2021 Chrysler Pacifica Touring L "s" Package With Advanced Technology Options on 2040-cars

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Stellantis earnings rise along with EV sales

AMSTERDAM — Automaker Stellantis on Wednesday reported its earnings grew in 2022 from a year earlier and said its push into electric vehicles led to a jump in sales even as it faces growing competition from an industrywide shift to more climate-friendly offerings. Stellantis, formed in 2021 from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and FranceÂ’s PSA Peugeot, said net revenue of 179.6 billion euros ($191 billion) was up 18% from 2021, citing strong pricing and its mix of vehicles. It reported net profit of 16.8 billion euros, up 26% from 2021. Stellantis plans to convert all of its European sales and half of its U.S. sales to battery-electric vehicles by 2030. It said the strategy led to a 41% increase in battery EV sales in 2022, to 288,000 vehicles, compared with the year earlier. The company has “demonstrated the effectiveness of our electrification strategy in Europe,” CEO Carlos Tavares said in a statement. “We now have the technology, the products, the raw materials and the full battery ecosystem to lead that same transformative journey in North America, starting with our first fully electric Ram vehicles from 2023 and Jeep from 2024.” The automaker is competing in an increasingly crowded field for a share of the electric vehicle market. Companies are scrambling to roll out environmentally friendly models as they look to hit goals of cutting climate-changing emissions, driven by government pressure. The transformation has gotten a boost from a U.S. law that is rolling out big subsidies for clean technology like EVs but has European governments calling out the harm that they say the funding poses to homegrown industry across the Atlantic. Stellantis' Jeep brand will start selling two fully electric SUVs in North America and another one in Europe over the next two years. It says its Ram brand will roll out an electric pickup truck this year, joining a rush of EV competitors looking to claim a piece of the full-size truck market. The company plans to bring 25 battery-electric models to the U.S. by 2030. As part of that push, it has said it would build two EV battery factories in North America. A $2.5 billion joint venture with Samsung will bring one of those facilities to Indiana, which is expected to employ up to 1,400 workers. The other factory will be in Windsor, Ontario, a collaboration with South KoreaÂ’s LG Energy Solution that aims to create about 2,500 jobs. The EV push comes amid a slowdown in U.S.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica isn't your parents' Town & Country [w/video]

I'm sick of people hating on minivans. There's something about two incredibly functional sliding doors that give people this idea that they've given up, and given in to family life. But if the van you see here had two fixed rear doors, and maybe an extra inch of ride height, it'd be gobbled up like mad as part of the growing crossover craze. So yes, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica – that's right, Pacifica – is a minivan. But it's so packed full of features, technology, and functionality, that you really ought to look past those sliding doors. There promises to be an incredibly rewarding vehicle within. The 2017 Pacifica rides on an all-new platform, but dimensionally, it's similar to the outgoing Town & Country. That whole "ugh, minivans" thing is one of the reasons why Chrysler decided to axe the Town & Country name for 2017. Simply put, the target customers for the new minivan (young parents) would have grown up in their parents' Town & Country vans (or Caravans, or Voyagers...) in the 1980s. Three decades later, FCA wants to make it absolutely clear that this isn't just your parents' minivan. Why it chose to bring back the name of a lackluster part of its mid-2000s history, though, is anyone's guess. The 2017 Pacifica rides on an all-new platform, but dimensionally, it's similar to the outgoing Town & Country. It's a tenth of an inch shorter in length, about an inch wider, and roughly half an inch taller. The body itself looks great – influence from the 200 sedan is obvious up front, and around back in the taillights, and top-trim models can be had with 20-inch wheels – a big change from the old van, which topped out with 17-inch rolling stock. There's big weight-savings here, too – the Pacifica tips the scales at 4,330 pounds in base spec, which is over 300 pounds less than the Town & Country. Inside, it's more of the same from Chrysler. The interior design uses language brought up from the 200, and the different color and material choices look really rich, especially in Limited Premium trim. Of course, I'll wait to make final judgments on the cabin until I see it in base cloth spec, rife with kid fingerprints and french fries ground into the carpets. Up front, the Uconnect 8.4-inch touchscreen houses familiar infotainment functionality, and for backseat passengers, there's a new Uconnect Theater system, with a pair of 10-inch touchscreen displays.

Fiat Chrysler and Renault are in advanced partnership talks

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Renault are in advanced discussions about a possible alliance, according to a report from the Financial Times citing an anonymous "person familiar with the matter." The news isn't particularly surprising, as FCA has been a constant subject of merger and alliance talks for as long as many of us can remember. We've reported on a potential tie-up between these two automakers several times, as far back as 2008 and as recently as two months ago. FCA CEO Mike Manley has mentioned the company's openness to merging with another automaker. At the Geneva Motor Show a few months back, he said, "We have a strong independent future, but if there is a partnership, a relationship or a merger which strengthens that future, I will look at that." It's no secret that FCA is much stronger in the United States than it is in Europe. For its part, Renault has basically zero presence in the United States. A partnership or potential alliance between the two could shore up each automaker's weak spots and allow the group to split investment money into new technologies, including electric vehicles and autonomy. Of course, Renault is already tied up with Nissan and Mitsubishi, but that partnership has been a little tattered since the arrest of former Nissan and Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn on charges of financial misconduct in Japan. And in addition to Renault, FCA is understood to have discussed various partnership strategies with the PSA Peugeot Citroen group. What a final agreement – if there's any agreement at all – could look like between the two global automakers remains to be seen, and the report from Financial Times cautions that many different options for FCA and Renault are currently on the table. In other words, stay tuned.