We often talk about the expansiveness of human capabilities, but we never mention that what pushed them there was nothing but an urge to expand and improve on a consistent basis. We say this because the stated urge has already fetched the world some huge milestones, with technology emerging as quite a major member of the group. The reason why we hold technology in such an esteemed regard is, by and large, predicated upon its skill-set, which guided us towards a reality that nobody could have ever imagined otherwise. Nevertheless, if we look beyond the surface for one hot second, it will become clear how the whole runner was also very much inspired from the way we applied those skills across a real world environment. The latter component, in fact, did a lot to give the creation a spectrum-wide presence, and as a result, initiated a full-blown tech revolution. Of course, the next thing this revolution did was to scale up the human experience through some outright unique avenues, but even after achieving a feat so notable, technology will somehow continue to bring forth the right goods. The same has turned more and more evident in recent times, and assuming one new automotive-themed development ends up with the desired impact, it will only put that trend on a higher pedestal moving forward

Chrysler, a Stellantis-owned company, has officially unveiled its brand-new Chrysler Halcyon Concept vehicle, which builds upon the company’s pledge to deliver sustainable exterior and interior design, along with full autonomy, personalized driving experiences, and futuristic technology. Supported by Stellantis’ STLA Large platform, Chrysler Halcyon Concept is able to offer you an aerodynamic, streamlined and uncompromising exterior. You see, featuring dramatic sculptural styling, the vehicle comes bearing a subtle-yet-functional front air blade aerodynamic pass-through area which goes a long way to enhance performance and the all-important BEV range capability. This pass through area is visible from the cockpit so to let the driver access a real-world connection with the concept’s performance and functionality. More on enhancing driver’s experience would involve vehicle’s windshield which extends out to the edges of the front end and elongates the cockpit to create a wide sweeping view, thus connecting the driver to the road. Anyway, next up, we must talk about the thin, clean, cross-car front LED headlamp which, centered on the new LED-lit Chrysler wing logo, boasts adaptive capabilities. Joining the same would be front air curtains that are designed to direct air flow for optimal aerodynamic performance. Markedly enough, there is a distinctive vehicle character line travelling around the concept. The purpose of this character line is to ground vehicle and protect purity of the embedded proportions. The concept further has thin blade-like side mirrors housing cameras for a slimmer aero profile. However, beyond the point of look and feel, the vehicle also offers real technological prowess, as autonomous entry into the vehicle eliminates the need for door handles. Then, there is a warm Acrylic-tinted butterfly-hinged canopy available as a third door, a canopy which works in symphony with the red-carpet-style side doors to offer spacious ingress and egress.  Integrating the exterior and interior for the purpose of conceiving seamless views, this canopy even works alongside an expansive windshield, and rear hatch work to provide an immersive experience. The vehicle’s rear boasts its own unique silhouette, bearing a water line that emphasizes the width and shoulders of the car. Shoring prospects at the back is a camera which serves as a futuristic rearview mirror. In practice, this translates to projecting rearview to the console or to the cross-car screen located just above the footrest.

Before we close the lowdown on Chrysler Halcyon Concept’s exterior, we need to acknowledge the presence of an Active Aero Technology. Packing together a sliding rear lower aero diffuser created from lightweight composite material, a rear spoiler, and air suspension, the technology in question has the primary responsibility of enhancing efficiency and driving dynamics. Another exterior highlight is its undercarriage which has been designed to incorporate emerging inductive charging technology. In simple terms, this refers sensors integrated in the vehicle communicating with sensors under the road to charge the battery and provide unlimited range.

Moving on to the interior, Chrysler Halcyon Concept has an almost 360-degree range of view, thriving alongside the vehicle’s duality that delivers a “digital detox” cockpit through stress-free autonomous features. This autonomous edge is only further accentuated by a capability to take control and experience an engaged, dynamic driving environment. Made to be intimate, natural, and futuristic, the vehicle’s interior is notably created using 95% sustainable materials. Talk about specifics here, it has a sculpted cockpit centered through a cross-car pillar-to-pillar transparent display to help drivers enjoy a forward-looking view of information without asking them to take their eyes off the road. Deepening that convenience aspect is a stowable 15.6-inch console screen which can be rotated for either portrait or landscape orientation. The console has the means to assist you during the initial set-up process, and for quick access to information later on. As we are discussing displays, the vehicle has one augmented-reality full-screen head-up display (HUD) too. This display will share important driving information, such as speed, charge status and more. It gets better because we do have Stellantis proprietary AI system in place here to let drivers ask any questions. In case you are worried about the available information’s relevance over an extended period of time, then we must acknowledge how Chrysler has integrated STLA Brain technology to deliver at your disposal over-the-air (OTA) updates. Anyway, the stated Stellantis’ AI system also allows you to diagnose issues and communicate OTA solutions without visiting a dealership. Making the vehicle’s display technology even more impressive is a fact that it can be controlled by voice recognition commands.

