Fiat Chrysler, or FCA, introduced its Portal concept car in a bid to win over millennials looking toward integrating technology and driving. Chrysler capitalized on the idea of “the third space” where younger generations are spending more time in between one place or another on the road.
This third space idea turned into the Portal which came alive on stage during FCA’s press conference at CES 2017.
Here’s what FCA presented, what we can expect from the show floor, and more from their CES press conference.
A Recap of the FCA Press Conference at CES 2017
Chrysler brought out its team of designers, engineers, and visionaries to discuss the Portal concept from start to finish. Looking towards the future, or the “fifth generation” of family transportation, Chrysler designed something between a minivan and sports utility vehicle with an open concept design.
Everything from the seats to consoles to doors function in ways outside the box. The car is open, letting sunlight and the environment into it whether one person is driving or its filled to the brim with family, friends, or coworkers.
The Portal is an electric car, boasting an impressive 250 miles on one charge drive time. In 20 minutes, the battery pack can be charged to go another 150 miles. Chrysler collaborated with Panasonic, Samsung, Magneti, and others to create a “device agnostic” car for the future.
Jam packed with device hubs for everybody in the car, conforming seats that change to the way you want to sit, and facial recognition software, the Portal is half Transformer/half Skynet rolled into one.
But there’s more! With 360 degree cameras, the car offers a level of visual safety paired with the ability to take photos and videos at will. The steering wheel can be stored when not in use and the on-board dash gives you all sorts of information on the world around you – and those in the car, too!
Just about everything in the Portal can be customized to your liking, giving you full control in the here and now on what your car is to you.
There’s a variety of technologies integrated into the Chrysler Portal, including:
- Emergency vehicle awareness
- Facial recognition and voice biometrics
- Near and far detection
- In-vehicle sharing
- Community display
- Passenger-to-passenger intercom
- Smart home integration
- In-vehicle mobile commerce
- Intelligent suggestions based on travel habits
- Personal zoned audio
- Gesture control
One of the more interesting features of the Portal is its personalized lighting. The lighting around the doors can be color-coded as you wish for a variety of purposes, such as picking up a friend at a busy event or if you rideshare to denote which car is yours to a prospective rider.
Final Thoughts
The Chrysler Portal is a sleek, sexy, odd looking concept electric car but FCA has hit the nail on the head when thinking to the future of travel. Whether it’s driverless cars or something to tide us over until that technology is ready to drive on its own, the Portal shows Chrysler has its team on the pulse of what the future of automobiles looks like.
Whether the future looks like Portal or not, sooner rather than later the smart cars of the future will be what we’re all driving (or not.)
Learn more about the Chrysler Portal concept car here.
