Chrysler

Although reports have claimed Chrysler will not be building the Airflow EV concept, the brand’s chief designer, Ralph Gilles, cleared things up this week. Gilles said the Airflow concept was “just the beginning,” adding Chrysler’s first EV will take the brand in a new direction.

Chrysler’s first fully electric vehicle will not look like or be called the Airflow concept officially unveiled at CES last year. According to the brand’s new chief designer, Chrysler will take a new, more modern direction with its first EV.

Chrysler is planning an all-electric future, despite not having a single EV on the road today. Will the plans include an electric Chrysler 300 to continue the full-size sedans run? According to dealers, Stellantis is already working on one, but it may not carry the name.

As the race to catch current EV leader, Tesla, heats up, an unlikely contestant is about to emerge, according to Chrysler’s CEO Chris Feuell. The automaker’s CEO argues Chrysler has what it takes to go after the electric vehicle pioneer.

Built up on the hype of its new European brand alliances, a few EV reveals, and the promise of profitability that always comes with economies of scale, shares in Stellantis (STLA) rose more than 60 percent in 2021, out-performing shares of Tesla stock (TSLA), which were up 27 percent over the same period. For that growth to continue in 2022, Stellantis has to deliver on product. Here’s how each brand can get it right.

Stellantis’ Mopar parts brand just announced a pair of new, branded, weatherproof indoor/outdoor wall charger units to help owners charge up their Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe hybrid models.

Chrysler today officially revealed its new Airflow Concept at CES 2022 – a name invoking the legendary streamlined Chrysler from the 1930s – promising “Level 3” autonomous driving capabilities, more than 350 miles of range, and a fully battery-electric portfolio by 2028. The only real question left is: will they build it?

Rumors that Apple plans to develop and market a self-driving vehicle may have gone cold, but CEO Tim Cook has publicly acknowledged that the company is working on a ‘large project’ around autonomous systems.

The latest detail in the story comes via Jalopnik which reports that Apple may have leased Chrysler’s old proving grounds which could be used for testing autonomous cars.

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When we say that the lack of awareness is surprisingly still the biggest problem for electric vehicle adoption, this is a good example.

Chrysler says that they don’t want to call their Pacifica Hybrid a ‘plug-in’ electric van because they think it has a bad connotation in most of the country. 
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The electric plug-in version of Chrysler’s new and well-received Pacifica van has been delayed for a while even though hundreds of customers had already placed orders.

FCA is now announcing that they are finally starting deliveries and they offer a peace-offering to customers who have been waiting.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today issued a notice of violation to Fiat Chrysler (FCA) over alleged violations of the Clean Air Act for installing and failing to disclose engine management software that changed the emission results of their vehicles – just like several other automakers over the past year.

While those ‘DieselGate’ scandals are disappointing for the light they shine on what is an unscrupulous corporate culture of cheating, they also clearly show that the best way to reduce emissions from vehicles is electric propulsion and not increasingly more deceivingly efficient diesel engines.
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The Consumer Electronic Show, now only known as CES, is becoming a popular trade show for the automotive industry. The auto section was a significant part of the show this year and while it was light on new products, we decided to give ‘Electrek awards’ to the best of CES 2017 for electric vehicle products.
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Chrysler has been rumored to be unveiling an all-electric version of its plug-in hybrid Pacifica minivan at CES this week. As it turns out, the automaker is indeed unveiling an all-electric minivan, but not quite the Pacifica.

The company unveiled the ‘Portal Concept’, an autonomous and electric van “for millennials”.
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After a rare step into electrification with a so far well-received plug-in hybrid version of the Pacifica minivan, Chrysler is reportedly ready to move to an all-electric version of the vehicle or at least an all-electric vehicle based on the same platform. The new vehicle is expected to be unveiled at CES in Las Vegas next month.
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FCA’s outspoken CEO, Sergio Marchionne, has been known to make unpopular but frank comments about electric cars and the future of the auto industry. The man in charge of Alfa, Fiat, Chrysler and Jeep, called for its customers not to buy his electric car, the Fiat 500e, because he estimates the company is losing about $10,000 per units.

In a recent interview with Car Magazine, he reiterated his comments and elaborated on how he doesn’t understand how anyone can make money selling electric cars other than to comply with government mandates. He also made some interesting and somewhat confusing comments on Tesla’s success.
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Google today announced that it will open a self-driving car technology development center in Novi, Michigan, which is about 30 miles outside of Detroit. Google has had teams working from Detroit for the past few years, but this marks the company’s first physical presence in the area.

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Following a report this morning from Bloomberg suggesting that Google and Chrysler were about to announce a deal that would see Google’s self-driving technology being implemented in Chrysler’s upcoming new Pacifica minivan, the CEOs of both companies have now confirmed an agreement albeit not exactly what was being discussed earlier today.

While this morning’s report suggested a plan to work on a few “dozens of self-driving prototypes” in order to later bring the technology to the production version of the Pacifica, instead the deal would now see Google buying about 100 Pacifica minivans from Chrysler to use as prototypes,  but no exactly like it does with its current Lexus SUVs, and the Mountain View company will provide a “technological crash course” in self-driving technology to Chrysler though the new partnership.
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Chrysler unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show today the new 2017 Pacifica minivan with an option for a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. The “Pacifica Hybrid” is equipped with a 16 kWh battery pack which allows for an all-electric range of 30 miles, according to the automaker.
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Speaking today on CNBC, Ferrari chairman and Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne spoke affirmatively when asked if he believes Apple will make a car. The Ferrari boss explained that he believes the automobile space is one in which Apple can exhibit its skills, clarifying that he believes Apple will have a car assembled rather than building it on their own. Marchionne added that Apple has not approached Fiat for being its partner for assembling a car.
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