Fiat Chrysler hosts virtual world for CES, showcases Jeep Wrangler 4xe in AR

Source: Fiat Chrysler

Since CES is a virtual event this year, companies need to adapt their usual showroom showcase into the digital space. Fiat Chrysler has done so with its virtual world where there will be 12 vehicles viewable in 3D. It will open first to CES attendees and then later to consumers. The experience will have a virtual brand ambassador, or you can explore on your own. Expect to see videos from the automaker's engineers and designers on the work and tech they've included in the cars.

Aside from that, Fiat Chrysler has partnered with Google to create an augmented reality version of its upcoming Jeep Wrangler 4xe. You'll be able to see the SUV's interiors or even place a 3D model of the car in your driveway to get a sense of its size. After CES, the automaker plans to make this experience available through Google Search.

Source: Engadget

You can read the rest of our CES stories over here.

1.25 million RAM pickups recalled by Fiat Chrysler for fatal software glitch

Fiat Chrysler is recalling 1.25 of its RAM pickups for what could be a fatal software glitch which could cause seatbelts and airbags to fail during a collision.

More than 1.25 million Ram pickup trucks are being recalled worldwide due to a software glitch that can cause some of the vehicles' airbags and seatbelts to fail during rollover. The problem, linked to one death and two injuries according to Fiat Chrysler, covers three different light and medium-duty versions of the full-size Ram pickup sold in North America, as well as other parts of the world between the 2013 through 2016 model-years, FCA said. 

That includes 1.02 million 2013-16 Ram 1500 and 2500 pickups, and 2014-2016 Ram 3500 trucks sold in the United States, along with 216,007 pickups shipped to Canada; 21,668 to Mexico; and another 21,530 sold outside North America.

Source: NBC News

Maserati plans to out an electric car by 2020

Maserati might be late in the electric car game but that isn’t stopping them from building their own EV. According to Fiat Chrysler (FC) engineering head Roberto Fedeli, Maserati’s EV might show up as soon as 2020—or possibly 2019. It won’t be like its competitors, though. It could possibly be a low-volume model like a grand-tourer instead of an SUV or large sedan. Fedeli says they want to try and bring something different to the market and it won’t be following in the footsteps of Tesla. In fact, he has a few choice words about Tesla, saying that “the execution and quality of the products of Tesla are the same as a German OEM in the 1970s. Their solutions are not the best.”

One of the big challenges Maserati faces with the EV is on the sporty driving experience and signature engine note the FC division has. They have to work on the lack of sound EV engines produce as well as the weight of the batteries. Another challenge is the electric car’s inability to be enjoyed like a sports car on a normal road is “inconsistent with the brand we are representing,” says Fedeli.

Source: Car And Driver

Google partners with Chrysler to out self-driving minivans

Google’s road to releasing self-driving cars has been bumpy, to say the least. But that isn’t stopping them from developing the technology. Google is now collaborating with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to put their technology into Fiat Chrysler minivans. According to Google: “FCA will design the minivans so it’s easy for us to install our self-driving systems, including the computers that hold our self-driving software, and the sensors that enable our software to see what’s on the road around the vehicle. The minivan design also gives us an opportunity to test a larger vehicle that could be easier for passengers to enter and exit, particularly with features like hands-free sliding doors.”

Don’t expect this to be available on showroom floors just yet though even if they plan to test it out on roads by the end of the year. At the moment, this just helps Chrysler leverage Google’s tech and Google find out how to integrate its technologies into the assembly line for future release of autonomous cars, or in this case minivans.

Source: Google | Via: The Next Web