Posted on 12/23/2021 5:51:38 AM PST by Red Badger
Stellantis’ mysterious concept EV now has a name, and it’s called the Airflow. Revealed during the brand’s EV Day earlier this summer, the Chrysler crossover concept looks to be sized relative to the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E, with familiar nods to late Chrysler-branded products.
Digital rendering of the Chrysler Airflow EV concept on display.Photo: Stellantis
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This EV concept is part of Stellantis’ roadmap it plans to reveal at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 5 in Las Vegas, what Stellantis is calling it’s “transformation to clean mobility and seamlessly connected customer experiences.”
The Airflow looks to be a potential competitor to the Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4. Even if this vehicle even made it to actual production, it’s difficult to see Chrysler’s offering sway buyers in the Chrysler direction.
Plus it may not be ready for years. Ralph Gilles, Chief Design Officer of multiple Stellantis brands, including Chrysler, suggested the platform the concept would ride on doesn’t go into production until 2024—several years after its competitors have gone to market.
It’s well known that Stellantis’ budget luxury brand has held on this long with Fiat’s life support, as the brand quietly reduced to two vehicle offerings – the Pacifica Minivan (including its hybrid relation), and the dying Chrysler 300.
So why did Stellantis decide to brand their new cutting-edge EV as a Chrysler of all things?
It could be signaling a return to form for Chrysler – which stands as the vastly underperforming brand in sales and public perception compared to its brawny siblings Jeep, Dodge and Ram.
You could also ask, will Jeep and Dodge get their own versions of the same car? If something similar was released in the Jeep and Dodge brands, would people even consider the Chrysler? Those brands would almost certainly have a more muscular look to them which would certainly be more fitting in today’s market compared to the smooth and flowing lines of the Chrysler.
More competition in any automotive space isn’t a bad thing, but in Chrysler’s case, the odds may not be in its favor.
Rare 1934 Chrysler Airflow Coupe.....................
Or maybe too late after all. Today's electric cars would have blown 1915's electric vehicles off the road.
But what do I know? I thought Stellantis was a bottled water.
Great memories of the X-19 and the Spyder.
Beautiful styling but they seem to put little thought to maintenance and repairs. Changing something easy like a clutch master cylinder was a pain. And whatever you do, don’t let anything fall down those deep spark plug recesses into the cylinders!
Al Bundy!, is that you?
His Dart was of ‘70s vintage, I believe.
About the time we would get the engine running well something would go wrong with the transmission. But working through these issues did make fond memories 30 years later.
Because in an electric car aerodynamics are even MORE critical to get to/maintain that range that people expect.
Yep...I’ll buy a car from a company that’s going out of business.
re: “Stellantis Might Be Trying To Save Chrysler With Its Airflow EV Concept The new Airflow may just be too little too late for Chrysler”
What - are they going to bring back big tail fins?
**** BrLP Motive car market launch ****
Yep, that’s why.
Every time the government increases fuel mileage requirements you can say goodbye to ‘style’.
You MUST be aerodynamic to meet the requirements. It doesn’t matter if you have 1 or 1M engineers & designers, eventually the science will push you to the same shape.
Personally, I’d love to see old classics remade as EV’s - I’ve thought about doing a ‘Tesla swap’ on a mid-70’s Lincoln Continental. I always have an ‘around town’ car, I have no problem with an EV for this role. It would be economical and have style.
Never been a fan of Chrysler engineering. Why would you build a vehicle that required the front left wheel be removed to change the battery?
6. Demise of the Fisher Body Craftman’s Guild Scholarship Program.
There is a lot of trickery in EV that gets swept under the carpet.
But it would be neat if that Lincoln had a Frunk. It would have about 1000 sqft of cargo capacity!
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