The Chrysler Portal was first introduced to us at the Detroit Auto Show as a concept model that crossed the stage as a fully electric minivan.
Do you know what the Chrysler Portal is? While this sounds like a way to move through worlds or into different periods of time similar to what you’ve seen in science fiction movies, it’s actually a vehicle. Now, we’ve found out, this minivan will show up and go into production in 2020 as a battery-electric minivan for the market to experience.
Will the Portal Replace the Pacifica?
Didn’t Chrysler just begin to offer us the Pacifica as the most advanced minivan on the market? Doesn’t the Pacifica offer a hybrid powertrain for us to choose from? The answer to both of these questions is “yes.” The new Portal won’t be replacing the Pacifica on the market, instead, it will be sold alongside the Pacifica as a fully electric minivan that can be perfect for the drive needed. This could be the minivan that will replace the Pacifica for Waymo, but that’s the only way this van will replace the Pacifica at all.
What is Waymo?
The Waymo company is part of Google and is a subsidiary that operates a fleet of autonomous Pacifica Hybrid models that are used for ride-sharing services. The plan is to offer another 62,000 self-driving vehicles on the road to allow us to have a great fleet to drive and enjoy on the roads. The new Portal will be an electric option that can fit into what Waymo desired which is to offer a whisper-quiet operation in its entire fleet of vehicles that can be used for the ride-sharing around some of the largest cities in the country.
A Development for the Future of FCA
Eventually, the goal between Chrysler and Waymo is to have the autonomous technology offered by Waymon to make its way to the FCA vehicles that will be offered in the future. This means, there may be a large collection of Portal models that offer the electric drive on the road with the innovations needed. This movement forward could mean that Waymo might want to offer the models used as self-driving taxis in the future so that more people can take advantage of the services offered by this company.
Another Change in the Chrysler Lineup
The current version of the Chrysler 300 is expected to go out of production in 2020. This was part of the plan, even before the announcement of making the Portal a model that would go into production in the future.FCA has been in the process of adjusting its sedan strategy for a while and will continue to make space for the models that have been popular and profitable in recent years. We may see a market where the Portal and Pacifica are the only models offered with the Chrysler name in the near future.
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