Financial Associated Press (Shanghai, editor Zhao Hao) news, local time on Wednesday (January 5), North American traditional car company Chrysler released a crossover concept car called "Chrysler Airflow" at the 2022 International Consumer Electronics Exhibition (CES), and also announced plans to reinvent itself as an all-electric vehicle brand by 2028.
Chrysler was acquired by Italian car manufacturer Fiat Group after bankruptcy in 2009 to form Fiat Chrysler. In January 2021, Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot Citroen merged to form Stellantis, which owns 14 brands including Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat and Peugeot.
Stellantis plans to make Chrysler an electric vehicle brand to revitalize the nearly century-old automaker. Chrysler CEO Christine Feuell said Chrysler will be at the forefront of parent company Stellantis' $35.5 billion electric vehicle plan.
Feuell told the media, "We will add a new product every year, and from now until 2028, we will continue to expand the lineup of electric vehicles under our umbrella." Still, she notes, "When looking to redefine and revitalize the Chrysler brand, we also need to ensure differentiation with the parent company and competitors." ”
In the United States, Chrysler's main competitors are naturally Tesla, General Motors and Ford Motors. GM and Ford, two of the three giants of traditional car companies, seem to have taken a lot of lead on the road to electrification.
GM's Cadillac also unveiled its first-ever electric SUV, the Lyriq, which will be sold at dealers in the summer of 2022. Ford's electric pickup truck F-150 Lightning has reached 200,000 units, more than double the company's production capacity. Chrysler, on the other hand, has made almost zero progress in electric vehicles except for the plug-in hybrid minivan "Pacific".
Airflow
Chrysler wants the brand's "ambitious" electrification to begin Airflow's 2025 mass production. Feuell said the transformation plan will focus on electric vehicles, in addition to new technologies, advanced designs and user customization.
On the outside, Airflow uses a more stylish, well-proportioned streamlined design. Feuell said: "The elegant and dynamic design theme is the design direction that we give Chrysler a preset. ”
Airflow features Stellantis' new "STLA Brain" electronic architecture, which combines hardware and software in a single package to help maximize life cycles.
It is also the first vehicle equipped with "STLA SmartCockpit", which can equip each passenger with a separate screen, providing connected entertainment, downloadable apps and e-commerce services. Each screen has its own camera, perfect for video calls and meetings on the move.
In terms of mileage, Chrysler said that Airflow and the upcoming production car are expected to travel 350 to 400 miles on a single charge. Chrysler declined to comment on Airflow's potential pricing, but Feuell mentioned that "the best price for an electric car should be between $35,000 and $60,000."