As part of union negotiations, Stellantis provided details on when the Wrangler and Gladiator would finally be renewed. The Wrangler has been on a ten-year replacement cycle, though Ford Bronco and the upcoming Volkswagen Scout may eventually challenge that. The Gladiator is to be updated this year, unsurprisingly, since the 2024 Wrangler has already been … Read more
The UAW’s strike against Stellantis was in some ways the most bitter of the six labor disputes with the former “Big Three” in the US and Canada. Stellantis had a list of 18 facilities they planned to close; these reportedly included Belvidere Assembly and Trenton Engine. In the end, Stellantis agreed to a large variety … Read more
Around 100,000 2022-24 Wagoneers have apparently been made so far—if this recall is any indication. The vehicles may have third row seat belt buckles which “may not allow occupants to properly access or fasten the seat belt to the buckle.” The fix is replacing the third row seat belt buckle. Only around 1% of vehicles … Read more
We recently learned that part of the new contract between Stellantis and the UAW includes building a new midsized truck at the Belvidere Assembly Plant. When that news broke, many outlets suggested that the truck coming to Belvidere would be the Ram Rampage that was recently introduced for the Brazilian market. That Rampage looks a … Read more
Dodge announced this morning that the second edition of the modern Direct Connection catalog is now available online and one of the items added to the new list of available items is the C170 Hellephant Series crate engine. The C170 is the crate engine name of the production engine in the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT … Read more
Last week, we were the first to break the news that the first wave of 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 units had been loaded onto trucks en route to dealerships. Today, we bring you the first look at the window sticker for the 1,025-horsepower Mopar muscle car.
Stellantis apparently had the money for a new UAW agreement after all, with net global revenues up €45 billion in the third quarter (Q3), compared with the third quarter of 2022 (Q3 2022). Volume rose by 11%, with most regions around the world rising. BEV sales rose by 37%, mainly driven by the Jeep Avenger … Read more
Stellantis’ deal for ending the UAW strike includes a midsize pickup to be made in Belvidere, Illinois; new product for Trenton Engine, possibly an extra line for the Hurricane Six engines; and more work for Toledo Machining, doubling its workforce, according to Detroit News. The strike lasted 44 days, and if STLA’s statements before and … Read more
According to Stellantis’ investors report, Chinese company Leapmotor plans to be part of China’s export offensive, but won’t be reaching the United States any time soon. China is already the world’s largest exporter of cars, but few are sent to the United States; Volvo is the best known brand owned by a Chinese company which … Read more
With a tentative contract out to members for a vote, Stellantis plants and warehouses are preparing to return to full strength; but 8,200 Unifor workers walked off the job in Stellantis’ Canadian plants after weeks of trying to negotiate. The union had set a Sunday night deadline for resolving the conflict. The strike has already … Read more
Stellantis and General Motors have each agreed to increase UAW pay by 25% over the next four and a half years, according to Bloomberg (article available with 99¢/month subscription). GM included cost-of-living increases as well, but perhaps due to other, non-financial concessions, the union has agreed on a deal with Stellantis but not GM. Final … Read more
Leapmotor may provide Stellantis with a path to a type of hybrid vehicle used for decades—by railroads: the series hybrid. Leapmotor, a Chinese startup, has an electric extended-range vehicle (EREV) which uses a small internal combustion engine to recharge the battery. The engine is not connected to the wheels. In locomotives, a diesel engine functions … Read more
Back in August, the Dodge brand had a sort of ceremonial delivery of Jay Leno’s 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170 on the day of the Woodward Dream Cruise, but since then, there has been little news of the 1,025-horsepower muscle cars shipping out to dealerships. That is because since then, none of them have shipped … Read more
Stellantis paid $1.6 billion to buy 20% of the Chinese EV maker Leapmotor, which includes two of their five board seats and 51% of a joint venture to make EVs for global sale. Leapmotor will use Stellantis’ production facilities for this deal. A Stellantis twin motor setup from underneath, which is largely irrelevant According to … Read more
Ford’s attack on the Jeep Wrangler will resume in earnest as the Bronco plant returns to full production, with a UAW strike now in the rear view mirror (assuming workers vote their approval of the deal). While Ford leaders had said the company would be bankrupted by anything beyond their prior offers, the company quickly … Read more
In a bizarre relaunch of the Fiat 500 in the United States, Fiat brand announced the launch of the new Fiat 500e as an aside to a press release about the creation of FIAT House, a luxury set of condos or apartments in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The “innovative residential property,” built by UNLMTD Real … Read more