Chrysler’s Cutting Edge Concept: Get Connected with the Future

For a generation weaned on Jetsons cartoons and Star Wars films, reality has failed to live up to the science fiction hype in many ways. Case in point: the automobile. Shouldn’t we be flying along sky highways by now, zooming through the air like George Jetson or Luke Skywalker?

Although Chrysler LLC has yet to perfect flying automobile technology (give them time), Messrs. Jetson and Skywalker might feel right at home in the cockpit of the new Chrysler 200C EV concept car. The vehicle made its much-acclaimed world debut in January at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

It’s no surprise the new cutting edge Chrysler concept has garnered wide praise from media outlets including the New York Times, which pronounced the Chrysler 200C EV “sleek, elegant … one of the Detroit show’s nice surprises.” After all, the car’s state-of-the art technology allows consumers unprecedented ability to combine their online and on-road worlds while driving a Chrysler ENVI Range-extended Electric Vehicle that would make Al Gore “green” with, well, envy.

“Chrysler is already offering a wide and diverse portfolio of connectivity and infotainment features under its popular uconnect umbrella,” said Frank Klegon, Executive Vice President — Product Development, Chrysler LLC. “The 200C EV concept demonstrates Chrysler’s ‘uconnect future’—a host of unique, trend-setting innovations that will ultimately provide unprecedented convenience to consumers.” So what does the future of transportation look like?

One striking characteristic is immediately noted—the absence of switches and levers. After all, who’s got time for unneeded knob turning and switch-flipping? It’s all in the touch when you’re in the “captain’s chair” of the 200C EV. All vehicle functions, settings and uconnect features are managed via a panoramic multimedia touch screen, a passenger-dedicated “techno-leaf” and a stowable tablet PC.

Cutting edge technology abounds in the 200C EV. The design team, charged with creating not just a concept car but, as described by Klegon, a “connectivity portal to the world outside,” concentrated on a trio of areas: convenience, socialization and synchronization.

Convenience

Step into the Chrysler 200C EV concept and the advanced connectivity system welcomes the driver, and operator-specific options display on-screen settings. Looking to spend some coin on the latest new jam before you head out on the road? System settings include radio with audio tagging—allowing occupants to purchase music by clicking on the Mopar® icon. The touch screen also offers control and access to Internet radio, stored MP3s, seating position and temperature adjustment.

For those “directionally-challenged” drivers (you know who you are), the 200C EV’s next-generation navigation system is just what the doctor ordered. Features include a link to city-street cameras, allowing vehicle occupants to view traffic situations in specific intersections, roadways and airport security terminals in real-time.

Taking the analogy between the driver’s seat and the airplane cockpit to the nth degree, the navigation system of the 200C EV is similar to that of an aircraft, offering the driver real-time weather data in order to make the correct driving decision. The advanced system can also anticipate fuel efficient routes and provide route recommendations to the driver.

Socialization

You know you’re staring through a peephole into the next generation of vehicle transportation when you hear concepts such as “vehicle networking” tossed around. Yes, the Chrysler 200C EV can “talk” with other vehicles and allow drivers to build their own vehicle networking systems (we’ve sure come a long way since the Model T!).

Using a format similar to existing Web sites such as Facebook and Twitter, other vehicles can be added to the 200C EV’s system which links “buddy” vehicles. Among other capabilities, this feature can show vehicle locations of friends, share directions and music, and provide “instant messaging” capabilities. Drivers can also create their own vehicle networking systems.

The 200C EV serves as a second home—complete with your own computer. Hidden in the dashboard of the vehicle is a personal computer that neatly slides out for front-seat passenger use. A simple touch to the smooth glass surface deploys the computer from the glove box.

The computer gives the front-seat passenger the ability to use the Internet, access the navigation system, run vehicle diagnostics and read the owner’s manual, among other capabilities. Need to check e-mail, take part in a video conference or check show times for your local theater? Go right ahead—all Internet features are accessible via the PC. The fun isn’t limited to the front seat. The personal computer can be passed from the front-seat passenger to passengers in the rear.

The compartment located below the techno-leaf is a charging station for personal mobile devices. Electronic devices can be charged by simply laying the unit on the charging pad. Rear passengers have access to a similar charging compartment under the cantilevered front-console arm rest.

