Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) plans to reveal a fully electric vehicle based on the Chrysler Pacifica at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month.
The carmaker will show the all-electric Pacifica minivan model at CES instead of the Detroit Auto Show.
CES has become a very important show for automakers, which tend to debut high-tech models with electric drive, connected features or autonomous driving at that event.
Last year, General Motors showed the Chevrolet Bolt EV there. BMW, Mercedes-Benz unit and Volkswagen all presented vehicles with new technology ideas in Las Vegas.
Citing unnamed sources knowledgeable about the plans, Bloomberg said FCA also is working on an electric Maserati sports car intended to compete with Tesla.
The two models mark a shift in strategy for CEO Sergio Marchionne, who has been reluctant to invest in electric cars because he thinks they won’t be profitable for at least several years. Carmakers are being pushed in multiple markets to develop electric cars to meet stricter emissions rules.
FCA already sells a plug-in hybrid version of the Pacifica minivan. The Pacifica is also the model that FCA and Google are using to jointly develop self-driving vehicle systems.
[source: Bloomberg]
