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Stellantis reports $15B profit in first year of merger

FRANKFURT, Germany — Automaker Stellantis said Wednesday that it made 13.4 billion euros ($15.2 billion) in its first year after it was formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group. The earnings nearly tripled profits compared with its pre-merger existence as two separate companies, as the maker of Jeep, Opel and Peugeot vehicles exploited cost efficiencies from combining the businesses. The result compared to a combined 4.79 billion euros for the separate companies in 2020 before the merger, which took effect on Jan. 17, 2021. Revenue for the combined business rose 14%, to 152 billion euros. CEO Carlos Tavares said the results “prove that Stellantis is well positioned to deliver strong performance" and had overcome “intense headwinds” during the year. Automakers have struggled with shortages of key parts such as semiconductor electronic components and rising costs for raw materials as the global rebound from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic brings more demand. The company said the benefits of the merger were worth some 3.2 billion euros during the year. Mergers can lead to streamlined costs as companies combine functions and spread fixed costs over a larger revenue base. The company accelerated its rollout of battery-powered vehicles, with sales of low-emission vehicles reaching 388,000 — an increase of 160%. Stricter environmental regulations in Europe and China are pushing automakers to roll out more electric vehicles with longer range. Stellantis started production of a hydrogen fuel cell commercial van under its Opel brand in December. Stellantis' other brands include Chrysler, Citroen, DS, Fiat, Maserati, Ram and Vauxhall. Related video: Earnings/Financials Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Jeep RAM Citroen Opel Peugeot Vauxhall

How fracking is causing Chrysler minivans to sit on Detroit's riverfront

It's fascinating the way that one change to a complex system can have all sorts of unintended consequences. For instance, there are hundreds of new Chrysler Town and County and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans built in Windsor, Ontario, sitting in lots on the Detroit waterfront because of the energy boom in the Bakken oil field in the northern US and parts of Canada.
The huge amount of crude oil coming from these sites mostly use freight trains for transport, and that supply boom has resulted in a shortage of railcars to carry other goods. According to The Windsor Star, North American crude oil transport by train has gone from 9,500 carloads in 2008 to 434,032 carloads in 2013. Making matters worse, some North American rail infrastructure is still damaged because of this year's harsh winter, and that's slowing things down even further.
Chrysler admits to The Star that it has had some delivery delays due to the freight train shortage. In the meantime, it's using more trucks to deliver its vehicles. Trucking is a far less economical solution, partially because a train can carry so many more units at one time, but alternatives are slim. The Windsor plant alone has a deal for 33 trucks to distribute the minivans around Canada and the Midwestern US.

2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye is the Demon spawn

The Demon has passed from us, but the Demon's spawn are here, so please allow them to introduce themselves. A new demi-Demon trim level has been anointed as the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. Plus there's an updated Challenger SRT Hellcat and new Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody. Like with the Charger introduced this morning, they have inherited some of the best parts from the Demon. The Hellcat Redeye is possessed by the Demon's howling supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi, making 797 horsepower and 707 pound-feet of torque. Dodge proclaims it the "most powerful production V8" and "quickest production muscle car," with a 0-60 time of 3.4 seconds and quarter-mile time of 10.8 seconds at 131 mph. Top speed: 203 mph. Dodge can claim these superlatives, of course, because the 840-horsepower Demon's limited production run has ended. The Hellcat Redeye's Hemi is paired with an eight-speed automatic. Dodge says the powerplant gets 25 major component upgrades, including a larger supercharger (2.7 liters, up from 2.4) with higher boost pressure (14.5 psi, up from 11.6), strengthened connecting rods, pistons and valve train, high-capacity fuel injection system and improved lubrication. It gets a second fuel pump and a higher redline of 6,500 rpm. Theoretically, if you were someplace where you could operate at full throttle without letting up, Dodge says the Hemi would drain the fuel tank in under 11 minutes. Yet the car gets a 22 mpg highway rating from the EPA. View 30 Photos It also has the Torque Reserve system that starts building boost before launching, as well as the air conditioned intercooler to provide extra cool intake air. Both of these were features in the Demon. Furthermore, if the standard 2.62:1 final ratio isn't quick enough for you, Dodge offers a 3.09:1 rear axle. The Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye also comes with the Demon and Hellcat Widebody's fat fender flares. It's an unsurprising inclusion, since you'll want as much tire as possible for all that power. Now, a mere clear-eyed Challenger SRT Hellcat gets a 10-horse boost for 2019 to 717 horsepower, and a smidge more torque at 656 pound feet. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and an eight-speed automatic is an option. Both Hellcat models get the new dual-snorkel hood we've seen in spy shots. It's meant to evoke 1970s Dodge muscle cars. Dodge says the airflow from the hood alone reduces engine temperature by 4 degrees Fahrenheit.