The vehicle will be based on the Fiat 500EV, which Chrysler and its controlling owner, Italian car maker Fiat, showed off at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year.

“The Fiat 500 is a small, lightweight platform perfect for integrating electric-vehicle technology,” said Scott Kunselman, SVP of engineering for Chrysler.

According to Chrysler, all powertrain engineering and vehicle development will take place at Chrysler Group headquarters in Michigan. Today’s announcement did not, however, say where the actual cars will be manufactured/

They did not announce a price for the car, but they did say the MSRP “will be competitive with similar electric vehicles in the market.”

Chrysler announces electric Fiat 500 for the U.S. in 2012 [USA Today]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.