What do people really want out of a vehicle? At a bare minimum, they need it to get from point A to point B—a need any vehicle moving under its own power should meet. But after manufacturers endlessly researched the ideal number of cupholders and moved on to orchestrating dance moves with flashing lights and flailing doors, we had to wonder if the industry is making better cars or just different cars? The new 2024 Chrysler Halcyon all-electric concept sedan strives to strip back the noise, presenting occupants with what they need, only when they need it.
The Halcyon doesn’t even have an instrument panel—a step beyond Tesla dropping gauge clusters—and uses a single 15.6-inch retractable touchscreen. It seems the Halcyon concept gives us Chrysler’s ideal picture of how connected cars and smart devices can be thoughtfully integrated into our lives, putting its customer-focused Harmony in Motion philosophy into action.
The Basics
Proposing a new sedan amid America’s love affair with SUVs might seem somewhat pointless, but Chrysler brand CEO Christine Feuell believes the right features packaged in an engaging way can still capture consumers’ hearts. The success of the Tesla Model 3 suggests she is right, though Chrysler’s 2025 release is still an electric SUV. Work remains to be done to bring back sedans’ mass appeal, but the Chrysler Halcyon concept proposes ambitious ideas that might be ready for consumers somewhere down the line.
The design is immediately captivating, with an aerodynamic shape made of 40 percent glass. The long, sloping roof-to-road windshield gives an unobstructed view except for the Air Blade device directing air over it. According to Chrysler, the gently displaced atmosphere glides off the pointed LED tail as the STLA Large EV platform efficiently converts electrons into clean and quiet forward momentum.
The glass gives a distinct look that is sustainable to manufacture and infinitely recyclable, and it doesn’t require paint or the pollutants that come with it, Chrysler says. Films like the Hombre Black and copper edges of the doors offer a paint alternative. The Elemental Silver paint that is present mimics recycled metals, but maybe it won’t have to pretend by the time something like the Halcyon enters production. The Solar White laser-etched suede headliner is 73 percent rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) that uses plastic waste from water bottles. Textile-infused wood replaces non-recyclable materials, and only non-leather trim finds its way onto the car.
Even the redesigned Chrysler wing logo—first unveiled on the Airflow concept—is made of crushed compact discs. Materials like this will eventually begin showing up in new Chrysler products, contributing to Stellantis’ Dare Forward plan to reduce its carbon footprint by 50 percent by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2038.
The red-carpet entry may sound extravagant, but it has practicality. The front and rear doors open in opposite directions, revealing a pillarless entryway with a hinged roof panel that raises to improve head room. The front seats slide toward the center of the car, and the steer-by-wire system allows the steering wheel to stow away with pedals that retract flush into the floor during entry or Level 4 autonomous driving with STLA AutoDrive.
Sounds Like Science Fiction
Chrysler vice president of product management Dhruv Chadha put the progressive features of the Halcyon’s Smart Cockpit into context for us. It’s a marvelous dream, but it undoubtedly will make Luddites cringe. If cars could successfully interact with us the way he describes, they really could streamline our daily activities and enhance our leisurely endeavors—the main idea of Harmony in Motion.
The Chrysler Halcyon concept can in theory monitor traffic conditions to send updates if you need to leave for your drive earlier than planned. Magnetic sensors in your home could then monitor when you leave. Imagine living in an apartment building, and as you head for the elevator, your Halcyon leaves its parking space to meet you on the street. A magnetic tag you carry would alert the car to load your personal settings. What if it could somehow know you need to put an object in the back seat? The Halcyon introduces what was loosely referred to as “next gen” Stow ‘n Go seating, and it could automatically stow the back seat into the trunk to make room for cargo when you don’t have a free hand.
Chrysler wants the massive glass windshield to make augmented reality more than a novelty. Such a windshield might display vehicle data. Or, as Chadha mentioned, the ability for passengers to enjoy an autonomous ride outside the city while stargazing as the Halcyon highlights constellations. It could display your pictures as you drive past a previous destination to share with a growing family. For more utility, video calls could be displayed. Instead of a huge always-there display, the glass allows the tech to completely disappear for some much-needed digital detox after a long day.
After arriving at a destination, STLA AutoDrive would allow the Halcyon to drive off and find a wireless charging spot, with augmented reality projecting alerting pedestrians of its actions on the way. Practical wireless EV charging technology doesn’t exist yet, but Chrysler is actively working with partners to develop it for parking spaces and roads.
Back to Reality
These ideas are all well and good, but what can we expect to see Chrysler put into action from this experiment? Many features of the Smart Cockpit and STLA Brain cloud-based OTA update network are market ready, and we may see them in the 2025 EV crossover we expect to be heavily based on the Airflow concept revealed last year. The lone touchscreen can be hidden and displayed vertically or horizontally, and it seems plausible we’ll see such a feature soon in a real car.
If the sensor-tracking bit makes you reach for a foil hat, we understand. Where is the data stored, and how hackable is that system? It’s a cool idea, but it hinges on government approval of Level 4 autonomy, and the technology is sure to continue outpacing regulations. The same goes for a wireless charging network, especially the Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer (DWPT) pitched for roads. A DWPT road would make EV adoption a lot easier and would give a real advantage over combustion vehicles because EVs wouldn’t have to stop at all to power up.
In reality, we could see the proposed 3D graphene 800-volt lithium-sulfur batteries the Halcyon would use come to light. Chrysler is investing in their development and says the tech adds 200 miles of range in five minutes while reducing the carbon footprint by 60 percent compared to today’s batteries that use cobalt, magnesium, or nickel. “Supermaterial” developer Lyten says these batteries contain twice the energy density of lithium-ion and are 40 percent lighter.
But the No. 1 feature? That next-gen Stow ‘n Go. Why has the Pacifica been gatekeeping for so long? It isn’t going anywhere—with a speculated battery electric version coming and a confirmed refresh following the new crossover’s launch next year—but give it up, old-timer; the public loves it and wants to see it on more vehicles. Fresh ideas for the seat-hiding system could make the entire new lineup attractive to buyers as Chrysler builds upon the Pacifica’s continued success and the company’s history of innovative designs and concepts.
What’s In a Name?
Concept cars are an opportunity for designers to manifest their most ambitious ideas. Initial sketches and pitches this time around were open to the entire Chrysler design team, and the result is a distinct less-is-more approach. Considering ideas are not subject to budgets or technological limitations, that says a lot about where the designers’ heads and desires are, explaining the reference to a memory of happiness, joy, and purity in the Halcyon name.
The Chrysler Halcyon concept car has no shortage of cutting-edge technology, but it is simple in execution. Instead of longing for the past, Chrysler put its best ideas together in hopes of reigniting and adding to the memories many of us have of cruising the open road for no reason at all. Remember when “let’s go for a drive” was a thing people used to say? Chrysler does, and it wants to prove it’s still possible to feel that way in a connected and electric future. At the very least, the recycled wing logo will remind us of the halcyon days when the CDs went inside the car.
