Although reports have claimed Chrysler will not be building the Airflow EV concept, the brand’s chief designer, Ralph Gilles, cleared things up this week. Gilles said the Airflow concept was “just the beginning,” adding Chrysler’s first EV will take the brand in a new direction.
Once a prominent US automaker, Chrysler wants to revitalize its brand in the electric era. Under the Stellantis umbrella, including Jeep, RAM, Dodge, Fiat, Maserati, and others, Chrysler plans to go all-electric by 2028.
Although Chrysler has yet to release its first fully electric vehicle, the automaker showed a glimpse of what it could look like, revealing the Airflow EV concept last January.
Gilles, who took over as chief design officer for several Stellantis brands, including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Maserati, and Fiat in Latin America in January 2021, oversaw both the Dodge Charger SRT EV and Ram Revolution concepts.
Despite overseeing major project designs, Gilles said he is most excited about Chrysler’s first EV.
In May, Gilles said in an interview with Motortrend that the Airflow concept was “evolving in a new direction” under new CEO Chris Feuell, who took over in September 2021.
Chrysler Airflow concept (Source: Stellantis)
Gilles explained Feuell came into the position with a new eye. “Chris came at it with her perspective which we really enjoyed,” he said.
Under Feuell’s leadership, the team aims to beat the Airflow design with more modern features and tech-focused design, including new Stellantis technology.
Chrysler Airflow Graphite EV concept (Source: Stellantis)
Feuell said Airflow will not be the name of Chrysler’s first EV, and it also won’t be called an electric 300. She explained, “I don’t think it’s quite right for this product. It could be a great name for something that we bring out in the future. There is so much wonderful history and equity with the name so I wouldn’t want to rule it out for potential future use, but not for this one.”
Several media outlets took this as “the Airflow is dead,” but this was never the case. Gilles clarified the misconception, taking to his Instagram this week.
The design leader stated, “I must clear something up. I have been seeing so many articles saying that Chrysler isn’t building the Airflow EV,” adding, “Unfortunately misunderstanding me trying to explain that the design will evolve as we push the thesis even more under brand CEO Chris Fuell.”
Although the final product may not look exactly like the Airflow, it will still carry over many features from the concept.
Chrysler Airflow EV concept interior (Source: Stellantis)
For example, the Airflow included modern infotainment and connectivity tech, sustainable materials, and full (level 3) and assisted driving capabilities, all of which are still progressing.
The Airflow concept was based on Chrysler’s RU platform, used for the Pacifica hybrid, but the production version is expected to ride on Stellantis’s STLA large platform. The automaker revealed its STLA medium architecture earlier this month, the first of four due out globally.
Chrysler’s first EV is expected to launch in 2025 as it works toward an all-electric lineup by 2028.
Keyword: Chrysler says its first EV will forge a new path, Airflow concept was just the beginning