2003 Dodge 2500 4x4 Quad Cab on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Stellantis launching at least 25 EVs for America by 2030

Stellantis has announced a wide-ranging plan for the company through 2030 covering everything from product to financials. The product plans are what really caught our attention, particularly for the surprise reveal of the first electric Jeep, as well as new teasers of the electric Ram 1500. But the company also provided more broad details on what we'll be seeing in the future including both electric cars and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. All of the plans are in service of the Stellantis goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2038. On that way, it plans for all European vehicle sales and half of all American sales to be electric by 2030. It will launch 75 new electric vehicles by that year, and at least 25 of them will be coming to the U.S. The first of those electric cars will be the aforementioned Jeep in 2023, but many Stellantis models will follow close behind. The electric Ram ProMaster will launch in 2023 as well. In 2024, we'll see the electric Ram (and its plug-in hybrid counterpart), two more Jeeps (an off-road model and a family-oriented model) and the Dodge electric muscle car. We'll get a preview of the Dodge with a concept this year. Then in 2025, Chrysler will launch its electric car, likely based on the Airflow concept. Stellantis has previously announced Chrysler will be fully electric by 2028, and it further announced that Alfa Romeo and Maserati will be fully electric by 2030. Stellantis is also working on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, mainly for commercial use. For the U.S., it plans on offering a large, ProMaster-size hydrogen van in 2025. That year or a little later, it also has plans for a hydrogen heavy-duty pickup truck, presumably Ram 2500 and 3500. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares noted that among the benefits of hydrogen for large and commercial vehicles is being able to avoid compromising payload capacity, since hydrogen powertrains are lighter than giant batteries. Hydrogen filling times are quick relative to charging, too. The company will continue working on and offering advanced driver aids. This year it will offer hands-free cruise control like GM's Super Cruise and Ford's BlueCruise. In 2024, the company intends to introduce a system that is hands-free and won't require the driver to be watching it the entire time. The technology is being developed alongside BMW. These are, of course, broad plans, and they could change as time goes on. Expect more details as we get closer to individual product releases.

The future's electric — but the present is peak gasoline. Burn some rubber! Do donuts!

I vividly remember the year 1993 as a teenager looking forward to getting my driver’s license, longingly staring into Pontiac dealerships at every opportunity for a chance to see the brand-new fourth-generation Firebird and Trans Am. Back then, 275 horsepower, courtesy of GMÂ’s LT1 5.7-liter V8 engine, was breathtaking. A few years later, when Ram Air induction systems freed up enough fresh air to boost power over 300 ponies, I figured we were right back where my fatherÂ’s generation left off when the seminal muscle car era ended around the year 1974. It couldn't get any better than that. I was wrong. Horsepower continued climbing, prices remained within reach of the average new-car buyer looking for cheap performance, and a whole new level of muscular magnitude continued widening eyes of automotive enthusiasts all across the United States. It was all ushered in by cheap gasoline prices. And as much as petrolheads bemoan the coming wave of electric vehicles, perhaps instead now would be a good time for critics to sit back and enjoy the current and likely final wave of internal combustion. Today, itÂ’s easier than ever to park an overpowered rear-wheel-drive super coupe or sedan in your driveway. Your nearest Chevy dealership will happily sell you a Camaro with as much as 650 horsepower. Not enough? Take a gander at the Ford showroom and youÂ’ll find a herd of Mustangs up to 760 ponies. Or if nothing but the most powerful will do, waltz on over to the truly combustion-obsessed sales team of a Dodge dealer and relish in the glory of a 797-hp Charger or 807-hp Challenger. Want some more luxury to go with your overgrown stable of horses? Try Cadillac, where you'll find a 668-horsepower CT5-V Blackwing. You could instead choose to wrap that huffin' and chuggin' V8 in an SUV. Or go really off the rails and buy a Ram TRX or Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 and hit the dunes after a quick stop at the drag strip. Go pump some gas. Burn a little rubber. Do donuts! There is nothing but your pocketbook keeping you from buying the V8-powered car of your dreams. Yes, just about every major automaker in the world has halted development of future internal combustion engines in favor of gaining expertise in batteries and electric motors. No, that doesnÂ’t mean that gasoline is going extinct. There are going to be gas stations dotting American cities and highways for the rest of our lifetimes.

SpeedKore carbon-fiber 1970 Dodge Charger packs a 996-hp Demon engine

SpeedKore Performance does some pretty neat things with carbon fiber. SEMA is always the place to show off new and interesting builds, and SpeedKore has a few new offerings on display. We talked about the lightweight carbon fiber 2018 Dodge Demon late last week, but now that SEMA 2018 is in full swing, we've got a look at something even cooler, an all-carbon, Demon-powered 1970 Dodge Charger "Evolution." SpeedKore Performance is based in Wisconsin and has been churning out SEMA showstoppers for years. In addition to the Demon, take a look at this Shelby GT350R the shop modified a few years back. The Charger Evolution is named so because it further modifies the SpeedKore Charger "Tantrum" that was used in the " Fast and Furious" films. That car used a carbon composite body and was fitted with a 9.0-liter Mercury Racing twin-turbo engine making an absurd 1,650 horsepower. The Evolution might be down on power — only 996 horses thanks to a modified Demon crate engine — but the goal was to create something a little more usable than the Tantrum. Upgrades include a smaller supercharger pulley, larger fuel injectors, a custom cold-air intake, stainless steel headers and a custom exhaust with SLP mufflers. There's also a Dailey Engineering dry sump, upgraded oil cooler, and Saldana radiator. It's also lighter, thanks to even more carbon fiber. SpeedKore had a goal to get the '70 Charger to about 3,200 pounds. To get there, the Evolution employs carbon-fiber bodywork, an aluminum floor, a steel roll cage and a new 2x3-inch steel box frame. SpeedKore's autoclave is large enough to bake a one-piece roof, hood and quarter panels. The bare bodywork has been finished with a clear coat to help prevent fading. The Evolution uses billet aluminum for the door handles, fuel cap and grille, all finished in a bronze-nickel coating to pair with the HRE wheels. In addition to the floor, aluminum was used for the firewall, transmission tunnel and radiator shroud. To slow the Charger down, it uses Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers up front and four-piston calipers in the rear. The suspension uses Penske adjustable coilovers while Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires wrap 19x10-inch front wheels and 20x12-inch rear wheels. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.