To put it bluntly, Chrysler’s current lineup is old. That won’t change anytime soon, but when the first electric cars arrive from the old carmaker, they will clearly lean on the automaker’s strengths.
In an interview at the 2022 New York auto show, Chrysler CEO Christine Feuell stated Green car report some insight into what the electric era will look like for the automaker — including a minivan and crossover SUV.
Feuell was named CEO of the brand in the fall of 2021, and she already knows what makes Chrysler work: minivans.
Chrysler Portal Concept, Consumer Electronics Show 2017
This is an electric Chrysler pickup truck
Feuell knows Chrysler invented the segment, and didn’t say much when we asked if a pickup truck has a place in the automaker’s electric future: “Yes.”
The CEO wouldn’t talk about future products, but noted, “I think it’s safe to say we’re looking to reinvent the minivan in our future lineup.”
Chrysler is now “rethinking what the pickup truck should and needs to be in that (electric) timeframe,” Feuell said. GCR. According to the executive, the target will be a segment-buster. She claims the seat of Stow ‘N Go, or a new interpretation of it, certainly has a role in the electric future. skateboard frame where the floor is essentially a battery pack.
The Stow ‘N Go seating is a flexible seating arrangement where the second row of seats fold down to the floor into hidden containers. It brought new life to the minivan line in the 2010s, when families found the packaging to be more advantageous than SUVs.
Feuell says the electric era will allow the use case of minivans to be rethought with ride-sharing.
In addition to flexible seating and storage, Feuell notes that minivans are an annual vehicle. While this category is dominated by families, not everyone’s families are the same or even have the same use case, note the term #Vanlife. Adventurous family truckers, especially in the northern states, still want four-wheel drive, and that will need to stay.
Chrysler Airflow EV Concept
Chrysler research shows that range remains an important factor for customers. “The 400-mile range seems to be a great spot for many customers who are trying to get over their anxiety about range considerations” rather than building their own networks, says Feuell.
Chrysler’s first electric vehicle will launch in 2025. It will be the first of three EVs The automaker plans to roll out before 2028. While Feuell was quick to note Airflow is purely a concept and not a production preview of an EV, she stated “we definitely intend to include a mid-size crossover in our new portfolio”, while also mentioning three the BEV will be available over a three-year period.
2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
Current lineup
Chrysler’s current lineup consists mainly of two vehicles: the 300 sedan and the Pacifica minivan. The first one is antique, with some basics dating back to the 2000s. It was last refreshed in 2015. The Pacifica, reintroduced as a pickup truck, arrived in 2017 and slightly refreshed in 2021.
Both of those models will continue to be refined as they will last beyond 2025 and have some overlap when it comes to EV launches. Don’t expect new or heavily refreshed versions to come out, although the executive says it will invest to continue to improve the product in terms of design and technology.
Feuell would not comment further on whether the Pacifica plug-in hybrid has been tweaked and upgraded for more electric range as that will be discussed on future product. But when asked if powertrain improvements are included in these updates, Feuell said, “it has to be.”
An electric minivan and a mid-size crossover SUV appear to be in production, but what about an electric sedan? “It’s not the table,” Feuell said.
