Some time ago, we posted a story on Stellantis’ hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). That is one path forward for areas where battery-electric vehicles aren’t practical, but it’s likely Ram heavy duty pickups will have another option: Cummins 6.7 liter B-type diesels hydrogen engines. Cummins, a pioneer in diesel engines (having run them at the Indy 500), … Read more
FCA US was planning to let buyers “drive on sunshine,” according to a trademark filed last year. The company applied for the “drive on sunshine” trademark for “Charging stations for electric vehicles” on March 31, 2021. On May 11, 2022, a bit more than a year later, they abandoned the trademark after the U.S. Patent … Read more
Creating a new hybrid-electric transmission (with integrated electric motors) brings up some problems and opportunities; one of the more prosaic ones is the humble parking pawl, that little bit of metal that keeps the car or truck from moving when the transmission is in Park. Typically, a notched wheel on the output shaft locks up … Read more
Stellantis is investing around €33 million in upgrades to the Auburn Hills and Orbassano test centers. In Auburn Hills, a wind tunnel is being upgraded to have a moving ground plane. The successful Dodge Truck NASCAR effort involved, among other things, renting a moving ground plane wind tunnel. This project will cost nearly €30 million, … Read more
The NHTSA announced three new Ram and Jeep recalls today. None have caused crashes to date, but all have the potential to do so. The numbers reported below are all for United States sales only, but recalls are generally global. Recall 22V407 affects around 120,000 Ram 1500 and 2500 pickups and Ram 3500 chassis cabs … Read more
Sterling Stamping, which is next to the Sterling Heights Assembly truck factory but supports other plants as well, has around 2,000 hourly workers and 200 salaried workers—but that is apparently going to change. Stellantis confirmed to WXYZ of Detroit that “there will be indefinite layoffs” effective June 20. The goal is to “operate the plant … Read more
The 2022 Jeep Compass has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for 2022. There is only one rating above that, Top Safety Pick Plus. There is one caveat: the rating is only for models with LED projector or reflector headlamps when paired with high-beam assist. The Compass had the … Read more
Stellantis announced today, as part of an unrelated press release, that it was dropping out of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association “by the end of this year.” Most of the press release concerned a “freedom of mobility forum” planned for 2023 to “bring together a diverse pool of experts” to work on “clean, safe, and … Read more
Hurricane engines, following a trend set by European designs, do not have a dipstick. Instead, an electronic sensing system warns drivers when the oil level falls. The change was likely made for three reasons: most drivers no longer check their own oil anyway, given the lack of leaks and burning in most modern cars, and … Read more
From his prison cell, where he resides after a conviction for sexual assault and rape, former producer Harvey Weinstein is suing FCA US for $5 million because, three years ago, his Jeep flipped over. He claims he has been “catastrophically injured and rendered paralyzed” and remains in pain due to the event. Weinstein claims he … Read more
In March, Carlos Tavares showed renderings of a new Jeep battery-electric (the color photo) which was to be sold in Europe, built in Poland, and measure around 16 inches less bumper-to-bumper than the Renegade which it closely resembles. Next, a spy shot, which appears to be an insider photo (the scan looks as though it’s … Read more
A new generation of engines has bolstered power across the entire former-Chrysler lineup, with the possible exception of the four-cylinder realm—where output is higher, but reviewers have gotten slower acceleration. The across-the-board increase was highlighted by comments from “vbondjr1”: New / Old Old HP Old Torque New HP New Torque 1.3T / 2.4 184 177 … Read more
The Windsor plant will be making cars built on STLA Large, presumably sending minivan assembly elsewhere. Production of the cars at Brampton will continue into 2024, later than previously thought (2023 had been forecast). At that point, Brampton will begin retooling, with production to resume in 2025 on an “all-new, flexible architecture to support the … Read more
Rumor has pegged the Saltillo plant’s Hurricane twin-turbo-straight-six output at 200,000 or more engines per year—but is that enough? It depends on whether the Hurricane engine series will replace the Hemi V8. The Hurricane beats the Hemi in peak power and torque, low-end torque, and fuel economy. Its 10% boost in fuel economy is a … Read more
Stellantis has signed a deal to get battery-grade lithium hydroxide from Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR)’s Hells Kitchen project in California. The deal is good for up to 25,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide per year, for ten years. CTR’s process produces battery-grade lithium products without evaporation brine ponds, open pit mines, or fossil fuels. CTR … Read more
Detroit News wrote that Jeep is dropping its pure-gasoline and diesel options in “major European countries” at the end of this year. The only Jeeps will be hybrids until Jeep’s first all-electric, which appears to be a Renegade-sized two-door crossover, debuts. That will just be the first Jeep battery-electric (BEV) in Europe; it should have … Read more