FCA highlights electrification intentions at CES 2020

CES has played host to some radical concepts and innovations in the past, and this year’s show is no exception, take the Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR concept for example! FCA has not fallen behind in showcasing what their engineers are working towards. The stand had the Airflow Vision concept which showcases what mobility might look like in the far future. Fiat showed off their Concept Centoventi designed to make electric mobility accessible to the masses. There were also three plug-in hybrids from Jeep.

Airflow Vision Concept

The Airflow Vision Concept revives an age old Chrysler moniker that debuts a brand new user experience. The exterior dimensions make it look like a mid-size crossover with sleek lighting elements on the front and rear. The body moulds over the wheels, giving the car a very clean appearance. While the exterior seems far from production, the interior seems plausible in a premium car within the next few years. There is a set of large screens on the inside that the occupants can personalise. The use of colours is said to be neutral and “calming” so as to create a relaxed travelling experience. It will be running on pure electricity, as is the case with most concept now, and thanks to that features a flat floor and a roomy cabin. The Airflow Vision does not belong to a particular brand currently, but it might preview design language for FCA in the future.

Fiat Concept Centoventi

A rather interesting concept from Fiat, the Centoventi is the company’s step toward mass electric mobility. The car will come painted in one colour from factory but a special “4U” program will allow customers to paint their cars and the personalisation doesn’t stop there, there will be four roof options, four bumpers, four rim options, and four wraps to choose from. This means customers won’t need to upgrade their cars every time a facelift comes out, they can just swap out the parts! The modular-ness continues on the inside with interchangeable compartments allowing the customer to add a storage compartment, seats or child-restraint systems. Even the car’s range can be customised depending on the customer’s needs, ranging from 96km to 480km.

Another highlight of the Centoventi is the fact that it can display messages on the outside of the car. On the tailgate of the car, while stationary, the driver can switch to messenger mode and type out messages to communicate with other road users.

Jeep

Jeep showed a range of upcoming plug-in hybrid vehicles including the Wrangler, Renegade and Compass that will bear the 4xe moniker. The electric power will definitely aid off-road ability with the instant torque on tap while also keeping the Jeep brand current in times of cleaner mobility. The brand also had a virtual reality experience for attendees that allowed them to tackle the infamous Hell’s Revenge Trail, using a Wrangler mounted on hydraulic cylinders that mimic the car’s movement in realtime and a virtual reality headset.

Earlier, CES was not about the cars, it was mainly a platform for tech companies to show off what their engineers have been working on and heading toward. Recently, with more and more technology being adopted into cars, and even tech companies like Sony making their own concept cars, CES has now evolved into a show where us petrolheads can get their share of fun too.