Over the past few weeks, Chrysler’s social media channels have been sharing teaser images; today the full story has been revealed. The new vehicle is the Chrysler Halcyon concept, created to showcase futuristic technology under development from advanced self-driving to a glass augmented-reality ceiling.
No model year has been given to the Chrysler Halcyon concept, but it is designed to live in a world that it is at least a few years away. Chrysler (the marque) is planning to launch their first battery-electric vehicle in 2025, en route to an all-electric lineup in 2028, but this Halcyon Concept looks a bit too futuristic to hit the market in ten months. However, if even some aspects of this car make it to production, Chrysler could have a premium sedan to lineup to rival the likes of the Tesla Model S and the Porsche Taycan.
“The Chrysler Halcyon Concept creates a level of serenity that fully represents the Halcyon name. The Halcyon showcases innovative and sustainable mobility solutions that embrace technology and offer value to customers while delivering ‘Harmony in Motion,’” said Chris Feuell, head of Chrysler. “The Chrysler Halcyon Concept brings to life a fully electric tomorrow through new technology suites from Stellantis that integrate with simple and pure aerodynamic design and a seamless, connected and immersive cockpit experience.”
STLA Large Electric
Before getting into the key features of the Chrysler Halcyon Concept, we should get through what few drivetrain details are offered. This concept car is an electric vehicle. It is built on the STLA Large chassis platform (the same platform as the upcoming Dodge Charger EV, gasoline-powered Dodge Charger, and Jeep Wagoneer S). It showcases the STLA AutoDrive system, which includes level 4 autonomous driving—this car can fully drive itself. During the press conference for this car, videos showed the Halcyon in action driving itself, while the “driver” and front passenger relaxed and enjoyed the interior amenities.
No power or range numbers are known; the Chrysler Halcyon Concept is powered by 800V lithium-sulfur batteries, which have a 60% smaller carbon footprint than current EV batteries. The Halcyon includes Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer, which allows it to charge without actually being plugged in through induction. This means owners can use a charging pad at home or at work; the car can also charge while driving on roadways with embedded charging systems. There aren’t many of these inductive charging roads around the world, but they do exist, including one small stretch in Detroit. If there are more of these roads, including cross-country highways, EV owners whose vehicles can charge wirelessly will be able to drive coast to coast without any range concerns.
A Futuristic Cabin
The Chrysler Halcyon Concept has an electric drive system that can’t fully be used yet due to limitations in charging infrastructure technology, but the interior has an even greater futuristic feel. During the press conference, much of the video footage of the car in action showed it without a steering wheel. Like the Tesla Model S, the Halcyon features a steering yoke rather than a steering wheel, and when the Chrysler EV is driving itself, the yolk collapses into the dashboard to free up space around the driver. The accelerator and brake pedal also fold away when the Halcyon is driving itself, creating what the company calls “a Zen-like environment”.
Vehicle information is displayed on the 15.6-inch tablet-like screen on the center console of the Chrysler Halcyon, but the glass canopy also uses an augmented reality system that provides information to the driver (such as historic route information) and adds features such as the Stargazing Mode, which highlights stars and constellations in the sky above. Occupants can also play games and watch movies as well, so the car keeps everyone entertained while it doing the driving.
A voice command can bring the steering wheel up. “Customized EV drive modes enhance the driving experience with selectable levels of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) support, and holographic elements in the HUD blend seamlessly into the real world for both navigation and gamification. The concept can gamify travel through mountainous ranges by identifying certain landmarks or marking best lap times.”
We aren’t sure if the feds will go for that “gamify travel” aspect, but it would be interesting if your car kept track of how long it took to get to work each day – allowing you to work on cutting down your lap times to and from the office.
Finally, the interior of the Chrysler Halcyon Concept has sporty front seats with the next generation of Stow N Go in the back; base portions retract into the trunk to free cargo space and to create more range of movement for the front seats. If a very tall driver or passenger gets into the Halcyon and finds leg room to be a bit tight, they can simply retract the back seat base into the trunk and move the front seat back into the space previously occupied by portions of the rear seat.
Sleek, Stylish Exterior
The Chrysler Halcyon Concept has a long, low, and curvy form similar to that of the Porsche Taycan and, to a lesser extent, the Tesla Model S. It has been designed with aerodynamics in mind, while the combination of flowing lines and sharp edges gives it a very futuristic feel – especially with the LED lighting systems. The headlights come from a thin strip that runs across the front end and the taillights use a similar design, with the key difference being that the taillights also extend out a bit to serve as a rear spoiler as well.
Since there is no engine up front, the hood area of the Halcyon is short, with aerodynamic sculpting leading from the front fascia, through the hood and over the glass canopy. Like many concept cars, it wears gigantic wheels and butterfly doors, with the front doors opening normally, the rear doors opening facing the front, and the small section of the roof above the doors flips up to make ingress even simpler. There is no need for tall passengers to duck as they get in or out of this car, as the roof gets out of the way for them.
The door system seems to be extremely intricate, so we question whether all of that will make it to production, but that setup certainly leads to some cool pictures of the Chrysler Halcyon Concept when it is all opened up.
Again, there is no model year designation for the Chrysler Halcyon Concept, as it is more about showcasing future technology than about forecasting a new model – and this concept certainly provides a look at what the company has in its pipeline. How much of that makes it to production stands to be seen, but if the company could come up with something similar to this for production, it could be a sought-after premium EV sedan.