Next up, we can get into Chrysler Halcyon Concept’s decision to completely eliminate the traditional instrument panel. Such a move would leave occupants with an optional footrest that runs the width of the car, and therefore, helps them in achieving a better sense of comfort. Interestingly, this isn’t the only place where the vehicle bucks a trend, considering it has also positioned the airbags around the cabin in a seamless creative solution, basically creating an open yet protected cabin. Solidifying that theme is the car’s reverse-yoke-designed steering wheel which can fold away. The said feature will be accessible in conjunction with retractable pedals, and retractable seats. Highlighting potential next-generation vision of Stow ‘n Go seating, these retractable seats, in particular, stow away either through voice commands or through biometric identification where it automatically spots groceries, pet kennels and more, and frees up space for the same.

“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, CEO 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.”

Hold on, there is a lot more left to unpack. For instance, we still haven’t how Chrysler Halcyon Concept will bank upon Stellantis’ AI virtual assistant to enhance driver’s experience using a set of explicit modes. Starting from the Prepare Mode, it is going to prep the driver for their day by notifying them about upcoming events. Furthermore, it will provide a personalized and seamless experience to help the vehicle establish connection with other connected devices, such as a smart phone or smart home thermostat.  Then, technologies like advanced STLA Brain, SmartCockpit technology, and Intelligent Cabin Comfort come in to analyze weather conditions and acknowledge your individual preferences before setting HVAC levels remotely. Taking things onto a whole new level are vehicle’s predictive navigation capabilities that sync with the driver’s calendar to prepare their vehicle for real-time traffic and navigation routing.

The second mode on our list is Welcome Mode, which springs to action when the vehicle recognizes the driver using biometric technology. Once it does, it makes a point to illuminate LED exterior lighting animation, and create personalized exterior sound, while simultaneously putting on the display a greeting to welcome the driver and help them feel a connected to the vehicle. This model is also responsible for leveraging Chrysler wing logos, which are functional, to communicate vehicle charge status. Furthermore, there is in place an air suspension mechanism to also assist you with ingress, something the vehicle achieves by lifting the low-profile vehicle as the driver enters the cockpit, keeping the entry height right.

Then, there is the Pre-drive Mode where Chrysler Halcyon Concept uses personalized vehicle cymatics like sound and vibrations mirrored through visuals to create a mood of the vehicle. So, assuming the driver prefers a calming or energetic sound, it can use those presets to share the exact sound. Enhancing the stated feature are these different sound frequencies that prompt corresponding product shapes on the console screen. So, for example, a calming sound would have a more dispersed particle pattern on the console screen, whereas spirited sound frequencies will create more energetic particle patterns. This again helps in breaking the wall and enabling the driver to resonate with their vehicle on a personal level.

Turning our focus to the Drive Mode, it brings to the fore a dynamic and personalized driving experience where drivers can essentially sit back, relax and let the Chrysler Halcyon Concept take control through its STLA AutoDrive technology platform. This platform is what gets Chrysler to provide Level 4 autonomous driving features, such as Stargazing Mode or take the wheel functionality, along with various other controls, and realize an intuitive driving experience. Accessible through voice recognition, the technology offers customized EV drive modes of its own to enhance the driving experience with selectable ADAS support levels. The vehicle here also puts on the offer these holographic elements available in its HUD augmented reality system. The stated elements can seamlessly blend into the real world to enable navigation and gamification, both at the same time.  This also includes a Memory Landmark feature which can pin areas of interest and previously visited locations during the drive.

Finally, there is an Exit Mode where one can access automated parking features, automatic transformation of seats, and ride height to accommodate vehicle egress. Chrysler Halcyon Concept’s smart exterior lighting further facilitates vehicle-to-pedestrian communication through indicator lighting, such as blinkers. The vehicle also leverages near-field projection to display “stopping” on the ground. Quite similar to the way it greeted you earlier, Chrysler’s latest brainchild communicates its send-off to you on the console screen, accentuating the same with animated lighting and sounds.

Among other things the vehicle will be expected to offer is a Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer (DWPT) technology, which like the name might suggest, can wirelessly recharge electric vehicles traveling over specially equipped and dedicated road lanes. To inform you on benefits with an example, DWPT will empower the vehicle to achieve unlimited range, meaning it can travel from a place like New York to Seattle without asking for a single charge along the way. For the future, this technology will also try and support the breakthrough Lyten 800V lithium-sulfur EV batteries that do not use nickel, cobalt or manganese, and therefore trigger a 60% reduction in carbon footprint than today’s best-in-class batteries.