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Stellantis suspends vehicle production in Russia

MILAN - Stellantis on Tuesday said it was suspending production at its Russian plant due to logistical difficulties and sanctions imposed on Moscow. The world's fourth-largest automaker, which produced and sold the Peugeot, Citro¸n, Opel, Jeep, and Fiat brands in Russia, has just 1% of the country's car market. It runs a van-making plant in Kaluga, around 125 miles (201 kilometres) southeast of Moscow, co-owned with Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi, which halted production at the facility earlier this month. "Given the rapid daily increase in cross sanctions and logistical difficulties, Stellantis has suspended its manufacturing operations in Kaluga to ensure full compliance with all cross sanctions and to protect its employees," Stellantis said in a statement. The plant employs 2,700 people. The company will continue to pay salaries through a local downtime scheme and by using anticipated vacation periods, Stellantis told Reuters. It said it did not know how long the stoppage would last, adding that its priority was its staff and the return of peace. Stellantis had already suspended all exports and imports of vehicles with Russia, following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, moving production to western Europe. It had also said it was freezing plans for more investments in the country. Van production in Kaluga had remained just for the local market. Scores of foreign companies have announced temporary shutdowns of stores and factories in Russia or said they were leaving the country for good since Russia began what it calls "a special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb. 24. Stellantis Chief Executive Carlos Tavares in late March said the group would have to close the Kaluga plant shortly as it was running out of parts. Separately on Tuesday, General Motors Co said it was extending its suspension of business in Russia due to the conflict and international sanctions. The U.S. automaker, which initially suspended imports into Russia and commercial activity on Feb. 28, said it was laying off most of its 66 employees and providing them with separation packages. GM does not have plants in Russia and only sold about 3,000 vehicles annually there prior to the suspension. (Additional reporting by Ben Klayman in Washington; Editing by Mark Potter and Mark Porter) Government/Legal Plants/Manufacturing Fiat Jeep Citroen Opel Peugeot

Refreshed Chrysler 300 SRT won't be sold in NA

It looks like it might be time to bid farewell to the V8 rumble from the Chrysler 300 SRT - at least if you live in North America. The reported change comes as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles reshuffles its ranks with the Dodge brand, re-absorbing SRT and building its muscular reputation with the Challenger and Charger Hellcat models. Meanwhile, Chrysler is taking a more mainstream approach, and that likely means the end of overt high-performance models from the division for now.
According to Automotive News, the 300 SRT will be discontinued in the US for 2015, but it won't be totally dead. Some right-hand drive markets will still get the brawny V8 sedan next year, a distinction that goes a long way toward explaining some spy shots we've seen recently.
The 300 SRT's North American demise probably shouldn't come as a total shock. In FCA's five-year plan, it says that the 300 is destined for a refresh to be unveiled later this year, presumably at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show. There's no mention of the SRT model in the document, though, which seems to signal its end.

Jeep burned down by new Samsung Galaxy Note 7

A Florida family is out a Jeep Cherokee and a brand new cell phone after a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 left on a charger allegedly burst into flames on Monday and destroyed both itself and the Jeep. According to Fox 13, Nathan Dornacher and his wife Lydia were cruising garage sales in St. Petersburg, Florida on Labor Day with their daughter and their service dog. They stopped at home to unload a desk they'd purchased earlier. While they got the desk out of the Cherokee's hatch Nathan left his shiny new Galaxy Note 7 charging in the Jeep's center console. When the family went to leave again to run more errands, they were shocked to see that the Jeep's interior was engulfed in flames and thick black smoke was pouring out of the panel gaps. The St. Petersburg Fire department responded to the Dornachers', but it was too late for the Cherokee. The fire destroyed the vehicle, which was dearly loved by Nathan and heavily modified with aftermarket equipment. The Galaxy Note 7 has gained a nasty reputation for spontaneous combustion since its release in August. Samsung has recalled the phone in ten countries after thirty-five instances of Galaxy Note 7s catching fire or exploding for no good reason were confirmed. Fox 13 received a statement from a Samsung spokesperson after they reported the story about the Dornachers' poor jeep. "We are aware of the incident and we are working with Mr. Dornacher to investigate his case and ensure we do everything we can for him. Consumer safety is Samsung's highest priority. With regard to the Galaxy Note7, we are asking owners to take advantage of the Product Exchange Program announced on Friday of last week. The program offers Note7 owners the opportunity to exchange the phone for a new one. More details on the program can be found at http://www.samsung.com/us/note7exchange/." News Source: Fox 13 Auto News Recalls Weird Car News Jeep Technology Smartphone SUV fire Samsung car fire