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Deep discounts — $12K, $13K, $16K — are fueling a pickup price war

Heavy discounts of up to $16,000 per vehicle are fueling a "truck war" among full-size pickups sold in the United States by the Detroit Three, a Reuters analysis shows. Strong U.S. sales this year of the highly profitable big trucks have helped offset lagging passenger car sales. But it is not clear how much of the truck demand is linked directly to ample factory incentives and dealer discounts, or how far sales might decline without those subsidies. A Reuters survey of Ford, General Motors Co's Chevrolet and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles's Ram truck dealers across the United States indicates stores are offering deep discounts the country's bestselling full-size pickup trucks. "The walls are not crashing down on full-size trucks," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. Detroit-based automakers want to keep cranking out their high-margin trucks, he added, and "giving up a little of the profit is the cheapest way to do it." Stores are offering discounts of up to $12,000 on the 2018 Ford F-150, which remains the best-selling vehicle in the country, recording more than 80,000 sales in May. Discounts run up to $13,000 on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado and as high as $16,000 on the Ram 1500. Average transaction prices for full-size pick-ups range from around $42,000 to $45,000, industry analysts and automakers say. All three companies are spending furiously - GM and Fiat Chrysler to help sell off carryover 2018 trucks to prepare for redesigned 2019 models, and Ford to sustain its long-held sales crown. A supplier fire that temporarily shut down production of the F-150 last month "changed the game," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive in Troy, Michigan said. The supply halt nudged Ford's crosstown rivals "to ratchet up incentives on the current models to go after weakness at Ford," he said. Deals advertised on the companies' official websites range from rebates and low-interest loans to ultra-cheap lease rates, but they are not telling the whole story. Ford, for instance, advertises a $2,000 rebate and a $500 financing credit on sales of certain F-150 models. But James Collins Ford in Louisville, Kentucky, is offering discounts of up to $12,215 on the 2018 F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4. The price cuts are even steeper at a number of GM and Fiat Chrysler dealers. Quirk Chevrolet is selling the 2018 Silverado 1500 Double Cab at $13,000 off sticker.

Best pickup trucks for 2023

In 2023, it seems like there’s a pickup truck for everyone. This wasnÂ’t always the case, as it wasnÂ’t until fairly recently that the midsize truck segment started becoming competitive again, and even more recently that weÂ’ve got choices for economical compact trucks or cleaner electric pickups. As the diversity of choices continues to grow, so does the potential customer base for vehicles with an open bed. Whether youÂ’re looking for something luxurious to drive in style, an absolute workhorse to tow the heaviest of loads, something small and practical, or a dune-blasting monster, youÂ’ve got options. Whatever it is you need it to do, here are what we think are the best pickup trucks for 2023. Before we start really categorizing these trucks, let's go over the scores our editors have given the best-selling pickup trucks in America. Best Full-Size Pickup Trucks for 2023: 2023 Ram 1500: 9.0 2023 Ford F-150: 8.5 2023 GMC Sierra: 8.0 2023 Chevrolet Silverado: 7.5 2023 Toyota Tundra: 7.0 2023 Nissan Titan: 5.5 Best Midsize Pickup Trucks for 2023: 2023 Ford Ranger: 8.0 2023 Honda Ridgeline: 8.0 2023 Jeep Gladiator: 8.0 2023 Nissan Frontier: 7.5 2023 Toyota Tacoma: 7.0 It's worth noting that the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon were redesigned for 2023, and we like them quite a bit. We haven't yet been able to pass them around to all of our editors in order to give them official rankings, but we're certain they'll come out at or near the top. Now, remember what we said at the outset about there being a pickup truck for every buyer? Let's break it down.   Best luxury truck: Ram 1500 Limited With an exceptionally comfortable interior with high-quality materials, excellent fit and finish, plenty of space, useful technology and a wealth of convenience features, this is the cabin in which weÂ’d want to spend the most time. We especially like touches like the ventilated reclining back seat, clever storage and 12-inch vertically oriented touchscreen. All the American trucks can be ultra-luxurious, though. What really seals the deal for Ram is its choice of either coil spring or air spring rear suspension that provide unmatched ride quality, no matter which you choose. The 1500 Limited will truly keep you feeling kingly on those long hauls. Read our review of the Ram 1500.   Best truck for cowboys: Ford F-150 King Ranch (Honorable mention: Ram 1500 Limited Longhorn) Need a truck to match those new cowboy boots and shiny belt buckle?

Plug In 2014: VIA makes the case for 'free' plug-in hybrid work vans, trucks

If you're a fleet manager who's been waiting anxiously for the chance to buy a plug-in hybrid van from Via Motors, your wait is almost over. If you work for the right fleet, anyway. David West, the chief marketing efficer for VIA Motors, took AutoblogGreen for a ride around the San Jose Convention Center in a Via van sporting an Electric Blue paint job as part of the Plug In 2014 Conference this week and gave us an update on how things are coming along. The big news is that the Via PHEV van production is going to start by the end of September. Via can currently build two vans an hour at its production plant in Mexico, or about 16 a day and could easily double that. "That would get us to 20,000 a year with two full lines running," West said. "We have the capacity." "There is no way gas can compete with electric." – David West, Via Motors But they can't sell that many quite yet. By the end of December, around 350 Vans will be made, mostly for a $20-million program from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the South Coast Air Quality Management District that will see the vehicles used by fleets that will report energy data to the Idaho National Lab. Via is also finishing up CARB certification for both the van and the company's plug-in hybrid pick-up truck. About 50 percent of Via's technology in the truck will not need to be tested again, since it's the same as what's in the van, but things like crash tests will need to be done twice. Despite the progress, this is not where Via hoped it would be today. The bankruptcy of battery supplier A123, "took about a year off our timeline," West said. "It's been getting a little slow getting it to market, there have been some challenges, particuarly since we had the country's worst recession right in the middle of this wrap up, but it's inevitable in my mind. There is no way gas can compete with electric." Maybe that's why FedEx has expressed an interest in buying around 5,000 units, West said. FedEx already has some pilot vehicles, just like Verizon does, and PG&E wants to replace all of their gas trucks with electric vehicles, which would be another 3,000 sales, he said. Besides the fuel savings, vehicles like these, with easy on-site power generation, could also work wonders in post-disaster situations, he said, since they could replace the need for generators.