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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.” 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Chrysler Electric Vehicles
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
2017 Week 30 FCA joins yet another self-driving alliance
2017 Week 30 Half of Fiat Chrysler line-up to be electrified by 2022
2017 Week 26 Pacifica plant shutdown ended
2017 Week 13 Sergio Marchionne is warming to electric vehicles
“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.”2017 Week 7 Forecast for EV sales adjusted significantly upwards, Fiat Chrysler strategy not geared
2017 Week 3 Fiat Chrysler branded for just doing enough to comply on regulations
2017 Week 2 Fiat Chrysler on notice for cheating on its emmission tests.
2016 Week 51 Self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivan now road ready
2016 Week 34 Google partnership
Top 5 EV News Week 32 2020
Top 5 EV News Week 32 2020 | Cadillac Lyriq unveiled. Yet another Chinese EV startup IPO. Three new EV models launched this week.
Top 5 EV News Week 31 2020
Top 5 EV News Week 31 2020 | Successful IPO for CHJ Auto, Kandi finally enters the USA, Mitsubishi pays the cost for failing EV strategy.
Top 5 EV News Week 30 2020
Top 5 EV News Week 30 2020 | Chengdu Auto Show, Hozon Neta IPO, VW invest in China, eVito Tourer for sale