Over the last year, Stellantis has been throwing around the acronym “STLA” when referring to new consumer technologies the automotive group is working on to improve the user experience behind the wheel. With automakers etching their way into digital mobile living spaces now that just about everyone is working on an all-electric plan for future car models, the next step is to keep consumers connected while on the road. Features like this have been creeping up with systems such as Amazon FireTV in select Stellantis models, as well as the ability to talk to the Alexa smart speaker while on the road and use commands like, “Turn on the porch lights” – if Alexa-compatible porchlights are installed, anyway. Now with the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show going on this week (starting January 5, 2023), Stellantis will be sharing two large breakthroughs – the first all-electric Ram 1500 and the STLA SmartCockpit.

The all-electric Ram 1500 was teased when Stellantis shared its “Dare Forward 2030” business strategy. Just about every automaker released a business plan for the rest of the decade around the same time, with Stellantis announcing a lineup of 75 new battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) by the end of the decade. This includes the all-electric Ram 1500 and the first-ever all-electric Jeep, along with Dodge eMuscle, with the first-ever Dodge plug-in hybrid and first-ever Dodge BEV, the 2023 Dodge Hornet PHEV and Dodge Charger Daytona SRT BEV Concept, respectively. The latter has been getting many tune-ups since it first debuted, revealing a total of six different powertrains so far to maximize the performance of a Dodge eMuscle vehicle.

Back in 2022, automakers made it clear during the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that they want to turn automobiles into a digital, mobile, living space for consumers. Following that idea into 2023, the 2023 (CES) is packed with ideas to reshape not only automobiles but entire city infrastructures. Changing an entire city is a large goal, so let’s look at how automobiles are changing. They’re electric, they’re introducing new operating systems, going digital, and becoming more laid back lounges rather than interior cabins. This is being made possible with technology like the STLA SmartCockpit.

Called “Chrysler Synthesis”, the STLA SmartCockpit is one of several STLA platforms designed between Stellantis and Amazon. Changing up the interior, the STLA SmartCockpit brings luxury and autonomy to the driver and passengers. As soon as the driver gets in, they’re greeted by a 37.2-inch sculpted black glass touchscreen to provide them with vehicle data and diagnostics, information about passengers and vehicle surroundings, and entertainment options. Thanks to a new virtual assistant, higher levels of autonomy will become available, but so far, self-driving cars are not available.

We’ll only be seeing Level 3 autonomy for a few years, but so sophisticated, consumers can use MyDay, a feature that makes the consumer life easier. Able to synchronize a consumer’s calendars and schedules, vehicle data, home smart tech features, and weather information with the infotainment system in the car, drivers can multi-task easily. Whether it’s keeping on time for a video conference, looking for a place to charge up and grab a bite to eat, or simply contacting their smart speaker from their vehicle, the STLA SmartCockpit makes this all possible as it automatically installs better updates to offer more hands-free driving and synch with consumer’s personal devices to keep them connected wherever they are. The cabin also comes with new Chill/Zen/Fun modes to offer new wellness applications such as meditation (Zen) or karaoke (Fun) while the vehicle is stationary, or (eventually) driving on its own.

The STLA SmartCockpit is made possible because of the STLA Brain, a fully Over-the-Air (OTA) capable platform that runs the vehicle’s operating system and keeps it updated so that consumers have access to the newest applications, like more advanced vehicle autonomy to offer more multitasking capabilities. STLA AutoDrive is what makes Level 3 and higher autonomy available, and the STLA SmartCockpit, complete with a virtual assistant, makes consumers feel like the Amazon Alexa Smart Speaker is riding shotgun. With most of these applications powered by Amazon, this is more or less true.

We’ll be bringing more news from the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show to the blog next week. Come back and learn all about the new electric Ram 1500. Follow along with us on NowCar social media.

Photo Source/Copyright: Stellantis Media