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Stellantis announces ‘Circular Economy’ business to drive revenue, decarbonization

Stellantis has already announced its plans to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2038. Today, the automaker has announced a new business unit to help it reach that goal while generating 2 billion euros per year in revenue by 2030. The “Circular Economy” business will help make revenue less dependent on finite, rare and ecologically problematic materials. The Circular Economy model features what Stellantis calls a “4R” strategy, comprising remanufacturing, repair, reuse and recycling. The goal is to make materials last as long as they can, reducing reliance on the acquisition of those precious new materials in the future by returning them to the business loop when theyÂ’ve reached the end of their first life. Through these processes, Stellantis says it can save up to 80% raw material and 50% energy compared to manufacturing a new part. Remanufacturing, or “reman” in Stellantis shorthand, means dismantling, cleaning and rebuilding parts to OEM spec. Nearly 12,000 remanufactured parts are available for customers to purchase. Some remanufacturing is done in-house, and some with partners and through joint ventures. Repair is pretty obvious — fixing parts to put back into vehicles. This also consists of reconditioning, to make a vehicle feel like new. Stellantis boasts 21 “e-repair” centers for repairing electric vehicle batteries.  Reuse refers to parts still in good condition from end-of-life vehicles sold as-is. Stellantis says it has 4.5 million multi-brand parts in inventory. These are sold in 155 countries through the B-Parts e-commerce platform. Reuse also refers second-life options, such as using batteries outside of automotive purposes. Recycling involves dismantling parts and scraps back into raw material form that is then looped back into the manufacturing process. Stellantis says it has collected 1 million parts for recycling in the past six months. Recycling doesnÂ’t get counted in that aforementioned 2 billion euros of revenue, but it does save the company money on acquisition of raw materials. As for batteries, specifically, Stellantis expects this recycling business to ramp up after 2030, when the packs currently in service begin to reach the end of their lifecycle. Stellantis will use its new “SUSTAINera” label to denote parts that are offered as part of its Circular Economy business.

2018 Jeep Wrangler to get full-time four-wheel-drive option

It appears the next-generation Wrangler will take another small step to modernization and civility. JL Wrangler Forums reports that the new Wrangler is showing up on dealer computers along with a variety of options. One of them is the inclusion of a full-time four-wheel-drive system called Selec-Trac. This means that it will be possible to simply leave the Wrangler in four-wheel drive all the time, without worrying about damaging it when pavement is dry, much like the all-wheel-drive systems on most modern crossovers. This might concern Wrangler purists, but there are a couple of reasons not to fret. For one, although Jeep doesn't have a Selec-Trac system on the market to compare to right now, the old Selec-Trac system offered on the Jeep Liberty had a low-range for off-roading, so this one probably will, too. For another, only one kind of Wrangler will offer this feature, according to JL Wrangler Forums. The Selec-Trac system will only be available on the four-door Wrangler Unlimited Sahara, the version that's arguably the most luxurious, and the body-style with the longest wheelbase. All the others will only have the classic selectable four-wheel drive. There is another interesting feature noted in the JL Wrangler Forums collection of information. Apparently the four-cylinder engine will have a combination starter and generator driven by a belt. This is interesting, because the only other car we've seen with such a component is the new Audi A8. In that application, the belt-driven starter and generator is used for smoother, faster starting and stopping to save fuel. We would guess the Jeep's system works in a similar way, though likely without the support of a 48-volt electrical system. We will likely know more when the new Wrangler makes its debut, which is expected at the L.A. auto show this year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Jeep Wrangler Spy Shots Related Gallery 2018 Jeep Wrangler Hood Spy Shots News Source: JL Wrangler ForumsImage Credit: KGP Photography Jeep SUV

2018 Jeep Wrangler to get 8-speed auto

Remember when the Jeep Wrangler had a three-speed automatic? That wasn't that long ago – as recent as the 2007 redesign – but Chrysler is keen to leave those days behind on the dusty trail. The current model ushered in a four-speed, then a five-speed, but the latest intel indicates that an eight-speed automatic is in the cards. According to a report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and cited by Automotive News, Jeep plans on fitting its eight-speed automatic transmission to the next-generation Wrangler. Chrysler already uses the ZF-sourced slushbox on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ram 1500, Chrysler 300, and versions of the Dodge Challenger, Charger and Durango. But according to the SEC filing, the Auburn Hills automaker intends "to use this transmission in all of our rear-wheel-drive vehicles, except for heavy-duty versions of the Ram pick-up truck and the SRT Viper." AN says that Chrysler wanted to slot the transmission straight into the current Wrangler, but it wouldn't fit. Between the transmission and shift to aluminum construction, the next-generation Wrangler promises to deliver a significant reduction in fuel consumption. In correspondence with Autoblog, however, company spokesmen declined to comment on the eight-speed's suitability towards either the current Wrangler or the upcoming one.