2021 Ram 1500 Big Horn on 2040-cars

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Ram forced to build and hold 1500 Classic trucks due to chip shortage

DETROIT — The impact of the global semiconductor shortage on the auto industry spread on Saturday, as Stellantis warned its highly profitable pickup trucks were hit, while Ford said it would cut more U.S. production. Stellantis, the world's fourth largest automaker, said it will build and hold for final assembly its Ram 1500 Classic trucks at its Warren, Michigan, and Saltillo, Mexico, assembly plants. When chips become available, the vehicles will be completed and shipped to dealers. The action will last "a number of weeks," a Stellantis spokeswoman said, declining to reveal how many trucks would be affected. The chip shortage, which has hit automakers globally, stems from a confluence of factors. Carmakers shut North American plants for two months during the COVID-19 pandemic last year and canceled chip orders. Meanwhile, demand for chips surged from the consumer electronics industry as people worked from home and played video games. Now carmakers must compete for chips. Carmakers have repeatedly said they will prioritize chips for their most profitable vehicles, but the impact on the Ram, as well as previous reports by Ford and General Motors of lost or impacted production of their full-size trucks, shows the shortage is hitting companies where it hurts. Stellantis Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said earlier this month the problems might not be fully resolved by the second half of 2021, as some auto rivals have flagged, describing supplies as the "big unknown" for revenues in 2021. Ford said Saturday it will idle its Ohio assembly plant next week, while its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville will only work two of three shifts. Both plants will return to full production the week of March 29. The U.S. automaker said the latest action is part of a prior forecast it made that the shortage could hit 2021 profits by $1 billion to $2.5 billion. On Thursday, Ford said it would assemble its flagship, highly profitable F-150 pickup truck as well as Edge SUVs in North America without certain parts and then hold them "for a number of weeks" until they can be completed and shipped, affecting "thousands" of vehicles. It also said it would idle production at plants in Louisville, Kentucky, and Cologne, Germany. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2019 Ram 1500 eTorque First Drive Review | The un-hybrids

Misinformation is already being passed around about the 2019 Ram 1500 eTorque – reports calling the new electrified version of the full-size half-ton pickup truck a hybrid and saying its eTorque system adds torque to the truck's engine increasing payload, towing capacity, and performance. Don't believe a word of it – this isn't a hybrid in the conventional sense of the word. eTorque does not increase the truck's power or capability. Instead, the system feeds in some electric torque at low RPM, which helps with fuel efficiency by spinning up the engine during start/stop operation, smoothing gearchanges, and harvesting some energy from braking – that's basically it. Ram is partially to blame for the hybrid confusion. Although the "h"-word does not appear anywhere on the truck or the vehicle's window sticker, the automaker has chosen to call eTorque a "mild-hybrid system", which implies that it might be able to propel the truck on electric power. But the Ram's small battery pack and single electric motor cannot – it's more similar to the original GM Parallel Hybrid Truck system than the later two-motor, two-mode hybrid system circa 2009. Also, eTorque applies power to the engine and the wheels briefly at very low engine speeds and during gear changes. These applications of power only last for fractions of a second at any given time, some as quick as the blink of an eye. So it's a labeling fiasco, but Ram's explanation of the eTorque system's operation and its benefits, which are significant, can also be perplexing. And the resulting discombobulation is unfortunate, because eTorque is clever, and it really does work. Earlier this week we drove two Rams with the system, one a V6 and one a Hemi, through Kentucky horse country, and came away impressed by its measurable contributions to the truck's fuel efficiency, drivability and smooth operation. We also interviewed Mike Raymond, the Chief Engineer on the Ram 1500, and Brian Spohn, Ram's Vehicle Electrification Manager, Powertrain Engineering, to better understand what it is and how it functions. How eTorque works Ram will offer the 3.6-liter 24-valve V6 with eTorque as the standard engine in most models. The V6 will not be available without eTorque, although we'd be surprised if it wasn't added to the menu at a later date.

Ram launches perfectly predictable ads [UPDATE]

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated these commercials were Super Bowl ads. This is not the case, and the text has been corrected to reflect that they are not, in fact, Super Bowl ads. Ram has released some new commercials, and they're pretty boring. They're not bad by any means, it's just that they're exactly what you'd expect from a truck commercial. The two 30-second spots deal with the themes of doing truck things and being a strong, community-focused American. The first of the two shows Rams performing such kind-hearted duties as pulling a fallen tree off a road, or towing a church to its pastoral new home. In the background, the narrator repeats words tied to strength, courage, assistance, and longevity. To paraphrase Mr. Spock, this Ram will be strong, live long, and help your community prosper. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The second spot shifts more to the community-focused and family-minded theme. Clearly, it's meant to show that the tough guy in the Ram has a soft side. But don't worry, he can still pound through snow with his mega-sized plow, which is perfect for making sure people can go ice-skating in the middle of nowhere. While they're adequate ads that deliver a pretty clear message, they cover the same ground most other truck commercials have. They're just generic truck commercials we'll forget about an hour after they've aired. Here's hoping other automakers step up their game. Related Video: