This morning, Tim Kuniskis introduced the world to the Never Lift program, which included the first details of the reborn Direct Connection program. Back in the 1970s, Direct Connection provided high performance parts for Mopar owners who wanted to go faster than they could in stock form. Back then, the Chrysler Corporation helped Dodge owners … Read more
During the media preview day for the 2021 Roadkill Nights event in Metro Detroit, Dodge boss Tim Kuniskis briefly teased the “Never Lift” plan. Back then, Kuniskis explained that the Never Lift plan would be based on a calendar which would essentially preview the brand’s big news over the course of the next two years, … Read more
The rumors are true: Stellantis is offering buyouts to a large number of salaried employees in the United States. The deal is being offered to employees who are eligible for pensions; they must be at least 55 years old, with 30 years of experience at the companies, for 58 years old with ten years of … Read more
According to Automotive News, Stellantis is hedging its LG bets by forming an alliance with fellow South Korean battery-maker Samsung SDI; both will make batteries for North American Stellantis vehicles. Samsung SDI makes EV batteries in South Korea, Hungary, and China; it counts BMW and Ford as clients. The plant location is still under review, … Read more
LG, whose batteries are perhaps best known for causing a $2 billion GM recall, is Stellantis’ joint venture partner for a North American battery plant. The well-publicized LG gaffe may have helped Stellantis negotiators quite a bit. The new plant is to start pumping out car batteries in early 2024, with an annual capacity of … Read more
Stellantis is finally making an eight-speed automatic that can be used in hybrid-electric and gasoline-powered vehicles; at the moment, the “4xe” hybrids use ZF-built transmissions. The changes, which affect three plants near or in Kokomo, Indiana—one casting plant and two transmission plants— will cost around $229 million. The eight-speed transmissions Chrysler builds are modified to … Read more
GM has beaten the battery-electric ProMaster and the Rivian van to the punch by producing the first electric light commercial vehicle in the United States. The EV600, selling under the BrightDrop brand, started production of electric light vans today.The EV600 is the first van made by GM; the first ones will be delivered to FedEx … Read more
GM announced this week that their new Ultium triple-motor electric vehicle system is being engineered in-house and provided some details on motor design…
Jeep has once again made the prestigious Ward’s Ten Best Engines and Propulsion Systems list, with the 4xe hybrid system. The editors noted, “Wrangler 4xe is noteworthy for its rough-and-tumble off-road readiness, while clocking in at nearly 30 mpg during 300 miles of road testing around metro Detroit this past spring.”The two-liter turbocharged gasoline engine … Read more
It might be the last truly new engine made by Stellantis—the engine coded Tornado, after the British fighter. Four years ago, I wrote about this turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine for Allpar. At the time, people in the company said this powerplant would replace the 5.7 Hemi. There were six advantages of this engine over the Hemi:Higher … Read more
FCA had already started making a strong four-cylinder turbo engine and was near production on a strong turbo six when it merged with Peugeot. So, months later, why are we still seeing Jeeps with low-power four-cylinder engines, and nothing to compete with Ford’s turbo sixes?The answer is production. The Jeep version of the turbo-2.0, while … Read more
Last Friday, Tim Kuniskis provided the first plans of the Never Lift program during the media preview for the 2021 Roadkill Nights event in Metro Detroit. That program will detail the timing of the future plans for the Challenger and Charger, indicating when Dodge plans to introduce new trim levels over the next two years. … Read more
The Jeep Wagoneer, a luxurious full-sized SUV, now has official fuel economy numbers. These are for the Wagoneer, not the Grand Wagoneer; the Grand Wagoneer comes with a 392 cubic inch high-performance Hemi, while the Wagoneer comes with the more mainstream 5.7 (345 cid) Hemi.With rear wheel drive, the Wagoneer is rated at 16 mpg … Read more
Stellantis, like every other major automaker, is betting on a more electric future. In this case, the company is investing $35 billion in electrification, using a scalable family of three electric-drive modules. The company is working on solid state batteries as well as two conventional chemistries. The company is planning four flexible BEV platforms with … Read more
Social media is abuzz with an Australian site’s story, “Jeep confirms death of the V8 engine,” posted on July 23. Since most readers don’t go past the headline, though, they are missing a key point: Jeep is not saying that V8s are going away any time soon. The quote in question was Christian Meunier, global … Read more
Ram, probably the main profit driver of Stellantis in North America, has been increasingly popular thanks to its “new-plus-old-generations” sale strategy. In the future, though, electric power may be the key to success; and Ram is apparently set on staying relevant, without losing its character.The cutaway in the Ram EV Day presentation shows a 2008-Dakota-like … Read more
