2018 Ram 2500 Tradesman Crew Cab 4x4 on 2040-cars

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Stellantis and LG launch joint venture for North American battery plant

Stellantis has struck a preliminary deal with battery maker LG Energy Solution (LGES) to produce battery cells and modules for North America, as the world's No. 4 automaker rolls out its 30 billion euro ($35 billion) electrification plan. Global automakers are investing billions of euros to accelerate a transition to low-emission mobility and prepare for a progressive phase-out of internal combustion engines. Stellantis and LGES's joint venture will produce battery cells and modules at a new facility with an annual capacity of 40 gigawatt hours (GWh), the two firms said on Monday. No financial details of the deal were provided. The plant is scheduled to start production by the first quarter of 2024, with groundbreaking expected in the second quarter of 2022, the companies said in their statement. Its location is under review and will be announced later. Stellantis, formed in January from the merger of Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA, has said it wants to secure more than 130 GWh of global battery capacity by 2025 and more than 260 GWh by 2030. The batteries produced under the deal will supply Stellantis' U.S., Canadian and Mexican assembly plants for installation in hybrid and fully electric vehicles, supporting its goal of e-vehicles making up more than 40% of its U.S. sales by 2030. The company, whose brands include Peugeot, Fiat, Opel and U.S. best-sellers Jeep and Ram, earlier this year announced it would invest more than 30 billion euros through 2025 on electrifying its vehicle lineup. Stellantis has said it would build three battery plants in Europe and two in North America, including at least one in the United States. Intesa Sanpaolo analyst Monica Bosio said the deal was positive, and a further step ahead in Stellantis' electrification process. It comes weeks after Stellantis and its partner TotalEnergies agreed to open up their battery cell joint venture ACC to Daimler, to expand their European sourcing of battery cells. Stellantis is also targeting more than 70% of sales in Europe to be of low-emission vehicles by 2030, and aims to make the total cost of owning an EV equal to that of a gasoline-powered model by 2026. Related video: Green Plants/Manufacturing Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Citroen Lancia Opel Peugeot Vauxhall Electric Hybrid EV batteries LG

Chevy says not to look at the 2019 Silverado's fuel economy rating

The 2019 Chevy Silverado is hitting dealerships soon, and one of the most notable changes for the new full-size pickup is the addition of a 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-four. The engine replaces the naturally-aspirated 4.3-liter V6 in volume consumer models like the Silverado LT and promises more power, less weight and — most importantly — better fuel economy. The thing is, the gains in efficiency haven't been as dramatic as some might have hoped, especially when stacked up against competitors from Ford and Ram. As Automotive News reports, GM's response is a little murky. First, let's talk numbers. We're pulling all figures from FuelEconomy.gov, the official U.S. government source for fuel ratings. Fuel economy numbers on trucks vary greatly based on a number of factors. Bed and cab configuration play a part, but so does a four-wheel-drive system. You also have to factor in tires, transmissions, rear-axle gearing, hybrid systems and cylinder deactivation. Things like that can make the difference between best- and worst-in-class. The EPA's website doesn't give enough information a lot of the time, so there's really no easy way to compare apples-to-apples. First, take a look at the ratings for the 2019 Silverado. A 2.7-liter model with two-wheel drive is rated 20 city, 23 highway and 21 combined. That's both better and worse than a two-wheel drive 2018 Silverado with the 4.3-liter V6 (18 city, 24 highway and 20 combined). The updated 2019 Silverado with a 4.3-liter V6 has yet to be rated. With less weight and a smaller engine, many hoped Chevy would make bigger gains. It's unusual to see any decrease in a fuel economy metric these days. GM says that it's not done tuning the new 2.7-liter engine, so fuel economy could theoretically increase. Expanding further, a V8-powered 2019 Silverado (17 city, 24 highway and 19 combined) actually gets better highway fuel economy than a turbocharged four-cylinder powered truck in certain configurations, even if the latter has a better overall average. But that's only with two-wheel drive, the 8-speed transmission and cylinder deactivation. A Silverado with the 5.3-liter V8 and a 6-speed automatic is rated at 15 city, 22 highway and 17 combined. The biggest issue with the Silverado 2.7-liter doesn't come from within GM itself but from Ford and Ram. GM cites the Ford F-150 with the 3.3-liter V6 and the Ram 1500 with the 3.6-liter V6 as the closest competitors to its new 2.7-liter inline-four.

2023 Ram 1500's Built to Serve EMS edition honors medics

Ram's latest iteration of its Built to Serve line of Ram 1500 pickups is out, and this time the truck maker honors emergency medical services personnel, the folks who bring lifesaving aid to your door. As we've emerged from a pandemic and are settling into an endemic, the choice to honor EMTs and other emergency field workers seems a natural one. It's a group of folks who have a critical role in society, especially in the past couple of years. “The Ram 1500 ‘Built to ServeÂ’ EMS edition is our way of honoring and expressing deep gratitude to the frontline heroes who serve or have served our country,” said Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. “At Ram, we are pleased to recognize the important work emergency medical service workers provide to their communities every day.” The EMS edition comes in two colors, the Hydro Blue that you see here, and Bright White. The interior is black, with "performance" cloth and vinyl seats that have blue accent stitching. You'll also know it, along with others in the Built to Serve line, by the American flag and Built to Serve branding on the quarter-panel. It has a black grille and dark accents that include the side steps and exhaust tips, 20-inch gray aluminum wheels, and it's equipped with 4x4 Off-Road Equipment Group content so you can go wherever you're needed: all-terrain tires, skid plates, locking rear axle and hill-descent control. Inside, it shares features from the other Built to Serve trucks: the Velcro upholstery panels that allow you to adhere department or unit patches, along with the PALS/MOLLE webbing on the front seat backs for organizing gear. And of course there's badging inside the truck as well as outside. So far, there have been Built to Serve editions to honor the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Firefighters. (But nothing for Space Force?) A second round of trucks is meant to honor first responders: firefighters, police and now EMS workers. Built to Serve packages are based on Big Horn/Lone Star Crew Cab models. You've got a choice of the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 or 5.7-liter eTorque and non-eTorque V-8. The Built to Serve EMS starts at $56,810, which includes the $1,895 destination charge. It's on sale now, with builds starting soon. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is the most intense off-road truck ever built