Ailing American car maker Chrysler has given us a glimpse at its future in the shape of a dramatic-looking EV called the Halcyon Concept. The creation points the way ahead ot the launch of Chrysler’s first electric car in 2025.
In recent years, the Chrysler range has dwindled to just one model – the Pacifica minivan – but the Halcyon Concept is not a family-friendly MPV. Instead it’s a striking electric saloon similar to the Porsche Taycan, Tesla Model S or Lucid Air.
Aerodynamic performance was a priority for Chrysler, either using the bodywork to direct air across the car or utilising active aides like the rear diffuser and spoiler to boost it further. Chrysler also claims the body sits as little as four inches off the ground.
This wouldn’t be a concept car without some outrageous doors, and the Halcyon Concept gets a set of coach doors, or “red-carpet-style” doors as Chrysler calls them, with opening glass canopy sections on both sides to make getting in and out easier.
These glass sections are dimmable, while the windscreen can be made opaque for privacy and to create an immersive augmented-reality environment, complete with a ‘Stargazing Mode’.
It’s part of the Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities of the car, so “drivers can sit back, relax and allow the Chrysler Halcyon Concept to take control”, says the brand. When autonomous driving is activated the steering wheel and pedals retract, with occupants then allowed to watch movies, or have their seats lay back to look at the stars being projected on the inside of the car.
The interior also features a rotating 15.6-inch console screen and 95 per cent of the materials used are sustainable, such as the Chrysler wing logos made from crushed and recycled CDs.
The Chrysler Halcyon Concept was designed to sit on the brand new STLA Large architecture that will underpin various models like the Jeep Wagoneer S and next-generation Maserati Quattroporte in the coming years.
The striking concept is powered by 800V lithium-sulphur batteries which are more energy dense than today’s lithium-ion EV batteries. Their carbon footprint is roughly 60 per cent lower too, because they don’t use nickel, cobalt, or manganese.
One much more space-age technology onboard is Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer (DWPT) that allows the car to be wirelessly recharged as it travels over dedicated road lanes, which theoretically would allow for unlimited range without the need to stop and charge the batteries.
Chrysler will celebrate its centenary next year, marking the occasion with the launch of its first all-electric car. This will reportedly be an SUV, inspired by the Chrysler Airflow concept from 2022. Chrysler’s goal is to offer a pure-electric line-up by 2028.
Chrysler left the UK market in 2017, with its last offering to be sold in Britain being the Ypsilon supermini, which was in fact a rebadged Lancia.
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