Chrysler, which turns 100 next year, once made a variety of models, but is now best known for its Pacifica minivans. But now the company has made a bold statement about the future by unveiling a concept car that’s about as far from a minivan as it gets.
Chrysler Halcyon is a high-tech roadster concept with an electric powertrain and fully autonomous capabilities. And although the automaker has no plans to put it into production, the Halcyon should demonstrate that the company is still alive and thinking about the future.
Chrysler intends to sell only electric cars from 2029, and the Halcyon will be a demonstration of how the company will implement the technologies of the future.
The Halcyon combines a number of technologies from Chrysler’s parent company, Stellantis, including the STLA Brain operating system, the STLA AutoDrive driver assistance system and the STLA SmartCockpit infotainment system. The Halcyon concept is designed to combine all these products as a single unified system.
Artificial intelligence plays an important role in this concept, as does augmented reality and the connection between the car and its environment. This includes AI voice assistants, predictive navigation and over-the-air software updates. Chrysler Halcyon – Will remember the driver’s habits based on preferences and can make early changes to things like the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system when he gets into the car.
There are also a bunch of visual and audio features to help create a zen environment. And in fully autonomous mode, the steering wheel and pedals fold back to allow for a more comfortable seating position.
Chrysler officials acknowledged that the company still has work to do before it can offer full autonomy to its customers. “The functionality of autonomous driving is obviously quite developed at levels 2 and 2 plus. As we move into Levels 3 and 4, we still need to do some design work to be able to fully disengage the driver’s hands and eyes while still meeting the safety requirements that we have to meet.”
Other futuristic and unproven features include Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer (DWPT) technology for wireless charging of the car while driving, providing unlimited range. The idea is that when driving on roads with inductive charging, if one can be found, the Halcyon will charge. Chrysler says the concept is powered by an 800-volt lithium-sulfur battery, which the company estimates has a 60 percent lower carbon footprint than other EV batteries.
