Chrysler May Be Shutdown by 2030
Things have gotten a little hairy for the Chrysler brand in the last 12 months. Back in December 2023, after discontinuing the Chrysler 300, a great vehicle by the way, Chrysler announced that it was perfectly content being a one-model automaker with the Chrysler Pacifica making up the lineup. Despite this claim, Chrysler also has a battery-electric vehicle (BEV), the Halcyon concept floating around the internet. In August 2024, the heir to the Chrysler name made a nasty report about wanting to reshape the brand, and Stellantis responded to Frank B. Rhodes by simply brushing him off. Now, it seems like Chrysler is going to be discontinued altogether.
Back in 2021, shortly after Stellantis was formed from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the PSA Group, the new CEO, Carlos Tavares, decided to throw his weight around. First, he tried to change the name of two Jeep vehicles, the Grand Cherokee and Cherokee, because they’re “insensitive”. He also complained about the industry going electric and not seeing a bright future for Stellantis in that aspect. Then, Tavares made an announcement that shook the auto group – get it together within a decade or you’re getting shut down.
Clearly, a lot of the major players took this threat seriously. We’ve got the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT electric vehicle, the Ram 1500 REV, and the Jeep Wagoneer S all being released within the next year. Out of the big four, Chrysler is the only one that isn’t moving forward. If anything, the automaker is moving backward, holding onto its minivan. Sure, Chrysler is the inventor of the modern minivan, and many people love the Chrysler Pacifica. That doesn’t make the automaker safe, however; not by a longshot.
Recently, Tavares reported that certain “decisions” are going to be made about its struggling brands in the next two to three years. With plans to check in on individual brands now that the Dare Forward 2030 business plan is in full throttle, it’s time to move it or lose it. That time frame gives us a hint about when these “decisions” will be made – somewhere around the five year mark. Dare Forward was announced in early 2022, so by 2026 or 2027. With a lot of new battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) coming out next year (2025), the deadline is closer than it seems.
“We will review each brand’s performance at about two-thirds of the way through the “Dare Forward 2030” plan, so you could expect decisions in two to three years…So far we delivered on our commitments. We already launched the STLA Medium platform, which debuted with the Peugeot 3008 and, when needed, we re-scheduled some product launches due to changing conditions, but we did not cancel any.” – Tavares told Automotive News
The “2030” in the Dare Forward 2030 business plan is the official deadline for automakers to get their act together, so there might still be some hope left. Perhaps Stellantis will allocate some of its resources to brands that are struggling. At the same time, Tavares has already announced his retirement from CEO when his contract ends in early 2026. The successor has yet to be announced, but if they intend to rule with an iron fist, it’s sayonara to Chrysler.
While the brand is still kicking, find one of the remaining Chrysler 300 sedans, or a new Chrysler Pacifica at Aventura Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram.