2019 Ram 1500 Lone Star Crew Cab, Sport Package, 4x4 on 2040-cars

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2014 Ram Power Wagon is bigger and badder than ever [w/video]

"The 2014 Ram Power Wagon fills a need for those who travel into extreme terrain for rescue or recreation." - Reid Bigland
More, more, more. That's the philosophy behind the latest Ram Power Wagon. The extra-brawny, Ram 2500-based pickup is back for 2014, and naturally, it's even more extreme than its predecessor.

Ram says its customers are more excited about V8-powered trucks than EVs

As its rivals invest billions of dollars into electric pickups, Ram made headlines by dropping a supercharged, 702-horsepower V8 engine between the 1500's fenders. While critics will inevitably argue there's nothing forward-thinking about the Hellcat engine, the company explained its customers are more interested in V8s than in EVs. Speaking with Muscle Car & Trucks, 1500 brand manager Carl Lally explained the company is open to the idea of exploring electric powertrains. His comments echo the ones made recently by Mike Manley, the head of Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). Ram will begin developing a battery-powered pickup if customers demand one, but it sounds like its market research finds there's not a tremendous amount of interest in a gasoline-free model.  The market research must say otherwise over at Jeep, which is bringing the plug-in electric hybrid Wrangler 4xe to market. "It's fundamental to us that it's not about chasing the [EV] trend, but about chasing what the customer really wants and providing it to them. That changes over time, but today it's a supercharged, 6.2-liter V8 that has them most excited," said Lally, referring to the 1500 TRX introduced as an alternative to the Ford F-150 Raptor. Adding credibility to Lally's statement is the fact that the 702 available units of the TRX Launch Edition model sold out in a couple of hours in spite of a base price of approximately $90,000. Ram is not limiting production of the regular-production TRX, which starts at $71,690, so time will tell if its bet on V8s pays off in the long run. Market leader Ford wants to plant its stake in both segments. We know it's developing an electric variant of the 14th-generation F-150, and an earlier report claims the next Raptor will receive the Mustang GT500's 700-plus-horsepower V8. As for General Motors, it's planning on launching a battery-powered Chevrolet Silverado sooner or later, but it has chosen to watch the horsepower war from the sidelines — for the time being, at least. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Ram recalling 131,000 heavy duty trucks over fire hazard

For a little over a year, Ram has been investigating an issue with a number of heavy duty trucks from the 2021 model year that have experienced engine bay fires. For some reason, even when the engine is off, the solid-state intake heater relay in Ram trucks fitted with the 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel can suffer a short and catch fire. In March of this year, the company planned to recall about 20,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada when it thought the problem was limited to trucks with unprotected relays. In May, Ram discovered the issue occurring even in trucks with protected relays. Now Ram is preparing to recall 131,177 trucks from the 2021 and 2022 model years. The models in question are:  2021-2022 Ram 2500 (DJ) pickups built between August 3, 2020 and October 8, 2021 (67,597 units) 2021-2022 Ram 3500 (D2) pickups built between August 5, 2020 and October 8, 2021 (39,324 units) 2021-2022 Ram 3500 Chassis Cabs (DD) built between August 12, 2020 and October 7, 2021 (7,317 units) 2021-2022 Ram 4500/5500 (DP) Chassis Cabs built between November 13, 2020 and October 8, 2021 (16,939 units) Ram says it is aware of about 10 engine bay fires, but no accidents nor injuries due to the fires. The bigger issue for now is that Fiat Chrysler engineers working with the component supplier still haven't been able to find a root cause for the fires. Until they can nail down a cause, Ram recommends parking affected models outside, away from structures and other vehicles.   The pickup maker expects to begin mailing letters to owners on December 3, the same day it informs dealers of the fix for the issue. Owners with questions can call the Stellantis customer service line at 1-800-853-1403, the automaker's internal code for the recall being Y76. Or they can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153). Or go to www.nhtsa.gov. The NHTSA campaign number is 21V798 Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.