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Auto blog

Fiat-Chrysler alliance in jeopardy due to Pentastar's IPO filing?

The four-year relationship between Fiat and Chrysler has thus far been beneficial for both automakers, but it has also proven to be a complicated battle between Sergio Marchionne and the United Auto Workers - the latter controlling the remaining 41.5 percent of Chrysler. With the recent filing for a US IPO, it looks like Marchionne and the UAW appear to be playing a billion-dollar game of chicken, with both sides far apart on how much the union's shares are worth. If it comes down to Chrysler's remaining stake being publicly traded, it could act to drive a wedge between the two companies.
According to Bloomberg, Fiat's chairman John Elkann says "if the IPO will take place, there will be two companies, and that's different than having a single one." Now, we're not great at math, but this sounds like the complete opposite of the full merger that Marchionne has been pushing for since taking the helm at Chrysler. Bloomberg notes that the UAW's shares should be worth around $5.6 billion, but Fiat could end up paying as little as $4.9 billion for Fiat to gain full control of Chrysler. A story by The Detroit News points out that Marchionne's "alleged low-balling" is just the latest hurdle the Auburn Hills-based automaker must overcome as its ownership is being fought over for the fourth time in 15 years.

We like the Fiat 500X despite the faults | Long-term Update

"Personality goes a long way," according to Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction. And while Samuel L. Jackson's character was talking about the merits of dogs over pigs, the same maxim applies to cars. Such is the case with our long-term 500X. It continues to charm us, despite the faults. Yes, this car has faults. One being the nine-speed transmission, which is a lot like a Where's Waldo book: it's sometimes fun, usually confusing, and ultimately takes too much time. And the center infotainment screen is slow to boot up. We also noticed some excessive noise from our winter tires, which isn't necessarily the fault of the 500X but, hey, this is the paragraph about gripes. But 500X related stories in the Autoblog office follows a consistent pattern: "This one thing, man it's bad, but I still like the car. Take X, for instance." And X has a lot of possible options: quick-warming heated front seats and steering wheel, the upright driving position, the general layout of the interior, and the bright saddle-leather seats in our tester. View 34 Photos And therein lies why we still like out Fiat. It's just kind of a happy car. It cover the basics well enough - spacious interior, versatile cargo interior, comfortable seats, and makes up for the rest with general good cheer. There are better cars than the 500X, but there are also better, more boring cars than the 500X. Picking between the two, we'd prefer the flawed Fiat to a boring alternative.

Fiat Chrysler teams with startup Archer to build an electric air taxi

Archer Aviation is one of many startups trying to build an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, among Volocopter, Hyundai, Lilium and many others. The startup just boosted its standing, however, as it has announced a partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). Archer plans to build a composite eVTOL aircraft capable of traveling 150 mph for distances up to 60 miles. FCA will provide access to its “low-cost supply chain, advanced composite material capabilities and engineering and design experience,” according to Archer. The aim is to unveil the electric aircraft design in 2021 and start manufacturing in 2023. Archer has only released a teaser image of the aircraft, showing a sleek six-prop, V-tail design. Presumably, the wings or individual engines rotate to allow for both VTOL and decent forward travel speeds. The design differs from others weÂ’ve seen like LiliumÂ’s aircraft, which has the propulsive fans hidden in the wings. ItÂ’s also nothing like the drone-type designs from Volocopter, Joby and Hyundai. It does look a bit like Larry PageÂ’s “Cora” air taxi, however. Archer said itÂ’s been “hyper-focused” on the customer part of the design, aiming to offer “increased safety while producing minimal noise” compared to helicopters. “Now, we are working with a seasoned, industry-leading automotive partner... to produce thousands of aircraft reliably and affordably every single year,” said co-founder and co-CEO Brett Adcock. All passenger aircraft must pass a rigorous FAA certification process thatÂ’s daunting even for experienced companies like Boeing, and itÂ’s still not clear how “thousands” of air taxis would fit into the current air traffic control system. On top of that, so far weÂ’ve seen zero eVTOL aircraft that look ready for human transport or mass production. Written by Steve Dent for Engadget. Green Plants/Manufacturing Chrysler Fiat air taxi