2023 Ram 1500 Trx on 2040-cars

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Jeep and Ram diesel owners get $3,075 in lawsuit settlement

Owners of certain Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokees equipped with diesel engines will get up to $3,075 in compensation for repairs under a settlement of a class-action lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler over illegal emissions-cheating software. The roughly $800 million settlement was first announced in January and approved by a federal judge in California last week, according to Consumer Reports. The affected vehicles are 2014 to 2016 Ram 1500 pickup trucks and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs equipped with 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 engines. FCA will update the emissions control software, provide an extended warranty covering up to 10 years or 120,000 miles, and provide cash compensation. Eligible owners will get as much as $3,075, while eligible lessees, former lease holders and former owners will get up to $990, and partial owners will get up to $2,460. FCA has established an EcoDiesel Settlement website where affected owners can find more information on how to submit and track a claim and sign up for updates. Customers with questions can also call 833-280-4748. Vehicle owners will have 21 months to submit a claim, with a deadline of Feb. 3, 2021, and two years to complete the repair and receive compensation for it. Former owners and lease holders must submit claims by Aug. 1, 2019. The EPA in early 2017 issued a notice of violation to FCA after Jeep and Ram installed eight emissions control devices on diesel vehicles. FCA's settlement includes $311 million in total civil penalties to U.S. and California regulators, up to $280 million to resolve claims from diesel owners, $105 million in extended warranties, $72.5 million in state civil penalties and $33.5 million in payments to California for excess emissions and to resolve consumer claims. Auto supplier Robert Bosch GmbH, which provided emissions control software, is paying $27.5 million to resolve claims, plus $103.5 million to settle claims with 47 states. The federal court also approved consent decrees between FCA, the EPA and the California Air Resources Board, plus agreements with all 50 stats and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In a statement, FCA said, "The settlements contain no findings of wrongdoing, nor admission of any wrongdoing, by FCA US" and added that the software fixes will have no affect on average fuel economy, performance or other characteristics of the vehicles.

Stellantis aims to eliminate separate inverter, charger to improve EV efficiency

Stellantis has announced that, in collaboration with French battery company Saft and French National Center for Scientific Research, has made significant progress in eliminating two major components of an electric vehicle powertrain: the on-board charger and the power inverter for the motor. The company claims that doing this will allow for better space use in vehicles, as well as improvements in efficiency, cost and reliability of components. As a quick primer, also explained in the below video, the on-board charger and power inverter are sort of translators to get the right current to different parts of the electric powertrain. The on-board charger takes AC power from the grid and converts it to DC to charge the batteries. Then when power goes from the batteries to the electric motor, the power inverter converts that DC power back to AC. These components aren't exactly small. Frequently you'll find them packaged somewhere under the hood. What Stellantis and its cohorts have developed, and have been using on a test vehicle since last summer, are small power inverter boards that can be mounted very closely to the battery packs. They can handle both conversion needs, for charging and discharging, instead of needing two separate devices. The most obvious perk to this is that you can do away with those traditional components and free up more space, either for making smaller vehicles without losing interior volume, or adding space to a vehicle that wouldn't have had it otherwise. There's the additional benefit of reduced weight, something that EVs struggle with. Stellantis also claims improvements in efficiency, reliability, and cost, however, it didn't go into detail as to how this setup would do that exactly. We'll try to get in touch with representatives from Stellantis in order to get more information. We're still a ways out from seeing this technology in production Stellantis vehicles. The company said it aims to apply it to vehicles by the end of the decade. Saft is also looking at using it on stationary battery systems as well. So maybe we'll see it on a 2029 Ram 1500 REV, but for now, we'll be living with traditional chargers and inverters. Related Video: Green Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Fiat RAM Technology Electric

EarthCruiser adds a bigger camper option to its heavy duty pickup line

EarthCruiser is a camper and expedition vehicle company based out of Oregon that we've previously covered for its huge commercial truck-based machines. But they offer more than that, from drop-in campers for smaller pickups to heavy duty pickup conversions. The company's latest product is one of the latter, offering a larger camping area than the current EXD model. This new camper conversion is called the Terranova. The big differentiator between it and the EXD is the camper section, which extends over the truck cab on the Terranova. This means that bed space can be moved to above the truck cab, instead of having to use a convertible dinette. So less reconfiguring, and generally more usable space. One other major difference is that the EXD is only available for the Ram 3500 and Ford F-350. The Terranova is being designed for both of those trucks as well as the Chevy Silverado 3500. The EarthCruiser Terranova is otherwise very similar to other EarthCruiser models. The camper section is made of fiberglass and plastic, and the pop-up roof is insulated with foam. The curtains are triple-layered. The company says it can house four people. It comes with a freshwater tank and pump to help supply the kitchen sink, drinking water tap, bathroom sink and indoor and outdoor showers. There's also a cassette toilet. The kitchen features an induction stove top and small refrigerator and freezer. A fan system is standard, and air conditioning is optional. Power comes from a 400-aH lithium-ion battery. The Terranova isn't yet available. EarthCruiser is finishing up design and engineering, and it plans to have finished examples early next year. The company is taking reservations now, though. Pricing hasn't been announced, but an EXD runs between $220,000 and $265,000, and we would expect the Terranova to cost even more. Related Video: Featured Gallery EarthCruiser Terranova Expedition Camper renderings Chevrolet Ford RAM Truck Off-Road Vehicles Special and Limited Editions RVs/Campers