The current Dodge Challenger went on sale in the fall of 2014 as a 2015 model year vehicle, so as we move through the 2022 calendar year and prepare for the arrival of the 2023 models, the current iteration of modern Mopar muscle car is effectively going on 8 years old. By modern automotive standards, … Read more
Last week, we posted a story on Stellantis’ hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), which are mainly being developed in Europe; but reader RustyDodge reminded us that heavy duty Rams have another path they can follow.Cummins, maker of Ram heavy duty pickups’ acclaimed diesel engines, has for years been working on hydrogen, natural gas, and electric power … Read more
Battery-electric cars (BEVs) are in the works for most segments, but would they work for heavy duty trucks? Ram seems to think not; while a BEV Ram 1500 is coming, to join Rivian’s, Ford’s, and Chevrolet’s light-duty battery-electric pickups (in order of production), their EV Day presentation pointed to a different path for the Ram … Read more
A Fox affiliate in Michigan recently issued a story about the death of a mechanic during a Jeep’s oil change—and how the mechanic’s family was suing the owner of the Jeep, rather than the dealership.The original story implied that the Jeep was defective, with the writer noting that it leaped forward when the clutch pedal … Read more
FCA US is recalling a number of 2021-2022 SUVs with V6 engines because the EGR valve may stick open. The recall only affects the V6 engine.Only vehicles made from August 21, 2021, to November 24,2021 are affected. The fault is in the EGR valves, supplied by BorgWarner, and the symptom is power loss. There have been … Read more
Stellantis reported its global sales and revenues for the first quarter of 2022 this morning. Net revenues were up to €41.5 billion (1 € = US $1.05 = $1.35 CDN), up by 12% from the first quarter of 2021. The company credited higher net sales prices (reduced incentives), more profitable vehicle mix, and better exchange rates; … Read more
Stellantis’ Free2Move subsidiary has signed a deal to buy the car-sharing company Share Now from Mercedes and BMW. Buying the three year old company will add 14 European cities and 10,000 vehicles—albeit ones made by competitors—to Free2Move’s 2,500-car fleet.The move is part of Stellantis’ “Dare Forward 2030” strategy, which has a goal of earning a … 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 and … Read more
This past weekend, the NHRA hosted the Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in North Carolina. This is one of the tracks with four lanes, leading to groups of four in each pass rather than two. This unique layout leads to a unique racing format, with two winners and two losers in each run leading up … Read more
Two years ago, Mopar Minivans, the first biography of the Chrysler minivan which went deeply into the origin story, hit the stands. It was succeeded a year later by a revised version which went up to the Pacifica, The Rise and Reinvention of Chrysler Minivans.2022 brought a revisiting of the Mopar Minivans book, Mopar Minivans, … Read more
While the European market has been hit by the same supply issues as everyone else, there has been some good news for Stellantis, the continent’s second largest player.Stellantis nabbed the first quarter’s “best selling car in Europe” title with the Peugeot 208; overall, five Stellantis vehicles, all but the Fiat Panda from the Peugeot side, … Read more
Last weekend, Stellantis held the company’s first “Hackathon”, inviting college students from around the area to team up to showcase their programming skills. The name Hackathon may suggest that these students were trying to hack into the various systems, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, the teams of students used data from Stellantis vehicles, the … Read more
Today is 4-26 – known by Mopar fans as National Hemi Day due to the popular of the 426 cubic inch Hemi – so it is fitting that today was the day that Dodge announced the winner of their Chief Donut Maker contest. The final shootout between the two finalists can be viewed in the … Read more
Under a hundred 2022 Grand Cherokees, including the L model, can fail to tell drivers if the turn signals are working due to a software error. The fix is, unsurprisingly, a software update.65 Grand Cherokees in the United States, all made on January 26, 2022, are affected; 16 were the standard model and 49 were … Read more
This past weekend, the NHRA Camping World Championship Drag Racing Series headed to Houston Raceway Park for what could be the final SpringNationals held at the Texas venue. It appears as though the track will close after the 2022 season, making the SpringNationals the final national event held in Houston. The last NHRA Funny Car … Read more
