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Chrysler is a massive name in the American automotive industry. It fronted one of the Big Three until Fiat Chrysler merged with PSA to form Stellantis. But as a standalone car brand, Chrysler has fallen by the wayside. Customers have drifted toward Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs. Chrysler’s brand lineup has dwindled to the 10-year-old 300 sedan and the Pacifica minivan — a recipe for a sad, parent-centric social media presence.
Many thought the Chrysler brand would not survive the merger. But it appears that Stellantis is poised to breathe new life into Chrysler as an electric car brand. Stellantis showed off a Chrysler Airflow electric vehicle during their Software Day presentation they described as “more than just a concept.” It looks reasonably close to being production-ready, perhaps by 2024. And while it’s not the sexiest EV we’ve seen — it seems kind of like a wonky Ford Mustang Mach E — it could have some game-changing features.
The Chrysler Airflow could pack up to 440 miles of range — enough juice to skip the Acela and get from Washington D.C. to Boston on a single charge — running on the STLA medium platform. That range exceeds any Tesla currently on the market; the Model S Long Range is rated for 405 miles. Only the Lucid Air gets more currently. And this wouldn’t be a six-figure luxury sedan for the super-rich with face-melting performance. It’s expected to be a mass-market crossover with 167 to 241 horsepower.
A production Airflow could also have new Stellantis Level 3 autonomous driving technology. Level 3 autonomy is conditional autonomy where the car can operate by itself conditionally — in a traffic jam on the highway, for instance — with the driver ready to intervene if needed.
Hypothetical promises are a long way from deliveries of a production car for Stellantis. But the next great challenge for EVs will be packaging their benefits into vehicles real people can use. A Chrysler crossover packing a ton of range for a relatively affordable price could be an exciting move in that direction.