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Why Stellantis needs Chrysler

Stellantis has a secret weapon. It’s called Chrysler. Rumors swirled this year that the 96-year-old namesake brand of the former Chrysler Corp. could be on the chopping block, but Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares promptly shot them down. Now what? The brand has three nameplates: the 300 sedan, the Pacifica minivan and Voyager minivan, which is just an entry-level version of the Pacifica. Sedans and vans are not high priorities for most automakers, but they work for Chrysler. And because it is such a small brand, it has great opportunity. Consider the existing product line: The Pacifica is one of the best minivans you can buy. Stellantis has a lot of brands, but it doesnÂ’t have that many singular products that are at or near the top of their segments. The Pacifica is good, but the Pacifica Hybrid is unmatched. ItÂ’s an affordable, plug-in electric minivan thatÂ’s efficient and functional. ThereÂ’s nothing else like it on the market. The 300 is ancient, and unlike its platform mate, the highly evolved Dodge Charger, the 300 has languished. The 300 is still a decent premium sedan, but itÂ’s gone from trendsetter to afterthought. Chrysler needs a new 300 thatÂ’s different from the Charger and offers some kind of premium proposition. In this view, a rear-wheel-drive flagship thatÂ’s performance-oriented but civilized would work. The existing formula, essentially, just updated. ThereÂ’s a lot of equity in the 300 nameplate, and frankly the Chrysler brand needs vehicles, so killing this sedan doesnÂ’t make a lot of sense. Find an identity and make it work.  2021 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle View 19 Photos A revitalized 300 and a winning Pacifica buy some time. Then? Just two more vehicles would make Chrysler considerably stronger. Resist the urge to go with a sports car, which would drain time and resources. Did the Crossfire do anything for Chrysler? Even if they nail it, itÂ’s still a niche vehicle. Instead, go for the obvious — but make it interesting. A midsize crossover with an amazing interior and a plug-in powertrain, like the Lincoln Aviator, would do the trick. Offer two- and three-row variants. This might bump up against Jeep and its Wagoneer family. DonÂ’t worry, Jeep will be fine. This is about resuscitating Chrysler. Do something clever with the suspension (again, like the Aviator and its Mustang-derived chassis) or add some kind of conversation-starting technology, like VolvoÂ’s safety features. The other model should be all-electric.

Stellantis reveals STLA Large platform with EV and ICE support

Hot on the heels of a Jeep Wagoneer S teaser and photos of the prototype next-generation Dodge Charger (or Challenger), comes a reveal and details of what will likely underpin both of them: the STLA Large platform. It's one of multiple Stellantis flexible architectures that will be the basis of its upcoming electric cars, and apparently internal combustion ones, too. Stellantis says the STLA Large platform will be for D- and E-segment cars, crossovers and SUVs. In other words, it will be for midsize and large vehicles. For reference, lengths supported will be from 187.6 to 201.8 inches, and width will range from 74.7 to 79.9 inches. It will be highly flexible, too, with Stellantis claiming significant amounts of adjustability in overhangs, wheelbase, suspension placement and powertrain arrangement. The powertrain flexibility is quite impressive. Front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive layouts will be supported. Single- and dual-motor layouts will be on offer. Internal combustion will be available, too, either on its own or as a hybrid. Apparently engines can be fitted either longitudinally or transversely, too. Battery packs with between 85 and 118 kWh of capacity will be offered, with Stellantis claiming that sedan-style vehicles could have a range of up to 500 miles. The packs will also be available in 400- and 800-volt designs. Stellantis noted also that the platform can "easily accept future energy storage technologies when they reach production readiness." This seems to hint that the company is looking at different battery chemistries and maybe even solid-state batteries that could be added more easily in the future. Furthermore, the platform is designed to handle impressive output. Stellantis says that some models on the platform will have 0-to-62 mph times in the 2-second range. Limited-slip differentials for improved power delivery and wheel-end disconnects for reduced mechanical drag are also on the table for this platform. All of these details fit well with the information previously given for the concept Dodge Charger Daytona Banshee and Jeep Wagoneer S. The former was previewed with both battery voltage architectures and a wide range of electric powertrains with between 456 and 670 horsepower depending on specification and upgrades. And that's just for the 400-volt system; the 800-volt option wasn't detailed. We've also seen photos of the Charger chassis seemingly with provisions for gas engines, likely versions of the Hurricane I6.

Waymo heads to Atlanta to test its self-driving cars

Waymo continues to expand the pool of locations where it's testing its autonomous vehicle tech, and the latest destination is metro Atlanta. The former Google self-driving car company revealed the news on Twitter, noting that it's expanding considerably its geographic testing footprint now that it's got fully driverless test vehicles on the road in Phoenix. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Its test cars in cities outside of Arizona still have safety drivers at the wheel, but the more places it can get its Pacificas with autonomous tech on roads, the better for building an autonomous driving "brain" that can handle anything it encounters. Atlanta has some specific challenges, including bad traffic (commute and traffic issues are ranked among the worst locations in the U.S.) and one of the more dense greater metro areas in the U.S., and temperatures that regularly reach a humid 80+ degrees Fahrenheit. Metro Atlanta marks Waymo's 25th test city in total, including its recent return to San Francisco. Its testing so far has consisted of mapping the city with manually driven Waymo vehicles ahead of launching its testing program in full. A Waymo spokesperson provided the following statement to TechCrunch regarding the expansion: Now that we have the world's first fleet of fully self-driving cars on public roads, we're focused on taking our technology to a wide variety of cities and environments. We're looking forward to our testing in Metro Atlanta, and the opportunity to bring this lifesaving technology to more people in more places. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal also provided the statement below: With our talented workforce and legacy of innovation, Georgia is at the forefront of the most dynamic, cutting edge industries like autonomous vehicles. We are thrilled to welcome Waymo to our state because fully self-driving vehicle technology holds tremendous potential to improve road safety, and we are proud Georgia is paving the way for the future of transportation. Reporting by Darrell Etherington for TechCrunch.Related Video: Image Credit: Waymo Green Chrysler Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles Waymo