2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 Base Standard Cargo Van 3-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

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Watch Atieva's electric van outrun a BMW i8 and Dodge Viper

A little while back, automotive startup Atieva drag raced its electric van, called Edna, against a Tesla Model S and a Ferrari California in order to compare its performance against known and revered mechanical athletes. Again, the Silicon Valley-based company is putting its prototype up against electrified and conventionally powered performance vehicles on the drag strip. Last time around, Edna, the Mercedes-Benz Vito van equipped with a 900-horsepower, all-wheel-drive powertrain, bested both of its foes. In that showcase, Edna was hitting 60 mph in a little over three seconds. Comparatively, BMW lists the i8's 0-60 time at 4.2 seconds, though Road & Track clocked it at 3.8 seconds, with a quarter-mile time of 12.3 seconds. The Viper does 0-60 in 3.4 seconds. Before you even watch the video above, you can imagine how it will end, as the retuned Atieva Edna rips 0-60 mph in 2.94 seconds. Atieva clocked the quarter mile at 11.3 seconds at 117 mph. It's worth noting that driver skill can have a lot to do with a car's straight-line performance. We've witnessed Viper's elapsing the quarter mile in well under 12 seconds, which means it should be quicker in this test than the i8, if not the Edna. Still, the performance showcased in the video is exceptional. To improve Edna's stats, Atieva says it has used testing data to fine tune its AC induction motors at higher speeds once it got low-speed performance locked in. After testing in the hot California sun, including the race you see above, Atieva drove Edna 90 miles home with range to spare. As for production plans, Atieva will put this powertrain into a sedan slated for sale in 2018. In the meantime, the company will keep testing and tuning its working prototype, and has even invited the public to put their cars up against Edna in future sessions. Related Video: Related Gallery 2015 BMW i8 in Petoskey, MI News Source: Atieva, YouTube: Atieva via Electrek Green Motorsports BMW Dodge Automakers Electric Future Vehicles Videos drag race atieva

UAW workers strike at Stellantis casting plant in Indiana

DETROIT — United Auto Workers union members went on strike Saturday at the Stellantis casting plant in Indiana, citing health and safety issues including the company's alleged refusal to repair and replace the plantÂ’s air conditioning and heating systems. The 35-acre plant in Kokomo makes parts used in the powertrains of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM vehicles and a long-term strike could affect vehicle assembly lines across North America. Stellantis says production had not been scheduled for this weekend and it hoped to resume negotiations as soon as possible on a contract with striking UAW Local 1166. In a statement, Stellantis said it was committed “to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all employees. After bargaining in good faith for two days and presenting an offer we believed addressed the unionÂ’s concerns, we are disappointed by the UAWÂ’s decision to walk out.” The 1,200-worker plant, Kokomo Casting, is the world's largest die cast facility, according to Stellantis. It makes aluminum parts for components including transmissions and engine blocks. The UAW local complained in a statement that Stellantis “claims it has no money to meet its membership's basic needs while ”making record profits and investing billions in a new battery plant across the street." UAW local president David Willis did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment. A person who answered the phone at union offices said he was preparing for a resumption in negotiations. The casting plant is to be retooled to produce engine blocks for hybrid-electric vehicles. In May, Stellantis announced a $2.5 billion joint venture with Samsung to build an electric vehicle battery factory in Kokomo that is to employ 1,400 workers. Stellantis, formed last year with the merger of Fiat Chrysler and FranceÂ’s PSA Peugeot, had said it would build two electric vehicle battery factories in North America. The other is slated for Windsor, Ontario. Plants/Manufacturing UAW/Unions Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM

2019 Dodge Charger SRT revealed in spy shots before reveal

Last month, Dodge teased the updated 2019 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and its new grille with air intakes. Now we get to see it before its full debut thanks to these spy shots. We can see that the grille is one of the few things that has changed for the 2019 model year. It also appears to have a new hood that has extractor vents farther back than on the current model. We can also see that this new grille is on an SRT 392 Scat Pack model, not the Hellcat teased a month ago. This seems to imply the grille will be applied to all Charger SRT models, or at least offered as an option. Aside from the grille and the hood, the rest of this new Charger looks like the outgoing version. The bumpers, spoiler, side skirts and lights all seem to be carryover. As such, we're not expecting anything else to change radically under the hood or chassis. There's a possibility one or two engines pick up a few horsepower, but we don't expect much more than that. If anything else changes to the 2019 Charger, it will probably consist of colors, options and maybe even another trim level. We'll know more about it when it makes its official debut this summer. An updated version of the Challenger will be revealed at the same time. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2019 Dodge Charger SRT Scat Pack View 9 Photos Image Credit: SpiedBilde Spy Photos Dodge Performance Sedan dodge charger srt hellcat scat pack