2007 Jeep Wrangler X on 2040-cars

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Stellantis to introduce hybrid versions of Fiat 500e EV, Jeep Compass

  MILAN — Fiat owner Stellantis said on Monday it would build a hybrid version of its 500e small electric car at its Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy, amid a slowdown in electric car sales. The announcement came after Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares met in Turin with union representatives who had long been asking the company to boost production at Fiat's historic home with a new high-volume, cheaper model. The factory currently produces the 500e model, but a global slowdown in sales of fully electric vehicles has pushed Stellantis to significantly slow production rates, introducing protracted furlough periods for the plant's workers. "Carlos Tavares recalled the importance of offering affordable and high-quality cars for Italian customers," Stellantis said in a statement. It added that developing affordable cars also depended on external factors including lower energy costs, the development of a charging network for electric vehicles, and long-term subsidies for auto purchases. The move might help the automaker improve its relations with the Italian government, which has often criticized the group for its falling output in the country and for making some of its Fiat and Alfa Romeo models abroad. Stellantis — Italy's only major automaker — and the Rome government are in talks over a plan aimed at restoring the group's production in the country to 1 million vehicles by the end of this decade from around 750,000 last year. "The shared ambition with the Italian government to reach 1 million vehicles produced in Italy by 2030, will need a supportive business environment, currently impacted by electrification uncertainties and strong competition with new entrants to the market," the automaker said. FIM-Cisl union leader Ferdinando Uliano, who attended the meeting with Tavares, said Stellantis told him and others that production of the hybrid 500e would start in the first quarter of 2026 but did not give details about targeted output figures. Automotive News Europe, which first reported the hybrid 500 production earlier on Monday, said Stellantis was aiming for total annual output of 200,000 500s, including 125,000 hybrids, compared with fewer than 80,000 last year. The Franco-Italian carmaker also said it would build a hybrid version of the Jeep Compass SUV at the Melfi plant in southern Italy, and that production of the hybrid Fiat Panda city car made in Pomigliano near Naples could be extended.

Jeep 'trailer hitch' recall repair rates lag amidst reports of new death

The problem with exploding fuel tanks in the 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty in some rear collisions continues to be a problem for FCA US, formerly Chrysler. The campaign to fix the utility vehicles was first announced in June 2013 after 51 claimed fatalities, and the fixes reportedly began in January 2014. However, there continue to be new deaths blaming the problem in unrepaired models, according to The Detroit News, citing data from the Center for Auto Safety. The automaker initially refused NHTSA's pressuring to conduct a recall because the models met applicable crash standards when they were manufactured, but eventually, there was a compromise to inspect and fix about 1.56 million Jeeps. With the fuel tank located between the rear axle and bumper, the unusual fix was to install a trailer hitch for extra protection. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration later agreed that the change would provide added safety in lower to medium speed crashes, but not high-speed crashes. The most recent fatality, according to The Detroit News, occurred on a Michigan freeway in November 2014 when a pregnant woman in a 2003 Liberty was rear-ended when traffic slowed. Her Jeep impacted the vehicle in front, rolled over and a fire resulted. The family reportedly plans to file a lawsuit against FCA. At issue has been the rate at which the vehicles are being fixed. In July 2014, the automaker estimated it could have all of the vehicles repaired by March 2015 thanks to additional hitch supplies. But by November, NHTSA claimed that only three percent of the recalled models had been fixed. FCA says it continues to work to notify owners, though. According to Chrysler spokesperson Eric Mayne to Autoblog, "We are processing approximately 1,200 vehicles per day. Every owner who schedules service is receiving service. As of Jan. 8, that total was 193,490." The company has also mailed out over two million notifications to owners, more than the number officially called in. Given the age of these Jeeps, many of them have had multiple owners, and historically, the older a vehicle is, the less likely the recall fixes are to be carried out. FCA is currently creating a video urging people to have the hitch installed to be released soon. News Source: The Detroit News [1], [2]Image Credit: Jeep Recalls Jeep Safety SUV FCA jeep liberty jeep safety

2023 New York Auto Show Mega Photo Gallery: See all the new cars from the show

The 2023 New York Auto Show was a rather lively show full of North American vehicle debuts and a lot of new metal we’ve never seen before. As always, we were on the ground covering it from every angle for you, including photographing all the reveals on the show floor. There were a ton of new EVs shown and even a stunning concept with the Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept. YouÂ’ll be able to see them all, from the production Ram REV to the little (but now much bigger) Kona, in the numerous galleries below.   2024 Kia EV9 2024 Kia EV9 View 7 Photos 2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line 2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line View 5 Photos 2025 Ram REV 2025 Ram 1500 REV View 6 Photos Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept View 9 Photos 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric, N Line and Limited 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric View 21 Photos 2024 Jeep Wrangler 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe View 22 Photos 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness View 14 Photos 2024 VW Atlas Peak Edition 2024 VW Atlas Peak Edition View 7 Photos Hyundai Ioniq 5 Disney100 Platinum Concept Hyundai Ioniq 5 Disney100 Platinum Concept View 9 Photos   Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept is coming to reality