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2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid: The 80-MPGe minivan [w/video]

As automakers rush to add hybrids and plug-ins to every type of vehicle, one popular segment has been overlooked: minivans. If the idea of a hybrid minivan makes sense to you, that's because it's a smart idea, and one that we're surprised hasn't happened yet. So kudos to Chrysler for not just making it happen, but for creating a plug-in version with an estimated 80 miles per gallon equivalent. You can read all the practical details of the 2017 Pacifica (not Town & Country) here. For the sake of this story, we'll focus on what's different with the hybrid model. Yes, Chrysler is just calling it Pacifica Hybrid, not Plug-In Hybrid, because the company's executives think that when people hear "plug" they think "range anxiety" and freak out. That's not a worry here, though, because when the 16-kWh battery runs out of juice, the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 kicks in and the minivan functions as normal. Just don't run out of gas. With a full charge, the Pacifica Hybrid can travel up to 30 miles on electric power. And though the gas engine is the same 3.6-liter V6 found in the non-hybrid model, it's detuned to 248 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque. Charging the battery takes just two hours on a 240-volt plug, and Chrysler houses the battery pack underneath the floor in the middle of the van, where the wells for Stow 'N Go seating are found on gas-only models. So no, you can't get Stow 'N Go seats on the hybrid, but the third row does still fold into the floor. Powertrain aside, the Pacifica Hybrid is nearly identical to its gas-only sibling, save the addition of the charge port on the driver's side front fender. Unique wheels in 17- and 18-inch sizes can be had, and the Pacifica Hybrid only comes in Touring and Limited Platinum trims. You can read more details on the hybrid system in the release below. First hybrid powertrain in minivan segment "Due to its large footprint and multiple daily trip patterns, the minivan is ideally suited for electrification technology," said Bob Lee, Vice President and Head of Engine, Powertrain and Electrified Propulsion Systems Engineering, FCA – North America. "The all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica lives up to this promise and then some, with efficiency, power and refinement." Launching in second half of 2016, the Pacifica Hybrid is the industry's first electrified minivan.

Auto investor Kirk Kerkorian dead at 98

Kirk Kerkorian, among the most talked-about investors in the American auto industry in recent memory, died at the age of 98 in Los Angeles on Monday, June 15. The billionaire ran the investment company Tracinda Corp. and was the largest shareholder in MGM Resorts International. Kerkorian attempted to use his power as a well-financed investor to push the auto industry in some fascinating ways. In 2006, he used his nearly 10-percent stake in General Motors to push a merger with the Renault-Nissan Alliance. The deal made it as far as discussions, but eventually fell through. Kerkorian also attempted to purchase Chrysler - twice. According to Automotive News, the first effort came in 1995 with a $22.8-billion offer for the automaker, and soon after it failed the company merged with Daimler. Then in 2007, Kerkorian was back with a bid for $4.5 billion, but things eventually fell to Cerberus. The billionaire finished the trifecta by buying up $1 billion in Ford stock in 2008 to make Kerkorian the single largest investor in the company. However, the situation didn't last long, and by the end of that year, he had unloaded the shares. According to Automotive News, Kerkorian was ranked by Forbes as the world's 41st richest man in 2008 with a net worth of $16 billion. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Joe Cavaretta / AP Photo Celebrities Earnings/Financials Chrysler Ford GM obituary

UAW to vote on strike authorization amid claims Detroit talks are moving slowly

DETROIT — About 146,000 members of the United Auto Workers union will vote next week whether to authorize their leaders to call strikes against the Detroit automakers. Union President Shawn Fain told members in a Facebook Live appearance Tuesday that the talks, which started in mid-July, are moving slowly and have yet to get to wages and other economic issues. The union's contracts with General Motors, Ford and Stellantis expire in about a month, at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14. “If we want to make progress at the bargaining table, we need to show the companies that it's not just talk,” Fain said of the strike vote. He told local offices to report the results of their votes to the union headquarters by Aug. 24. Strike authorization votes are a routine part of contract talks and are often overwhelmingly approved, but Fain said the vote is a sign of the union's strength. Fain has set high expectations for the contract talks and says the union will seek more than 40% general pay raises over four years, restoration of pensions for newer hires, cost-of-living increases, an end to wage tiers, and other benefits. He has said workers can make big gains but must be ready to strike to get them. The union also wants guarantees that it will represent workers at 10 U.S. electric vehicle battery plants proposed by the companies. Most are joint ventures with Korean battery companies. Much of Fain's rhetoric has been focused on Stellantis, the most profitable of the three companies with the highest profit margins. Fain has complained that Stellantis is seeking concessions in the contract when the union wants gains. But a union spokesman said singling out Stellantis doesnÂ’t mean the UAW has picked a company as a strike target, and it could choose all three. He said the union doesn't plan to extend the contracts beyond Sept. 14. Automakers say they are facing billions of dollars in development costs as the industry shifts from combustion engines to electric vehicles. In a letter to employees last week, Stellantis Chief Operating Officer Mark Stewart accused Fain of “theatrics and personal insults” that Stewart said will not help to reach a deal. He wrote that the company is committed to an agreement based on “economic realism” that supports the viability of Stellantis' operations while rewarding workers. The company, he wrote, wants to find solutions to protect Stellantis from nonunion companies with lower costs and additional costs from moving to electric vehicles. “Mr.