2016 Ram 3500 on 2040-cars

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Unibody Ford Ranger replacement

Auto sales in March and first quarter down nearly across the board

Nearly every major automaker reported weak U.S. sales for March and the first quarter of 2019, citing a rough start to the year, but said a robust economy and strong labor market should encourage consumers to buy more vehicles as 2019 rolls on. GM, which no longer releases monthly sales figures, saw first-quarter sales fall 7 percent, with declines across all brands. Sales of Silverado pickup trucks fell nearly 16 percent and the high-margin Chevy Suburban large SUV dropped 25 percent. Ford also no longer releases monthly sales numbers, but is due to release its first-quarter sales figures on Thursday. According to industry data, Ford's sales fell 2 percent in the quarter and 5 percent in March. Ford representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. FCA reported a 7 percent fall in U.S. sales in March and a 3 percent drop for the first quarter. All of FCA's brands dropped in March, except for Ram, which saw a 15 percent increase in pickup truck sales. "The industry had a tough first quarter, but with spring finally starting to show its face and continued strong economic indicators ... we are confident that new vehicle sales demand will strengthen going forward," FCA's U.S. head of sales, Reid Bigland, said in a statement. Toyota reported a 3.5 percent fall in U.S. sales in March and 5 percent for the first quarter, hurt by declining demand for its Corolla sedans and Camry vehicles. "While some of our competitors are abandoning sedans, we remain optimistic about the future of the segment," Toyota said in a statement. Nissan posted a 5.3 percent drop in sales in March, and its first-quarter sales were down 11.6 percent. Honda and Hyundai bucked the trend. Honda's U.S. sales rose 4.3 percent in March and 2 percent in the quarter, while Hyundai's were up 1.7 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively. Passenger-car sales suffered throughout the January-March quarter compared with the same period in 2018 as Americans continued to abandon them in favor of larger, more comfortable pickup trucks and SUVs, which are far more profitable for automakers. The battle for market share in the particularly lucrative large-pickup truck market intensified in the quarter, as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Ram brand outsold the U.S.' No. 1 automaker General Motors' Chevrolet-brand trucks. The two automakers have both launched redesigned pickup trucks.

Fully electric Ram 1500 announced, will begin production in 2024

Ram is fully present and accounted for at Stellantis’ EV Day. The company announced and teased a fully-electric Ram 1500 that is due to be out in 2024. And itÂ’s not just going to be fully revealed in 2024. Ram says itÂ’s going to begin production on the electric pickup that year. Details are scarce on the ground, but Ram teased us with some shadowy images of what we should expect of its electric full-size pickup. It looks almost nothing like the current Ram 1500, with an incredibly sleek profile, full-width front light bar and surprisingly short bed. WeÂ’re not sure how representative this photo will ultimately be of the production pickup, but it looks like Ram is open to big, revolutionary change in pickup design with this product. Specific details about the pickup werenÂ’t talked about, but Stellantis does provide a range estimate for an upcoming “STLA Frame” BEV platform (pictured above) that will undoubtedly underpin this Ram. As of today, Ram says it will offer a range of up to 500 miles. There will surely be lesser versions with smaller battery packs, but a 500-mile range is a great place to start. Ram also said that it would offer fast charging up to 150 kW, smart storage solutions and advanced automation. “With full knowledge of what our competitors are doing, we will surpass their offerings with the Ram 1500 battery electric vehicle built to again redefine the full-size segment," says Mike Koval, Ram CEO. That sounds like a direct shot at the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning, but we still haven't seen what GM is cooking up for its electric full-size pickup. Besides the 1500, Ram says it will offer a fully electrified solution “in the majority of our segments by 2025.” RamÂ’s portfolio of vehicles is rather limited, but that suggests weÂ’ll see electric versions of the ProMaster and ProMaster City at some point. The “majority” stipulation in there is likely referring to the Heavy Duty truck segment. There could be EVs there one day, but thatÂ’s certainly the segment that Ram is excluding for the time being.