2005 Chrysler Crossfire Limited on 2040-cars

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Chrysler reportedly showed its dealers an electric 300 replacement

The Chrysler 300 is nearly ready to retire after almost 13 years in production. Details about its successor haven't been released, but a recent report claims that the Stellantis-owned brand privately showed some of its dealers an electric model that will take the sedan's torch. Citing anonymous dealer sources, enthusiast website Mopar Insiders wrote that the yet-unnamed model takes the form of a sedan with a fastback-like roof line. Some attendees drew a parallel between the EV and the prototype shown in renderings (pictured) in 2021; others pointed out its proportions and size are reminiscent of the Dodge Charger Daytona concept, which will reach production in the coming years. Nothing is official, but we wouldn't be surprised if the Charger Daytona spawns a Chrysler; the current-generation Charger shares its basic platform with the 300, after all, and building several vehicles on the same platform is a way for carmakers to reap economies of scale. One point worth noting is that Dodge executives have confirmed the architecture that will underpin the next Charger is compatible with the straight-six engine found in several Stellantis products. If it fits in the Dodge, it's reasonable to assume it fits in the Chrysler. Dodge hasn't announced plans to offer the Charger with the straight-six engine and neither has Chrysler; executives haven't revealed what comes after the 300, though company CEO Christine Fuell told Autoblog that there are "quite a bit of new products in our roadmap." The rumor echoes an earlier report that details an alleged 300 successor due out in 2026 with battery power, between 201 and 443 horsepower depending on the variant, and an 800-volt electrical architecture for faster charging. This hasn't been confirmed, however. As of writing, the only upcoming model that Chrysler has announced is a production version of the Airflow Vision we first saw as a very futuristic concept at CES 2020, as a more realistic design study at CES 2022, and with a black finish at the 2022 New York Auto Show. Regardless of whether the 300 gets replaced and what replaces it, at least Chrysler seemingly has a future — it was skating on perilously thin ice when Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and PSA Peugeot-Citroen merged to form Stellantis in 2021. Greg Migliore, Autoblog's editor-in-chief, argued in favor of keeping the brand alive, and dealers pleaded that letting the 97-year-old carmaker die wasn't an option.

Stellantis launching at least 25 EVs for America by 2030

Stellantis has announced a wide-ranging plan for the company through 2030 covering everything from product to financials. The product plans are what really caught our attention, particularly for the surprise reveal of the first electric Jeep, as well as new teasers of the electric Ram 1500. But the company also provided more broad details on what we'll be seeing in the future including both electric cars and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. All of the plans are in service of the Stellantis goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2038. On that way, it plans for all European vehicle sales and half of all American sales to be electric by 2030. It will launch 75 new electric vehicles by that year, and at least 25 of them will be coming to the U.S. The first of those electric cars will be the aforementioned Jeep in 2023, but many Stellantis models will follow close behind. The electric Ram ProMaster will launch in 2023 as well. In 2024, we'll see the electric Ram (and its plug-in hybrid counterpart), two more Jeeps (an off-road model and a family-oriented model) and the Dodge electric muscle car. We'll get a preview of the Dodge with a concept this year. Then in 2025, Chrysler will launch its electric car, likely based on the Airflow concept. Stellantis has previously announced Chrysler will be fully electric by 2028, and it further announced that Alfa Romeo and Maserati will be fully electric by 2030. Stellantis is also working on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, mainly for commercial use. For the U.S., it plans on offering a large, ProMaster-size hydrogen van in 2025. That year or a little later, it also has plans for a hydrogen heavy-duty pickup truck, presumably Ram 2500 and 3500. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares noted that among the benefits of hydrogen for large and commercial vehicles is being able to avoid compromising payload capacity, since hydrogen powertrains are lighter than giant batteries. Hydrogen filling times are quick relative to charging, too. The company will continue working on and offering advanced driver aids. This year it will offer hands-free cruise control like GM's Super Cruise and Ford's BlueCruise. In 2024, the company intends to introduce a system that is hands-free and won't require the driver to be watching it the entire time. The technology is being developed alongside BMW. These are, of course, broad plans, and they could change as time goes on. Expect more details as we get closer to individual product releases.

2013 Ram HD and Chassis Cab pickups are ready for work [UPDATE]

Auto enthusiasts often point to the pony car wars as the last bastion of one-upsmanship among Detroit's automakers, but the truth is, the pickup wars are every bit as competitive - if not more so. Auburn Hills keeps a ready eye on what their rivals in Dearborn and Detroit are doing, and vice-versa. Today, that battle is renewed with the introduction of Ram's 2013 Heavy Duty and Chassis Cab lines at the State Fair of Texas. Why a state fair? The Banner State is the perfect battleground for pickup supremacy, as Texas accounts for one of every five pickups sold in the U.S.
Towing and hauling metrics are poised for a substantial improvement. "... and not just by a little bit."
On the HD front, Chrysler is boasting that its brand-new heavies will bring best-in-class towing, torque, payload and Gross Combined Weight Rating, but thus far, it's declining to cite what those figures are. For the moment, though, Fred Diaz, President and CEO of Ram told us at an Auburn Hills background event earlier this month that key towing and hauling metrics are poised for a substantial improvement. "And not just by a little bit. I think we're going to shock the world," said Diaz.