Electric motors can get quite hot while operating—and so can batteries when powering those motors. Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) makers have all spent a great deal of time and money on thermal management, as gasoline-vehicle makers did before them. Their solutions work well for most people, but there is likely room for more work by enthusiasts. That … Read more
In battery-electric vehicles, it’s common to have two motors, one for the front wheels and one for the rear wheels; but Stellantis may be the first to have patented a disconnection system for electric cars, to increase range. The idea allows for wheels to continue to generate power from braking, but to only be driven when needed, for the ultimate in electric-vehicle efficiency.
It has been reported by multiple outlets and confirmed by the Jeep brand that the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is not available in the 2023 Grand Cherokee in its shorter, two-row form. The only engine available in the “Build and Price” feature on the Jeep website for the Grand Cherokee is the 3.6-liter V6, although the … Read more
We have been talking for years about the Hurricane inline-six engine family and with the arrival of the new Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, those long-rumored engines have finally come to production. In the huge Jeeps, both the standard and high-performance variants of the 3.0-liter Hurricane engine provide great power, serving as reasonable alternatives to … Read more
Mopar shocked the world a few years back with the introduction of the Hellephant crate engine. Measuring 426 cubic inches and fitted with a 3.0-liter IHI supercharger, this engine offered 1,000 horsepower on pump gas, but only 100 units were sold during the initial run, making them nearly impossible to get. Seeing the popularity of … Read more
A few months back, I attended the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Ohio, where I got to spend the day in the Tony Stewart Racing garage area. While there, I got to watch the teams of Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett as they prepared for their first track action of the … Read more
Satera Tuning is one of the top aftermarket performance shops in the modern Mopar world, offering big power packages for the Dodge Hellcat models, the Ram 1500 TRX and the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk that yield over a thousand horsepower. With his latest announcement, Jeremy Satera is adding peace of mind to those packages, offering … Read more
When enthusiasts look at the future of the Chrysler brand in particular, and Mopars in general, they may be somewhat dismayed by the heavy use of the term “electrified.” It may conjure up images of expensive, poorly made Teslas on one end, and golf carts on the other; or the Toyota Prius in between, a … Read more
Mopar has won two places in the coveted Ward’s Ten Best Engines and Propulsion Systems list. The latest Mopar arrival is the Hurricane twin-turbo straight-six, for the moment used only in the Grand Wagoneer but also coming to the Grand Cherokee. The 4xe plug-in hybrid system is on the list for the second year. The … Read more
Chinese electric-car pioneer Nio, which set records on the famed German Nürburgring track, is setting up battery-swapping stations in Europe. The idea is that you can buy a Nio without a battery; a 75-kWh battery pack costs $8700 but can be leased for around $135 per month. The company is planning to set up 1,000 … 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
