https://cdn1.wattev2buy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/13145036/chrysler-logo-evgenius-clear-bg-200.png

Chrysler Electric Vehicles

The Chrysler Pacifica only the second production electric vehicle fro the Fiat Chrysler (FCA) stable, the other being the Fiat 500e. FAC has taken quite a negative stance towards the EV segment; some say it is more a head-in-the-sand approach since the company does not fully have the resources to support R&D into the field. The 6th Generation 2017 model of the Chrysler electric vehicle variant is expected to reach the market in September 2016.

FCA announced at its 2018 Capital Markets day in Balocco, Italy that it will phase out diesel engines in its passenger cars sold in Europe, Middle East, and by 2021. The Fiat Chrysler Group will not dispense with diesel engines completely as it will still use the technology in light commercial vehicles across all its brands.


Chrysler Plug-in Hybrid Electric Models

Future Chrysler Electric vehicles

Chrysler Electric Car Strategy in the news

2018 Week 22 FCA announces its EV strategy and closer co-op with Waymo

The FCA Group announced its EV strategy on June 1, 2018, during its Capital markets day. The strategy indicated that Chrysler will have two plug-in hybrid electric vehicles by 2022. The most significant news related to Chrysler is the further co-operation with Waymo on autonomous driving and the order of 62,000 Crysler Pacifica minivans by 2021 by the Google-owned company.

2017 Week 30 FCA joins yet another self-driving alliance

As the race for electric vehicles hots up so it does for autonomous vehicles as car makers try and regain the edge it lost in the EV sector to tech start-ups. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), dead-last in the EV race, this week joined the BMW Intel self-driving car alliance as the company gears-up to produce self-driving cars by 2021. The BMW led alliance also includes Intel’s recently acquired Israeli tech company, Mobileye, Delphi Automotive, and Continental. Together the alliance will have 140 self-driving test vehicles on the roads by the end of 2017. Interestingly enough FCA is also a partner with Google’s Waymo where it developed and deployed autonomous Chrysler Pacifica minivans.

2017 Week 30 Half of Fiat Chrysler line-up to be electrified by 2022

In related news, FIAT Chrysler and (former) EV naysayer, Sergio Marchionne, this week announced during an Investor event that all cars of its luxury marque Maserati would be electrified post-2019. Mr. Marchionne went further stating that half of Fiat Chrysler’s lineup, including Alfa Romeo, will be electric from 2022. The strategy will be formulated over the next year as the company enters its 3rd five-year plan in 2019.

2017 Week 26 Pacifica plant shutdown ended

The Chrysler Plant in Ontario Canada where the Pacifica PHEV is assembled reopened this week after a brief shutdown of a couple of days. Earlier the month Chrysler recalled all Pacifica PHEV Minivans due to a battery problem.

2017 Week 13 Sergio Marchionne is warming to electric vehicles

With the run-up to the Formula E to be held in Mexico City today, Ferrari came out in support of the event. FIA’s Auto magazine quoted the CEO of FIAT Chrysler, one of the auto industries biggest naysayers of EV’s, Sergio Marchionne as follows in an interview:

“The first is that we need to be involved in Formula E because electrification via hybridization is going to be part of our future.”
“We have already developed a hybrid supercar, La Ferrari,” he said, “and on future Ferrari models we will leverage new technologies as well as electrification.”

And this from a man that came out vehemently against the technology, saying it will never catch on. No mention was made about plans for the electrification of Alpha Rom

2017 Week 7 Forecast for EV sales adjusted significantly upwards, Fiat Chrysler strategy not geared

The respected Economist Magazine this week commented on forecast adjustments by various investment houses for the penetration of electric vehicles. Up till last year the consensus was that only 4% of new vehicles would be electric by 2025. BNP Paribas now forecast 11% penetration by 2025, while Morgan Stanley see’s a 7% penetration. In 2016 international EV sales increased with nearly 750,000 units (42%)  in spite of a low fuel price environment. One factor driving the change of heart are aggressive regulations to support environmental targets. In Norway electric vehicles now makes up 37% of new vehicle fleet amid government support while in China the Government aims to have EV’s make up 8% of new vehicles by 2018. Technology has also moved much faster than anticipated and battery cost, a long time stumbling block is coming down faster than anticipated, with some mega factories coming online within the next two years. Our hearts go out to the automakers that failed to notice the trend, RIP Fiat, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and the list goes on, not to mention Big Oil. 

2017 Week 3 Fiat Chrysler branded for just doing enough to comply on regulations

A report just released by the Californian Air Resouces Board indicated that advancement in electric vehicle technology is happening at a much faster pace than anticipated five years back. The report highlights the efforts by Tesla and Chevrolet to bring affordable and long-range vehicles to the market. The report found expanding charging networks, advancements in battery performance, decreasing cell costs, and the number of models available to the consumer as factors for the improved results. On the other hand, the Board states that not all automakers attack the challenges with the same vigor, with Honda and Fiat Chrysler named as company’s that just do the bare minimum to comply with regulations. We predict this will reflect in the various companies share prices five years from now when the next report take the pulse of the sector.

2017 Week 2 Fiat Chrysler on notice for cheating on its emmission tests.

Another one bites the dust as the Environmental Protection Agency this week put Fiat Chrysler on notice for cheating on its emission tests. Diesel Gate might be the best own inflicted wound by big auto fighting electric vehicles, forcing big brands such as Volkswagen and Mitsubishi to change strategy from pushing back to embracing the technology. Now Fiat’s CEO, Sergio Marchionne, who has been a fervent EV hater might be forced out or to change his stance. In our books, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person.

2016 Week 51 Self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivan now road ready

In May 2016 we reported on the Google (now Waymo) partnership to test self-driving technology with 100 Chrysler Pacifica Minivans. The partnership completed the first vehicles within an impressive six-month period. The partnership revealed the vehicle this week that will be driving on public roads coming 2017.

Following on the success of the Waymo (Google), Chrysler partnership automakers are flocking to the technology company to try and strike deals on self-driving technology. The latest company to announce that they are in talks with the IT giant is Honda. Honda announced that it approached Waymo to allow its vehicles to join testing in four US cities with Waymo’s self-driving technology. Honda targets commercial self-driving models by 2020. Other automaker’s that tried and failed to partner with Waymo includes Ford and GM.

2016 Week 34 Google partnership

Following on the recent partnership between Google and Fiat Chrysler formed around the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, where the two companies will build 100 self-driving minivans, Google is getting a step closer to its autonomous driving ambitions with the appointment of ex-Airbnb exec Shaun Stewart. Stewart’s appointment as director of the self-driving project is not a replacement for the position of Chris Urmson, the Google project’s technical director, who left in early August after he became unhappy with the direction the project is taking.

TOOLS TO COMPARE ELECTRIC VEHICLES

We have designed some cool tools to compare electric vehicles. Our tools include a mobile app, charging cost calculator and EV selector. Use wattEV2Buy’s proprietary tools to find the ideal EV for your requirements and determine the cost of charging EVs.