2019 Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn on 2040-cars

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Stellantis won't race to split electric vehicles from fossil fuel cars

MILAN - Stellantis is not considering splitting its electric vehicle (EV) business from its legacy combustion engine operation, its finance chief said on Thursday, as the carmaker presented above-expectation revenue data for the first quarter. Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer told analysts he did not see huge benefits in the kind of separations pursued by rivals such as France's Renault and U.S. Ford. "We need to manage the company and the assets we have through this transition," he said. "There are benefits to having the cash flow being generated by the internal combustion business for the investments we need to make." Palmer said the group, formed by a merger last year of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot maker PSA, was not averse to considering adjusting its structure "but we aren't anticipating any big changes." Palmer's comments came after the world's fourth largest carmaker said its net revenue rose 12% to 41.5 billion euros ($44.1 billion) in the January-March period, as strong pricing and the type of vehicles sold helped offset the impact of the semiconductor shortage on volumes. That topped analyst expectations of 36.9 billion euros, according to a Reuters poll. Milan-listed shares were up 0.5% by 1415 GMT, in line with Italy's blue-chip index. The impact of the chip crunch was evident in the decline in shipment figures which fell 12% in the quarter to 1.374 million vehicles. It was a similar story for Germany's BMW which posted higher revenues on Thursday and a decline in car sales. Riding the Recovery Stellantis, whose brands also include Citroen, Jeep and Maserati, confirmed its 2022 forecasts for a double-digit adjusted operating income margin, after 11.8% last year, and a positive cash-flow despite supply and inflationary headwinds. Morgan Stanley analysts said after the results that Stellantis had better management than many peers and benefited from its significant exposure to a stronger U.S. economy and a European recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. They also said it was less affected by a slowing Chinese economy. Palmer said it was important for the group to maintain double-digit margins and keep delivering positive cash flows. "A 12% increase in revenue with a 12% decrease in volumes indicates a very strong performance on price and mix, which augurs well for our margin performance," he said. He said semiconductor supply problems were expected to ease this year with continued improvements in 2023.

Ram truck owner who stopped lawbreaking teen joyride gets truck repaired for free

Here is a story that should make you feel a little better about modern society. Bryson Rowley, the concerned man in Utah who put himself in danger to stop an out-of-control, joyriding teen, is getting his damaged pickup fixed free of charge.
It all occurred after a kid stole his grandfather's Hyundai Veloster. As part of a police chase, he went speeding through a park where children were playing and into a neighborhood. When it appeared that the pursuit was returning to the park, Rowley got into his Ram and drove into the little, white coupe instantly stopping it. However, after the collision, his truck needed a new front bumper.
People in the community have banded together to make sure that Rowley didn't have to pay for any repairs, according to Car Throttle. A company called Fusion Bumpers even shipped out a replacement to him. It's nice to see that people putting out a helping hand to repair the damage to his truck.

2021 Ram 1500 Mopar '21 Edition is a very-limited-production pickup

Ram offers a multitude of trim levels and options for the 1500 pickup truck, but some people just want something a little different and a lot more exclusive. For that, there's the 2021 Ram 1500 Mopar '21 Edition. It's a customized version of a Big Horn or Lone Star Ram, and only 250 will be produced: 210 for the U.S. and 40 for Canada. The Mopar '21 Edition gets a host of extra goodies, including a number of exclusive items. Among those are the black grille surround and exhaust, stripes, cloth seats with embroidered Mopar logos and bags on the backs of said seats that attach to Molle straps. Only four colors will be offered, silver, black red and blue. The truck also gets some other generally available accessories such as the hard bed cover, spray-in bedliner, adjustable tie downs, tow hooks, running boards and all-weather floor mats. The special edition is a package available for the aforementioned Big Horn and Lone Star Rams when equipped with a 5.7-liter V8, four-wheel-drive and the Crew Cab configuration with a 5-foot-7-inch bed. It's an extra $8,500 on top of the base price. If you're interested, the truck goes on sale this summer. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.