For decades, the Department of Energy (DOE) has used the same calculations for the “gas mileage” of electric vehicles. New rules will be coming out in the next year, though, that would slash the CAFE benefits automakers now get from making electric cars and trucks. At issue is the question of how much electricity is … Read more
Automotive News recently ran a Reuters story on the problem of repairing electric cars after a crash that impacts the battery. They found a large variety of manufacturer attitudes towards this issue. Tesla has the least environmentally friendly design, integrating the batteries of its latest models into the unibody, so any damage requires scrapping the … Read more
In gasoline-burning cars and trucks, waste heat from burning gasoline is tapped to heat up the cabin. But what about electric cars? They typically have to use electric heaters—or maybe not.
A new FCA US patent, filed three years back (November 2020) by Michigan’s Craig Lindquist and Changchun Li and Italy’s Attilio Crivellari, would re-use waste heat in electric cars, too—a technology which could be handy in PHEVs as well as BEVs.
Stellantis, which includes FCA US, the former Chrysler, has decided to build its electric drive modules (EDM) at Kokomo, Indiana-area plants. The EDM is an all-in-one solution for electric vehicles; making them in Indiana will keep 265 jobs intact at three plants (Indiana Transmission, Kokomo Transmission, and Kokomo Casting). The gearbox cover will be cast … Read more
The Ram 1500 REV, a battery-electric full-size pickup, was revealed for the first time today on a Super Bowl ad. At the same time, Ram started a contest to win one of 200 early-reservation codes, normally selling for $100. The contest is running in both the US and Canada, from the Ram web site. The … Read more
Which brings us to the 2023 Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept. What exactly are they testing? We have a number of options, including the styling, the design, the technologies, and the powertrain. If you get impatient, just scroll down—we know truck people want to know about towing, hauling, and range, and some people just want to know about tech, and others want to learn about STLA Large.
When Dodge first introduced their plans to offer the next generation Charger Daytona as an all-electric vehicle, the brand didn’t provide any performance numbers, but they did say that it would beat the current Hellcat cars in every performance metric. That essentially means that the Dodge EV would be able to cover the quarter mile … Read more
There has been a lot of speculation about what exactly Stellantis is up to with the Mopar brands we’ve become attached to—given rumors of the end of Hemi V8s and L-platform cars, what some see as the impending doom of an electrification takeover, chip shortages, hybrids, and such. Perhaps it’s time to breathe for a … Read more
The odds are good that if you are reading this, you are familiar with the new Dodge Charger Daytona EV Concept. The muscular looking EV debuted a few weeks ago, on the final day of the brand’s “muscle announcements” at the M1 Concourse road racing facility in Michigan. Of course, because the Charger Daytona Concept … Read more
Lithium-ion batteries, despite their almost miraculous ability to store and deliver energy, have some issues when used in cars, most notably the difficulty of dealing with (rare) fires. Many believe the next generation of batteries will use solid electrolyte material, which increases safety and range. Stellantis had already set up an agreement with “solid state” … Read more
Three events are being planned to release new “electrified” cars, which may include both hybrids and battery-electrics. It is clear now that Dodge is bringing back the fratzog, at least for electric vehicles; it will have two previously announced releases in August. Sometime in September, there will be a new Jeep 4xe day showing off … 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
Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and a number of other dignitaries, Stellantis officials, and Unifor union reps unveiled a major investment in Canadian factories and R&D facilities. Together, these will keep thousands of jobs in Canada, adding a number of research positions and restoring, if all goes well, second and third … Read more
Not only is Stellantis going to keep the Windsor and Brampton plants in Canada open—the company is investing $2.5 billion in enabling EV production and building a pair of R&D centers in the country. Canada has long given Chrysler a higher market share than any other country, including the United States, which is Chrysler’s birthplace … Read more
Stellantis has released its Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan for the next eight years, with a commitment to reach carbon net-zero emissions by 2038. Carlos Tavares introduced the plan by saying “We are expanding our vision, breaking the limits and embracing a new mindset, one that seeks to transform all facets of mobility for the … Read more
The Ram Revolution trademark was explained today when Ram released an insider program with its fans, helping Ram lovers get a closer look at the upcoming Ram 1500 BEV—which is slated for 2024. Ram Revolution (see RamRevolution.com) provides “meaningful updates with unique visuals and content, and an ongoing dialogue that will include the opportunity to … Read more