Synchronization

In sync isn’t just the name of a former pop group—it’s the state in which your life could be behind the wheel of the Chrysler 200C EV. The vehicle, the home, the office—all can be in harmonious link with advanced system capabilities that include monitoring of the home and office, the ability to adjust home/office lighting and to power up home appliances and utilize intercoms.

The 200C EV also turns the concept of the car phone on its head, enabling owners to essentially “call” their car while at home, at work or at play. The system utilizes technology that links a “smart” phone to the vehicle. The phone can be programmed to allow vehicle start up and control of power windows and locks and the ability to set vehicle temperature.

Criminals, beware! An in-vehicle camera can monitor security of the vehicle, and in the event of a lost or stolen vehicle, the phone can disable the vehicle and locate it using satellite imaging. Busted!

The system can also be used to relay critical diagnostic information to the phone, keeping the owner apprised of vehicle systems, such as state of battery charge, in need of service or repair.

Green with ENVI

Is it possible to fashion a vehicle both eco-friendly and technologically advanced? Put simply: Hell, yeah!

The Chrysler 200C EV concept resolved the dichotomy between the high-tech and environmental worlds by utilizing Chrysler ENVI Range-extended Electric Vehicle technology (see sidebar and the January/February issue of Mopar Magazine for more). The concept boasts a driving capability of up to 40 miles on battery-only power—using zero gasoline and producing zero tailpipe emissions. The 200C EV also uses a small gasoline engine and integrated electric generator that produces electricity to extend the driving range to 400 miles.

The eco ethos doesn’t stop there. The Liquid Graphite Pearl exterior color of the concept vehicle is water-based and eco-friendly. In addition, the windows feature a Warm Bronze tint, helping to reduce air-conditioning loads.

The 200C EV may have been created in an ecologically responsible manner, but rest assured Chrysler’s strict design standards weren’t sacrificed in the process. Far from it, frankly, as the 200C EV is a game changer on the outside as well as the inside. The concept couples the organic form and language of Chrysler’s deep design roots with the noble proportions of the Chrysler 300 to create a modern product statement that appeals to both luxury and sports car enthusiasts.

“Chrysler’s latest concept vehicle combines the benefits of progressive, ENVI Range-extended Electric Vehicle technology—which offers nearly zero emissions during daily commutes—with a design that boasts a combination of modern shapes, a planted athletic stance with classic overtones and an undeniably luxurious interior,” said Klegon.

Modernity and elegant style are overarching characteristics of the concept. Modern graphic cues, such as the use of a dissipating dot matrix, are utilized throughout the concept vehicle as both functional and visual elements. The swept-back front end contributes to the vehicle’s aerodynamics. The headlamps and tail lamps are treated as dramatic sculptural elements on the vehicle and reinforce the organic form and function carried throughout the design theme. The clean body-side and restrained line work communicate an elegance achieved only when the minimalist rule of modern design is followed.

Leave it to Ralph Gilles, Vice President — Design, and creative mastermind behind the famed Chrysler 300C, to succinctly define the new concept:

“Designed for the car lover, the Chrysler 200C EV was inspired by Chrysler’s dynamic design legacy, and provides a glimpse at the possibilities for a next generation Chrysler performance sedan.”

The general consensus is in: if the future is the Chrysler 200C EV, then the future is bright indeed!

The Electric Company

The Chrysler 200C EV concept is just one in a rapidly growing stable of vehicles developed by ENVI—representing the first four letters of “environmental”—Chrysler LLC’s in-house organization formed in 2007 to focus on electric-drive production vehicles and related advanced technologies.

Chrysler trotted out three new advanced electric-vehicle prototypes in September 2008: the Dodge Circuit EV, Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited EV and Chrysler Town & Country EV. Refreshed versions of those three prototypes joined the duo of the 200C EV and the Jeep Patriot EV, which made their debuts at the Detroit auto show, creating a “Fab Five” lineup of Chrysler electric-drive vehicles.

The five distinct vehicle platforms are tangible proof of Chrysler LLC’s commitment to electric-drive offerings. Chrysler has slotted production of at least one electric vehicle for North American markets by 2010, with three additional models to follow in 2013.

For additional information and news from Chrysler LLC, visit the company’s brand Web sites at www.chrysler.com, www.jeep.com and www.dodge.com.