2014 Chrysler Town & Country Touring on 2040-cars

Auto blog

UAW warns automakers: Restarting U.S. plants is 'too soon and too risky'

WASHINGTON/WARREN, Mich. — The head of the United Auto Workers union on Thursday said it was "too soon and too risky" to reopen auto plants and Michigan's economy in early May, citing insufficient scientific data and coronavirus testing to assure workplaces are safe. The warning from UAW President Rory Gamble on Thursday afternoon came as General Motors Co , Ford Motor Co and Toyota Motor Corp took new steps toward reopening North American vehicle manufacturing operations in an environment where consumer demand is uncertain and worker safety paramount. The union has said that 24 of its members have died from Covid-19, though it was unclear whether they might have become infected in the workplace. Unionized Detroit automakers and non-union German and Asian automakers have been preparing to restart U.S. vehicle making operations by early May. Companies have shifted reopening dates amid uncertainty about government stay-at-home orders. Gamble's statement appeared to derail plans by the Detroit Three to start bringing UAW workers back to vehicle manufacturing jobs on May 4. The longer the automakers cannot produce profitable U.S.-made trucks and sport utility vehicles, the longer they burn cash. The UAW leader's statement was also aimed at Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has come under pressure from conservative groups and President Donald Trump to ease coronavirus stay-at-home restrictions. "At this point in time, the UAW does not believe the scientific data is conclusive that it is safe to have our members back in the workplace. We have not done enough testing to really understand the threat our members face," Gamble said. "We strongly suggest to our companies in all sectors that an early May date is too soon and too risky to our members, their families and their communities." Gamble said the union was "happy with the auto companiesÂ’ response and cooperation on working through the health and safety protocols we will need in the workplace when it is appropriate to restart." Earlier Thursday, GM began notifying front line managers to come back to work next week to get trained on new safety protocols designed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus as workers return to plants.

How fracking is causing Chrysler minivans to sit on Detroit's riverfront

It's fascinating the way that one change to a complex system can have all sorts of unintended consequences. For instance, there are hundreds of new Chrysler Town and County and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans built in Windsor, Ontario, sitting in lots on the Detroit waterfront because of the energy boom in the Bakken oil field in the northern US and parts of Canada.
The huge amount of crude oil coming from these sites mostly use freight trains for transport, and that supply boom has resulted in a shortage of railcars to carry other goods. According to The Windsor Star, North American crude oil transport by train has gone from 9,500 carloads in 2008 to 434,032 carloads in 2013. Making matters worse, some North American rail infrastructure is still damaged because of this year's harsh winter, and that's slowing things down even further.
Chrysler admits to The Star that it has had some delivery delays due to the freight train shortage. In the meantime, it's using more trucks to deliver its vehicles. Trucking is a far less economical solution, partially because a train can carry so many more units at one time, but alternatives are slim. The Windsor plant alone has a deal for 33 trucks to distribute the minivans around Canada and the Midwestern US.

2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan gets sinister S package

If you prefer shuttling your kids and their juice boxes to soccer practices and piano recitals with a smaller carbon footprint, but you wanna look gangsta doing it, then has Chrysler got a minivan for you. Starting in July, the automaker will offer the murdered-out S Appearance Package on the Pacifica Hybrid, too, following its "wildly successful" debut in the gasoline combustion version last fall. The details appear to be mostly the same as on the gas versions. Buyers will get lots of exterior gloss black accents, including grille surrounds, eyebrow headlamp accents, and window and rear valance moldings. The front and rear Chrysler wing badges are likewise done in black, but the Hybrid version comes with a special teal insert to highlight its green bonafides. The "Pacifica," "S" and "eHybrid" badges also get the "Black Noise" finish. A black roof rack and 18-inch wheels with "Black Noise" finish are now standard. Inside, the S Appearance brings black seats with gray accents and the "S" logo, light gray stitching and black accents on the wheel, and light gray stitching and the imaginatively named Anodized Ice Cave bezels on the instrument panel and door trim. Everything else in the interior is as blacked-out as your hard-as-nails, tree-hugging soul. You can order the S Appearance Package on the 2019 Pacifica Hybrid models with any exterior paint color, not just black, starting next month, for $595. It'll arrive in showrooms in the fall. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid S Appearance Package Image Credit: Fiat Chrysler Design/Style Green Chrysler Minivan/Van Electric Hybrid chrysler pacifica hybrid options package trim