1997 Jeep Wrangler on 2040-cars

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Stellantis expects to hit emissions target without Tesla's help

Franco-Italian carmaker Stellantis expects to achieve its European carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions targets this year without environmental credits bought from Tesla, its CEO said in an interview published on Tuesday. Stellantis was formed through the merger of France's PSA and Italy's FCA, which spent about 2 billion euros ($2.40 billion) to buy European and U.S. CO2 credits from electric vehicle maker Tesla over the 2019-2021 period. "With the electrical technology that PSA brought to Stellantis, we will autonomously meet carbon dioxide emission regulations as early as this year," Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares said in the interview with French weekly Le Point. "Thus, we will not need to call on European CO2 credits and FCA will no longer have to pool with Tesla or anyone." California-based Tesla earns credits for exceeding emissions and fuel economy standards and sells them to other automakers that fall short. European regulations require all car manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions for private vehicles to an average of 95 grams per kilometer this year. A Stellantis spokesman said the company is in discussions with Tesla about the financial implications of the decision to stop the pooling agreement. "As a result of the combination of Groupe PSA and FCA, Stellantis will be in a position to achieve CO2 targets in Europe for 2021 without open passenger car pooling arrangements with other automakers," he added. Tesla's sales of environmental credits to rival automakers helped it to announce slightly better than expected first-quarter revenue this week. The next tightening of European regulations will soon be the subject of proposals from the European Commission. The 2030 target could be lowered to less than 43 grams/km. Related Video: Government/Legal Green Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Tesla Citroen Peugeot Emissions Stellantis

Jeep reveals Grand Cherokee SRT Night, Wrangler Backcountry

Another major car show is almost upon us, and you know what that means. That's right, boys and girls – another pair of custom Jeeps. Far be it from us to complain, though, especially when the pair of SUVs debuting at the LA Auto Show this month aren't just for show. These will actually be offered to the public as new special editions. In one corner we have the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Night edition, with all the brightwork replaced with black. The roof, rear spoiler, front grille bezels, pillars, and window surrounds are all done up in gloss black, while the wheels – custom 20-inch jobs – as well as the front applique and badging have all been given a satin black treatment. The interior, as you might have guessed, is also predominantly black, with black leather, black chrome bezels, and silver stitching. Buyers will be able to choose between deep red, silver, or dark gray exterior colors, but either way they'll be getting the same 6.4-liter V8 – all 475 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of it. In the other corner is the Jeep Wrangler Backcountry. This one's based on the Wrangler Sahara and features a special off-road front bumper, powder-coated rear bumper, and the 17-inch wheels and rock rails from the Wrangler Rubicon. The interior features piano-black trim, leather and mesh seats, vinyl accents, nine-speaker Alpine sound system, and more. It'll be available in five colors – blue, black, white, gray or purple – with special graphics (because nothing says "backcountry" quite like neon pink decals on a purple Jeep) and a standard black (or optional body-colored) hardtop. The Wrangler Backcountry will be reaching dealers around the same time as its live debut towards the end of this month. Don't expect to see the GC Night edition on the streets until early next year, though. Pricing for either has yet to be announced, but you can scope out the details of both in the press release below. Jeep® Introduces Two New Special-edition Models at the Los Angeles Auto Show - New 2016 Jeep® Grand Cherokee SRT Night boasts stealth-like premium black appearance, with black roof and lightweight performance wheels - New 2016 Wrangler Backcountry delivers enthusiasts a unique Jeep SUV loaded with off-road capability features to tackle the toughest winter months November 12, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich.

These three automotive Lego kits deserve your suppoort

Lego has been quite good to car enthusiasts over the past few years. We've seen traditional kits for the classic VW Microbus, Mini Cooper, and the Caterham 620R, as well as an elaborate Technic kit for the 911 GT3 RS. But why stop there? The Lego Ideas page, which allows users to submit ideas with the chance to see their kits reach production, has many more cool car kits we'd love to see. Check them out below, and be sure to log on to vote for them. If a submission hits 10,000 votes, it is considered for production. That's how we got that Caterham kit, so it's worth your time to show your support. Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 This is a submission aimed at becoming one of Lego's Speed Champions kits. These are very small mini-figure scale car models, and the series has included the Ford GT, Audi R18 Le Mans racer, and more. This kit features a tiny version of the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, a Group B rally racer that gave Peugeot World Rally Championship titles two years in a row. The kit has a well-executed version of the car and its massive rear spoiler on the hatch. It also comes with a big dirt crest for it to fly over, along with amazed spectators on the sidelines. Porsche 911 Turbo 930 We love the GT3 RS Lego kit, but we think it's a little lonely as the only Porsche kit available. Such an impressive Porsche deserves an impressive companion, like this 911 Turbo. It's the 930 version, which is arguably the most famous classic 911 with its turbocharged power, whale-tail wing, and scary driving dynamics thanks to considerable turbo lag and rear-engine handling characteristics. This model is quite large at 1:10 scale, and comes with a detailed interior and exterior. The best part is the remote-control components underneath that allow the car to be driven. Jeep Wrangler JK Moving off the beaten path again, we have this highly detailed Wrangler kit. Actually, we have two kits, as the creator designed both two-door and four-door versions. They both feature removable hard tops, detailed interiors, and big tires. They also come with an assortment of off-road accessories such as auxiliary lights, an off-road jack, winch, gas can, roof rack, and off-road bumper. You can also find various fluid reservoirs and engine details under the opening hood. Related Video: Image Credit: AbFab1974 / Lego Ideas, brickmasterno1 / Lego Ideas, RREYES77 / Lego Ideas Auto News Toys/Games Jeep Porsche Peugeot Lego