The Chrysler Airflow concept may no longer be the model for the brand’s first production EV.
Chrysler’s first electric car will still be a two-row crossover like the Airflow concept, but with a different name and styling, in response to CEO Christine Feuell’s instructions. Motor Trend report.
The Airflow concept was first shown at CES 2022, and an updated version will be revealed at the 2022 New York Auto Show later that year. In 2022, a patent application for the design was also published, but since then Chrysler seems to have gone in a different direction.
Chrysler Airflow Concept
Feuell, who took over at Chrysler in 2021, wanted the production model to go in a different direction than the Airflow concept, stylistically, Stellantis design chief Ralph Gilles told Motor Trend. Feuell told the magazine that the revised design performed well at customer clinics held in Los Angeles earlier this year, adding that the production crossover retains some of the concept’s aesthetic but with a more modern overall design.
Another modernization is the dropping of the Airflow name, which derives from Chrysler’s revolutionary aerodynamic models of the 1930s. According to Motor Trend, Chrysler is considering a short list of alternative names, including some new and some recycled legacy names. The new name is reportedly more likely as Chrysler reinvents itself, but Feuell told Motor Trend that an alphanumeric combination has been released and the electric crossover will not take the Chrysler 300 name from the soon-to-be discontinued sedan.
The Airflow concept is based on the RU platform that underpins the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, but Motor Trend reports that the production electric crossover will use the STLA Large platform, one of four dedicated electric vehicle architectures that will be used in upcoming Stellantis electric models. It was always likely that Chrysler’s electric vehicles would use one of the new dedicated architectures, rather than the transmission platform shared with the internal combustion models.
Chrysler Airflow Concept
Chrysler reportedly plans to offer versions with both 400-volt and 800-volt electrical systems for quick charging, as well as standard and long-range batteries, the latter of which is targeting up to 400 miles of range. You can expect a host of tech features similar to those unveiled by Chrysler at CES 2023, including an infotainment system that “learns” the owner’s preferences and a Level 3 driver assistance system.
The electric crossover is planned for 2025 and will reportedly be followed by a larger three-row model. According to a 2022 report, a Chrysler electric sedan is also in the works, but it won’t arrive until 2028.
