Chrysler Halcyon Concept Looks Into The Far Future With Unlimited Range And A Stargazing Driving Mode
This morning, Stellantis unveiled its newest electric concept car, the Halcyon, for its Chrysler brand. It's worth noting that with the departure of the Chrysler 300, Chrysler has exactly one car in its stable, the Pacifica. While some concepts are a little more ready for primetime, the Halcyon is a look toward what the future of Chrysler and Stellantis as a whole might look like. It boasts features that, while grounded in reality, are still quite a ways away from showing up in your driveway.
Looking from the outside, Chrysler seems to have borrowed at least a little bit of the vibe of its Chrysler ME Four-Twelve concept from 2004. The concept is a four-door design, but calling it a mere "sedan" doesn't exactly do its butterfly-hinged doors justice. It features huge 22-inch wheels fitted with specially made Pirelli tires for lower rolling resistance. The inside sports a wall-to-wall screen for the dashboard and the big center tablet that's customary on seemingly every EV. It also includes a yoke-style steering wheel for that extra futuristic EV flair.
The rear seats can also retract into the trunk using Chrysler's "Stow 'n Go" feature that first saw use in its minivans. The Halcyon's interior also reportedly uses upwards of 95% recycled materials. The Chrysler logo itself is made out of crushed CDs.
Chrysler's electrified future plans.
As for the technology under the Halcyon's futuristic hood (if you can call it that), Stellantis says it will use Level 4 autonomous driving features meaning that it can drive itself in most situations, including automatically planning around traffic conditions and controlling the vehicle with your voice. With the automation comes Stargazing Mode. In this mode, the front windshield dims and the driver can relax and enjoy an augmented reality experience while the Halcyon takes over driving duties and informs you of different stars and constellations that may be overhead.
As for range and power, Stellantis says it will use Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer to give the Halcyon unlimited range as it will draw power from the very roadway it's using. Obviously, this technology doesn't exist in any appreciable scale as of yet, but that doesn't mean the idea isn't cool. The concept hosts an 800-volt architecture and it uses lithium-sulfur batteries as opposed to batteries that rely on materials like nickel and cobalt, which can be taxing to acquire.
Since it's a concept that uses technology that mostly doesn't exist in any consumer car at the moment, it will be a long time until we see anything like the Halcyon show up at a Chrysler dealership parked next to Ram trucks and Jeeps. But that doesn't mean Chrysler shouldn't be ready for an electrified future. Plus, showing off cool designs for the internet to get excited about is always welcome in the automotive community.
Chrysler plans to have a full EV by next year with an entirely electric lineup by 2028.