2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

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These are the 'Greenest' and 'Meanest' cars in 2015

As has become tradition, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has come up with a ranking of what it refers to as the "greenest" cars of 2015, and, by way of contrast, a list of the so-called "meanest" cars, so those who value eco-friendliness over all else can choose which vehicles they should or should not consider buying. As you may expect, electric cars make up the majority of the greenest cars on the list, but, perhaps surprisingly to many, the Tesla Model S didn't make the cut. It's worth noting, too, that where the electricity an owner uses to charge their electric vehicle has a big impact on its overall environmental impact. "A car that is charged using electricity generated from natural gas or renewables is going to have significantly less impact on the environment than one charged on a coal-heavy grid," says ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan. The ACEEE's list for 2015 looks very different than it did in 2014. It's an interesting collection, though – and we're sure this goes without saying, really – we'd recommend doing a bit more research into each vehicle and how it might fit into your daily life before making any purchase decisions. Click here to see the ACEEE's list of the Greenest and Meanest vehicles sold in the United States in 2015. Green Bugatti Chevrolet Fiat GM GMC Mercedes-Benz Nissan RAM smart Toyota greenest greenest cars

New Winnebago Solis Pocket is the brand's smallest camper van

Winnebago, the brand whose iconic boxy motorhomes with the big "W" logo were a fixture at campgrounds back in the '70s, has since branched out into other RVs including camper vans. The company has just introduced its latest, the Solis Pocket, which is both its smallest and most affordable offering, but one that still packs a lot of features. As surfaced by Motor1, the Winnebago Solis Pocket is based on the Ram ProMaster van with a 136-inch wheelbase and is 17 feet 10 inches long. That makes it almost two feet shorter than the next-larger Solis 59P, which is based on the 159-inch-wheelbase ProMaster. The camper van is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 hooked to a six-speed automatic. That gives it a 3,500-pound towing capacity, and the van comes standard with a trailer hitch. At 113 inches tall and with a 6-foot 3-inch interior height, the Solis Pocket packs a lot into its small space. The camper van sleeps three, two in the drop-down Murphy bed at the rear of the rig and one in a two-seat dinette/sofa that converts to a small single bed. A kitchenette with a two-burner cooktop, a sink with a 20-gallon freshwater tank, and a mini-fridge are arranged on the passenger side of the van. A 3.2-gallon cassette toilet tucks under one of the dinette seats. The two front seats also swivel to face the interior. The price for the Solis Pocket is $95,736. Clearly, "least expensive" does not mean cheap. For reference, the Solis 59P starts at $107,821. If the whole #vanlife is starting to sound unattainable, maybe consider #trailerlife instead. Winnebago's camping trailers start at $22,172, and that roughly $73k cost differential would buy a pretty sweet tow rig. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

FCA and UAW deal could mean huge production shakeups

The big labor contract between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the United Auto Workers is likely to lead to some very serious production shakeups across the company's North American manufacturing operations. That's according to a new report from Automotive News, which details the sweeping changes at no fewer than five production facilities in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Mexico, and Poland. So without further ado, here's what's going where, presented in easy to digest bullet form. Ram 1500 production would move from Warren, MI to Sterling Heights, MI Warren, MI would be retooled for unibody production and would handle the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and could potentially build Grand Cherokees to ease the strain on Detroit's Jefferson North factory Chrysler 200 production would move from Sterling Heights, MI to Toluca, Mexico Dodge Dart production would move from Belvidere, IL to Toluca, Mexic Fiat 500 production, which is currently handled by Toluca, would be concentrated in Poland, where the Euro-spec Cinquecento is built Jeep Cherokee production would move from Toledo, OH to Belvidere, IL to make room for Wrangler and Wrangler Pickup production Like we said, those are some big changes. But, as FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne said in an earlier interview with Automotive News, this kind of shakeup would make a lot of sense. In that August interview the exec said that automakers moved truck production to Mexico because they were "threatened" by the UAW. "The only thing [the UAW] want is to move the truck back. