Chrysler will go all-electric by 2028. The move will make 96-year-old Chrysler the first legacy American automaker to convert entirely from gasoline-powered cars to electric vehicles (EVs). CEO Christine Feuell made the announcement today as she unveiled what will likely be the first of a slate of new EVs.
Chrysler Airflow Concept
The Chrysler Airflow is officially a concept car. That means it’s a design study showing what a future car could look like, not necessarily a car that will be on sale soon. But this one seems close to production-ready, and something much like it could reach dealerships in a few years.
The Airflow is a low-set, sleek hatchback with a contrast-color roof, rounded lines, and tall wheel arches that make it look cinched tightly to the road. It uses two 201-horsepower electric motors, one per axle, giving it all-wheel-drive and, potentially, brisk performance. Chrysler gave no details on the battery but said it expects a range of between 350 and 400 miles.
It borrows its name from a historically important car. The 1934 Chrysler Airflow was a market failure. But it was the first mass-market car to use aerodynamic design principles and influenced the shape of cars for a generation.
A Screen for Every Seat
Inside, white and gray hides cover nearly every surface. Every surface that isn’t a screen, that is. There are the usual screens you’d expect – the driver’s instrument cluster is replaced by one, with a larger one mounted in the center of the dashboard to handle entertainment and climate functions. But each passenger gets their own screen, complete with a camera so you could experience the nightmare of driving a car while every passenger was on their own video conference.
The carpets are made of recycled materials, while the leather is tanned with vegetable dyes (though it’s not the vegan leather many automakers have introduced in recent years). The Airflow doesn’t quite have a Tesla-style steering yoke, but it does feature a steering “wheel” that is almost rectangular.
The Airflow was scheduled to appear at this week’s CES consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. But, like many CES exhibitors, Chrysler moved it online out of caution amid the current wave of COVID-19 infections.
Chrysler Has Attempted EVs Before
The bigger news may not be this one particular vehicle, but the plan it kicks off. Feuell says Chrysler will move quickly, offering an EV in 2025 and an all-EV lineup by 2028.
It’s not the first time Chrysler has experimented with electric power. The brand put out its first electric concept car in 1979 and launched a short-lived division intended to build electric cars in 2007 that never produced a finished product.
But the plan is believable now. Many automakers have announced plans to go all-electric or move aggressively toward electrification. Smaller contenders, like Volvo and Mini, have announced plans to sell nothing but EVs by the end of the decade.
Larger companies haven’t quite gone that far, but many have announced plans to offer EV-heavy lineups. GM promises to sell mostly electric cars by 2035, while Mercedes says it will do so in countries that build enough infrastructure for the switch by 2030.
No Longer One of the Big Three
Chrysler, however, is no longer one of those larger automakers. Instead, it’s one of many brands that belong to one. America’s historical “Big Three” automakers were once GM, Ford, and Chrysler. But the Chrysler brand has been on a long and complicated journey, passing through several owners in recent decades. It’s now a brand of Stellantis, a group put together by French PSA, which owns Peugeot and Citroen. The group also includes Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo.
Chrysler’s 2022 lineup consists of just four vehicles – the aging 300 sedan, and well-reviewed Pacifica, Pacifica hybrid, and Voyager minivans.
Other Stellantis brands have announced EV initiatives. Dodge has an electric muscle car on the way, and Ram promises an electric version of its best-selling Ram 1500 pickup by 2024. But Chrysler’s announcement doesn’t mean one of the Big Three has gone all-electric, as Stellantis’ other brands have not pledged to stop selling gas-powered cars.
