Plum Crazy, Leather, Automatic Low Miles, R/t Classic on 2040-cars

Auto blog

7 major automakers to build open EV charging network

A new joint venture established by BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis will build a new North American electric vehicle charging network on a scale designed to compete with Tesla's industry-benchmark Supercharger network. The 30,000-plus planned new chargers will accommodate both Tesla's almost-standard North American Charging System (NACS) and existing automakers' Combined Charging System (CCS) options, effectively guaranteeing compatibility with the vast majority of current and upcoming electric models — whether they're from one of the involved automakers or not.  "With the generational investments in public charging being implemented on the Federal and State level, the joint venture will leverage public and private funds to accelerate the installation of high-powered charging for customers. The new charging stations will be accessible to all battery-powered electric vehicles from any automaker using Combined Charging System (CCS) or North American Charging Standard (NACS) and are expected to meet or exceed the spirit and requirements of the U.S. National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program." Critically, the automakers involved will have a say in how the charging tech is implemented, guaranteeing that the hardware will play nicely with each automaker's in-house charging systems. Hyundai and Kia, for example, were hesitant to jump on board the Tesla NACS bandwagon earlier this year over concerns that the Supercharger network is insufficient for powering the two automakers' 800-volt charging systems; similar tech is used by Volkswagen and Porsche.  In addition to providing much-needed capacity and high-output charging for America's growing fleet of electric cars and trucks, the new network will integrate seamlessly with each automaker's in-app and in-vehicle features, rather than forcing customers to use third-party tools and payment systems, as is the case with some existing public charging infrastructure.  "The functions and services of the network will allow for seamless integration with participating automakersÂ’ in-vehicle and in-app experiences, including reservations, intelligent route planning and navigation, payment applications, transparent energy management and more. In addition, the network will leverage Plug & Charge technology to further enhance the customer experience," the announcement said.

2022 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Challenger, Charger recalled for faulty TPMS sensors

Stellantis is recalling some of its longest-running models to address a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensor defect that may be erroneously indicating a low-pressure condition — 52,340 cars shipped with sensors built with batteries that may fail prematurely, triggering a TPMS light when there is no actual safety threat.  A TPMS light that remains constantly illuminated is not only annoying but it could also mask a real tire pressure loss, which is a safety hazard. Stellantis says the production range for potentially impacted models runs from September 7, 2021 to June 9, 2022, indicating it took some time for issues to crop up in the wild, so just because no issue has crept up yet, doesn't mean it won't later on.  Notices have begun circulating to dealers and should be sent to owners by early September. In the meantime, owners should verify any tire pressure warnings independently before driving their vehicles.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. How To Fix A Tire Leak | Autoblog Wrenched

Chrysler recalling 280k Dodge Ram 1500 pickups over axle seizures

Following a June investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will be recalling 280,000 Dodge Ram pickups from model year 2005. The issue, NHTSA told The Detroit News, centered on a loose pinion nut, which could cause the rear axle to seize and, potentially, the driveshaft to detach. The affected vehicles were built between January of 2004 and August of 2005, while of the 280,000 trucks, only 257,000 were sold in the US market. According to The News, the recall will begin on February 13, and will see owners report to dealerships to have "a retention feature" added to the pinion nut.