2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Angry teen drives Ram pickup into Walmart after argument with girlfriend

Caleb Wilson, a 19-year-old from Eldoarado, Texas, went shopping with his 18-year-old girlfriend at the Walmart in San Angelo, Texas, just after midnight Thursday morning. Wilson and his girlfriend apparently got into an argument that they carried into the parking lot after leaving the store. A female bystander, concerned for the girlfriend, went outside and convinced the girl to go back into the Walmart. Wilson waited in his 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup just outside the store. When the woman and the girlfriend went outside a little later to see if Wilson had left, Wilson hit the gas and drove into the Walmart, trying to run the two women over. Just as police arrived, Wilson turned his truck around and sped out. He crossed the parking lot, colliding with a parked, unoccupied Toyota Camry, and finally came to a stop at a Murphy USA gas station at the edge of the lot. Police noticed fuel leaking from the Ram, and another bystander noticed sparks from something dragging along the asphalt. Police got Wilson out of the truck, after which he briefly resisted arrest, then took Wilson to the hospital for mental health evaluation, where he remains. Police believe he was under the influence of an intoxicant. Incredibly, neither the women nor any of the store's customers were hurt. That wasn't for lack of trying on Wilson's part, though - the teenager rammed his way past the bakery, produce, frozen food and canned veggies sections before finally reaching the cereal aisle. One shopper said she heard screaming and was sure there was a gunman in the store, before realizing it was a man in a vehicle. Wilson stopped two aisles away from where the shopper hid. Another customer said Wilson spent several minutes burning rubber inside the store, as store employees helped customers hide and get out. Security cameras caught the rampage, and San Angelo police estimate he did $500,000 in damage. Wilson has been charged with suspicion of first degree felony criminal mischief and two counts of aggravated assault with deadly weapon. Repair crews worked overnight to fix the damage. After "an employee pep talk," the Walmart opened again at 9:30 am. Related Video: News Source: Go San Angelo Auto News Weird Car News Dodge RAM Truck Videos dodge ram 2500

Analysts wary over FCA lawsuit but say emissions not as bad as VW

MILAN - Any potential fines Fiat Chrysler (FCA) may need to pay to settle a US civil lawsuit over diesel emissions will unlikely top $1 billion, analysts said, adding the case appeared less serious than at larger rival Volkswagen. The US government filed a civil lawsuit on Tuesday accusing FCA of illegally using software to bypass emission controls in 104,000 vehicles sold since 2014, which it said led to higher than allowable levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx) that are blamed for respiratory illnesses. FCA's shares dropped 16 percent in January when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first raised the accusations, adding the carmaker could face a maximum fine of about $4.6 billion. The stock has been under pressure since. Volkswagen agreed to spend up to $25 billion in the United States to address claims from owners, environmental regulators, U.S. states and dealers. FCA, which sits on net debt of 5.1 billion euros ($5.70 billion), lacks VW's cash pile but analysts said its case looked much less severe. While VW admitted to intentionally cheating, Fiat Chrysler denies any wrongdoing. Authorities will have to prove that FCA's software constitutes a so-called "defeat device" and that it was fitted in the vehicles purposefully to bypass emission controls. Even if found guilty, the number of FCA vehicles targeted by the lawsuit is less than a fifth of those in the VW case. Applying calculations used in the German settlement, analysts estimate potential civil and criminal charges for Fiat Chrysler of around $800 million at most. Barclays has already cut its target price on the stock to take such a figure into account. Analysts also noted that FCA's vehicles are equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems for cutting NOx emissions, so it is likely that any problem could be fixed through a software update. "Should this be the case, we estimate a total cost per vehicle of not more than around $100, i.e. around $10 million in aggregate," Evercore ISI analyst George Galliers said in a note. The estimates exclude any additional investments FCA may be asked to make in zero emissions vehicles infrastructure and awareness as was the case with VW. FCA said last week it would update the software in the vehicles in question, hoping it would alleviate the regulators' concern, but analysts said it may have been too little too late. The carmaker is also facing accusations over its diesel emissions in Europe.

Here's why automakers roll out those Texas-themed pickup trucks

Every year, automakers with a full-size truck link make a big show of the Texas State Fair, usually involving a reveal of a new model. Sometimes they show a whole new truck, and other times a special edition centered on the Lone Star state. While some people might write this off as a quirk of the industry, others might be wondering, "What's the big deal with Texas?" As it turns out, part of the big deal with Texas is big truck sales. According to Dave Sullivan, product analysis manager at AutoPacific, Texas buys more trucks than any other state in the country. It's not a small margin either. Edmunds.com, one in five trucks sold in the US are sold in Texas. The state also accounts for 15 percent of the country's large truck sales, which is more than twice that of California, the second largest truck market in America. Even when you break down sales only in Texas, trucks are a huge piece of the pie - Sullivan says that a quarter of new vehicle sales in Texas are trucks. One in five trucks sold in the US are sold in Texas. But it's not just sales that make truck builders give attention to Texas. As Sullivan explained, "Pickups are life in Texas." Both he and Hugh Milne, marketing and advertising manager for the Chevy Silverado line, said that trucks are key fixtures in Texas society, as both work trucks and luxury vehicles (or Texas Cadillacs as Milne called them). Milne said Texas is so important in the truck market that if you want to be successful in the rest of the country, "you've got to be successful in Texas." As for the State Fair, it has become a prime location for reveals in part because of the importance of the Texas market and because of how big the fair is. Milne also revealed that the State Fair also hosts its own auto show, so it's an ideal venue for a vehicle introduction. So there you have it. Why do truck builders obsess over Texas? It's because Texas obsesses over trucks. When you have one market that loves your product that much, you give it the attention it deserves. Related Video: Image Credit: Donovan Reese via Getty Images Auto News Marketing/Advertising Chevrolet Ford RAM Truck f-150 texas state fair