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Fiat Chrysler, Waymo expand partnership for Level 4 self-driving

Fiat Chrysler and Waymo, the self-driving unit of Google parent Alphabet Co., are expanding their partnership in an ambitious plan to develop fully autonomous commercial delivery vehicles and integrate Level 4 autonomous technology across the FCA fleet, the two companies said Wednesday. The agreement makes FCA (soon to be dubbed Stellantis when the PSA merger is complete) the exclusive partner for Waymo to develop and test self-driving Class 1-3 light commercial delivery vehicles. Initial efforts will focus on integrating the Waymo Driver system into the Ram ProMaster cargo van for commercial fleets, including Waymo Via, which have seen demand for home delivery services mushroom during the coronavirus pandemic. Conversely, FCA has tapped Waymo as its exclusive supplier for Level 4 self-driving technology across its vehicle fleet, opening up possibilities for ride-hailing and personal-use vehicles. An FCA spokesman would not commit to any timelines for integrating Waymo’s self-driving technology into the ProMaster or other brands or models. The Society of Automotive Engineers defines Level 4 systems as fully automated driving, though a human driver can manually override and take control of the wheel. There are currently no Level 4 autonomous vehicles offered to customers, and most experts believe the technology still faces many obstacles to broad adoption and regulatory clearance. Fiat Chrysler first partnered with Waymo in 2016. The two companies have worked to test WaymoÂ’s Level 4 technology using retrofitted Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans. “Our now four-year partnership with Waymo continues to break new ground,” Mike Manley, Fiat ChryslerÂ’s CEO, said in a statement. “Incorporating the Waymo Driver, the worldÂ’s leading self-driving technology, into our Pacifica minivans, we became the only partnership actually deploying fully autonomous technology in the real world, on public roads.” Waymo recently introduced its fifth generation of the Waymo Driver system, which it completely redesigned to be able to handle more environments and situations. It combines 360-degree lidar sensors positioned atop the vehicle and at four points around the sides, plus cameras and radars. Waymo said it had already manufactured the new sensors and integrated them onto Jaguar I-Pace test vehicles.

2019 Ram 1500 spotted with split tailgate

A little over three years ago, we discovered a patent from Fiat-Chrysler that showed a pickup truck tailgate that not only dropped down like a normal one, but was also split into two swing-out halves. It appears to be a reality now, since one of the Ram 1500 prototypes shown above has just such a tailgate. The tailgate above does look a bit different from the one shown in the patent drawings. For one thing, it's not a 50/50 split in the middle. Instead, Ram seems to have opted for something like a 60/40, or maybe 70/30 split. We're not sure exactly why this is, but there could be a few advantages. For one, It probably allows for the use of the same or nearly the same handle as on conventional Rams, as well as the same badging. For another, if the tailgate operates as described in the patent, it might be possible to open just one side without opening the other, and having the shorter piece could offer some flexibility in tight areas where a larger half couldn't open fully. Testing alongside the split tailgate truck were some other Ram 1500s that had their tailgates completely covered. They did reveal some other cargo management features that should show up on the production truck, such as a return of the RamBox bedside storage compartments. One of the trucks also revealed some ribbed bedsides that would allow the positioning of a cargo divider just about anywhere in the bed. We expect to see the new Ram 1500 to be fully revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January. In the meantime, you can check out what we believe the production truck will look like, as well as everything we know about it, here. Related Video:

Ram extends Black Package to Heavy Duty trucks

If you liked the Black Express package Ram offers on its 1500 light-duty pickup but need the added capability of a Heavy Duty model, we've got good news for you.
This week at the Atlanta International Auto Show, the Ram truck brand is rolling out the Black package for the Ram HD 2500 and 3500 SRW. It features a sinister-looking exterior with 20-inch alloys, fog lamps, grille, front and rear bumpers and badges all blacked out. All the body-side badging has also been removed, unless you go for Cummins power, in which case you still get a chrome diesel badge on the side.
In correspondence with Autoblog, Ram spokesman Nick Cappa explained that the popularity of the Black edition light-duty truck was the impetus for the Heavy Duty edition you see here. "Ram has a reputation for going further on design and custom-looks from the factory," explained Cappa, pointing towards the Express, Sport and Longhorn editions. "This type of forward design-thinking led us to extend the aggressive appearance to the HD trucks, which in the past has been a bit more subtle."