Stellantis ties up with solid-state battery maker for electric cars

Factorial CEO Siyu Huang and solid state battery

Lithium-ion batteries have been miraculous for laptops, phones, and watches, but have some issues in cars. The next generation, many believe, will be solid state batteries, which use a solid electrolyte material to provide greater range and increased safety. Factorial Energy has developed what they believe to be a breakthrough in solid state battery technology; … Read more

Cummins-equipped Rams recalled for fuel pump

2020 Cummins logo

Ram is recalling around 222,000 heavy duty pickups and chassis cabs, due to a surprisingly high number (6,399) of warranty claims coming in from August 2018 through this September.  Despite the claims, the investigation apparently did not begin until this October. The problem is premature wear in the Bosch CP4 fuel pump, which causes metal … Read more

Brazilian Jeep plant demolished

In 1952, Willys created a subsidiary in Brazil; its first engines came off the line in 1956 for local Jeeps, with local production of cars starting in 1958. These were the “Hurricane Six,” a mere 161 cubic inches (2.6 liters), with a single barrel carburetor and 90 gross horsepower output (around 50-70 net horsepower). Willys … Read more

Mopar brands rising dramatically in dealer satisfaction

Last year, Mopar brands trawled the depths of the J.D. Power™ dealership satisfaction numbers. This year, while the Chrysler brand itself is still down in the dumps, the others have improved quite a bit—which Automotive News credited to initiatives from new CEO Carlos Tavares. In a rather stunning development, Dodge leaped up to the top … Read more

The 22-2022-Ram recall

2022 Ram 1500 Big Horn

Ram is recalling 22 2022 pickups. All two-dozen Ram 1500s were made with the wrong systems and will not effectively defrost their windshields, making it a safety issue. Ram Big Horn pictured but we have no idea which vehicles are actually affected. It seems more likely it would be base models. The recall does not … Read more

1971-72 review: strategy, buyers’ thoughts, under the hood, and all the cars

motales 1970s stories

Motales has done a 1971-72 Mopar extravaganza this week, with four different articles covering various aspects of the late-muscle Mopars—and how decisions made then could have prevented the bailout. The first in the series covers an effort to change Chrysler’s product strategy, so they would focus on a smaller number of cars—fixing customers’ complaints and … Read more

Chrysler giving up on Australia

Chrysler 300C Australia

Once again, Chrysler is leaving Australia. With this move, drivers Down Under will have to pay over $100,000 to get a V8 engine in their car—and the 392-powered Chrysler 300 SRT, not to mention right-hand-drive Chryslers, will leave production. Dealers have an inventory of around 30 cars, according to news.com.au, which broke the news. The … Read more

Police catch Windsor bomber

pacifica at Windsor body shop

An explosion and fire yesterday at the Windsor Assembly Plant, which makes Pacifica, Caravan, and Voyager minivans, has been confirmed by police, who said it appeared to be intentional. Arson investigators found a “suspicious package that detonated,” according to the CBC. Windsor, Ontario police have arrested a suspect, and he is not one of the … Read more

Ram, Jeep recalls clue us into sales figures

2020 Cummins logo

Two recent recalls provide a window into sales of the new Grand Cherokee and Cummins-equipped heavy duty trucks. Recall 21V88 covers 222,410 Cummins-equipped 2019-20 Ram pickups and chassis-cabs in every capacity. The high pressure fuel pump may fail suddenly, stalling the engine. Owners will replace the pump, update the computer software, and replace any other … Read more

Cherokee plant drops another 400 jobs

2019-2021 Jeep Cherokee

In another sign that the semiconductor shortage isn’t ending any time soon, partly due to damaged fabrication plants in Texas and Asia, Stellantis is cutting 400 more jobs at the Belvidere plant in Illinois, starting January 14. The company will try to provide jobs for the laid off workers as they become available in other … Read more

Yes, “Stellantis and You” is the name of their new EU retail online shop

Stellantis & You

How to name a retail shop where you can buy new and used cars, arrange for service, rent a car, or buy aftermarket parts, for Peugeots, Fiats, Alfa Romeos, Maseratis, Citroëns, Opels, and Jeeps? Obviously, it seems, stellantisandyou.com is the perfect name for Stellantis’ retail services, at least in 11 countries in Europe and in … Read more