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Alfa Romeo Stelvio Luggage Test | How much cargo space?

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio is quite obviously more about Sport than Utility, especially the high-octane Quadrifoglio you see here resplendent in Alfa Rosso paint. Frankly, I wasn't expecting much from its luggage-hauling potential. After all, according to the specs, it has only 18.5 cubic-feet of space behind the raised back seat, which is quite simply terrible. That's the same as a Jeep Renegade, which is considerably smaller on the outside. Based on past luggage tests of SUVs with a comparable cargo number, there's no way all the bags from my garage will fit. In fact, there's a good chance multiple bags would be staying at home or riding on people's laps.  Well, let's put that assumption to the test.  Here's what the Stelvio has going for it. Sure looks a lot bigger than a Renegade. Actually, it looks bigger than the Range Rover Evoque, which has 21.5 cubic feet. As you can see, this particular Stelvio came equipped with a cargo rail system and net. Those clasps are easily removed by lifting up on the little handle and moving into that wider part of the track. Now, you'll note that the Stelvio has a cargo cover like virtually all SUVs, but this one is a little different in that it's in two pieces. A smaller one that rolls out from a cartridge aft of the back seat, and a semi-rigid piece that connects to the liftgate.  As always, I started off by keeping the cargo cover(s) in place when trying to stuff as much of my luggage as possible in the back. As a refresher, I use two mid-size roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D). As it turns out, the cover cartridge didn't impede loading at all. I'm guessing because the reel is smaller, but either way, this is a real benefit. It means you don't have to find someplace to store the damn cargo cover if you're picking someone up at the airport, for instance, and discover their bags are too big.  However, you'll note (maybe) that my wife's fancy bag is missing from this luggage Tetris ensemble. That's because it got caught on the rigid cargo cover attached to the tailgate when placed atop the bag on the right. OK, then, let's remove that. Basically, you just yank the thing out. Not too complicated.

Stellantis aims to eliminate separate inverter, charger to improve EV efficiency

Stellantis has announced that, in collaboration with French battery company Saft and French National Center for Scientific Research, has made significant progress in eliminating two major components of an electric vehicle powertrain: the on-board charger and the power inverter for the motor. The company claims that doing this will allow for better space use in vehicles, as well as improvements in efficiency, cost and reliability of components. As a quick primer, also explained in the below video, the on-board charger and power inverter are sort of translators to get the right current to different parts of the electric powertrain. The on-board charger takes AC power from the grid and converts it to DC to charge the batteries. Then when power goes from the batteries to the electric motor, the power inverter converts that DC power back to AC. These components aren't exactly small. Frequently you'll find them packaged somewhere under the hood. What Stellantis and its cohorts have developed, and have been using on a test vehicle since last summer, are small power inverter boards that can be mounted very closely to the battery packs. They can handle both conversion needs, for charging and discharging, instead of needing two separate devices. The most obvious perk to this is that you can do away with those traditional components and free up more space, either for making smaller vehicles without losing interior volume, or adding space to a vehicle that wouldn't have had it otherwise. There's the additional benefit of reduced weight, something that EVs struggle with. Stellantis also claims improvements in efficiency, reliability, and cost, however, it didn't go into detail as to how this setup would do that exactly. We'll try to get in touch with representatives from Stellantis in order to get more information. We're still a ways out from seeing this technology in production Stellantis vehicles. The company said it aims to apply it to vehicles by the end of the decade. Saft is also looking at using it on stationary battery systems as well. So maybe we'll see it on a 2029 Ram 1500 REV, but for now, we'll be living with traditional chargers and inverters. Related Video: Green Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Fiat RAM Technology Electric

Drive like Mario Andretti in his 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV-6

In the United States, Mario Andretti is the racing driver whose name is likely best known among the general public. Over his decades-long career, Andretti has driven into the winner's circle numerous times and in a variety of racing series and venues. He is an ex-Formula One champion (1978), a four-time IndyCar champion, as well as an Indy 500 winner (1969). And while we mere mortals probably cannot drive like Mario Andretti, we can drive one of Mario Andretti's cars, specifically this 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV-6, which is currently for sale at classic-car vendor LBI Limited. Based on the pictures of this Alfa, the car shows just under 36,000 miles. This GTV-6 is finished in Grigio over a tan leather interior. Power is by a 2.5-liter DOHC V6. Equipment includes a five-speed manual, power windows, air conditioning, a wood-rim steering wheel and a Blaupunkt cassette stereo. Andretti drove for the Alfa Romeo F1 team in 1981, and he also appeared in ads for the GTV-6. There was even a Mario Andretti limited edition of the earlier European-market Alfa Romeo GTV in 1976. This car reportedly was a gift from the automaker and was delivered in May 1981. He reportedly kept it for a year, although his ownership is documented (click the "View Documents" tab on the listing). The current asking price for this Alfa is $48,000, although there may be some wiggle room there, given that this car appears to have been a no-sale in a May 2020 RM Sotheby's auction where it garnered a high bid of $28,000. That's about $8K more than is sold for at auction in 2016, although the car is said to have since had thousands of dollars in service. Regardless of the price, this is a cool Alfa with a direct connection to America's most famous racing driver. Related video: