Chrysler Halts Electric SUV Development, Tells Suppliers to Stop Spending

Remember the Chrysler Airflow electric crossover concept from a few years back? That’s OK, I forgot, too. It’s a bummer that Chrysler’s been so quiet about the Airflow, because it could’ve acted as the brand’s EV flagship during its transition from an aging minivan-maker to a more aspirational brand. Unfortunately, things are looking even worse for the stylish concept today. First reported by Mopar Insiders, Chrysler has now confirmed to The Drive that the Airlow has been shelved for the time being.

“Chrysler brand CEO Chris Feuell confirmed the program is paused for now as we assess the market and our customers’ needs and wants,” a brand representative told The Drive late Monday. “She added that as the Chrysler brand celebrates its 100th anniversary this summer, the future for Chrysler is bright with a refreshed Chrysler Pacifica coming in 2026, a new crossover coming soon after and a third product, inspired by the Halcyon concept, to follow.”

This isn’t the first setback for the Airflow. In 2023, Stellantis design boss Ralph Gilles told MotorTrend that the project had been restarted from a blank slate, as Feuell wanted to go in a different direction. “She wanted a statement that had literally zero to do with anything that you have seen today, even the Airflow concept car,” Gilles said. Given the recent news, it seems there may not be any direction at all for the Airflow moving forward.

The Airflow was supposed to be built on Stellantis’ STLA Large platform—the same one that underpins the new electric Dodge Charger and Jeep Wagoneer S—under the codename C6X(CA). A source close to Mopar Insiders sent the site a screenshot of an email, seemingly as part of a group correspondence from Stellantis to part suppliers.

“Dear Supplier, the C6X(CA) program has been put on hold until further notice. Therefore, any spending associated with this program should be suspended immediately.”

If legitimate, this email isn’t an absolute cancellation of the project, but it’s not an encouraging sign, either. Stellantis isn’t in a comfortable spot right now, especially with U.S. sales either flatlining or dropping each year since 2021. It isn’t entirely surprising that Chrysler would kill an already high-cost project that was then restarted from scratch. That doesn’t mean the Chrysler brand itself is dead, though.

Last week, Feuell told CNBC that Chrysler isn’t going anywhere. “Chrysler brand is here to stay,” Feuell said. “It is being well invested in. The brand is not on the table for elimination, and it has a very bright future.” There’s reportedly a new large SUV in the works—the statement above appears to allude to it—and Car and Driver received similar intel that the stylish Halcyon concept should reach production in some form, too. “Chrysler brand CEO Chris Feuell has said that we are working to develop a production version of the Chrysler Halcyon concept at some point in the future, but did not confirm timing,” the outlet reported on January 9. Any funding that was previously going to the Airflow could now be going toward that.

There seems to be a lot of flip-flopping, uncertainty, and brand devaluing at Chrysler, but if one car comes out of this fiasco, I sure hope it’s the Halcyon. The stunning four-door electric sports sedan would act as a fine electric flagship, showing customers that Chrysler is no longer just a minivan-making afterthought. Hopefully, Stellantis doesn’t cancel that, too—otherwise, then there actually may not be a way forward for the once-great brand.

Update January 14, 2025, 9:35 a.m. Eastern: Added Chrysler’s response confirming the Airflow’s development pause.

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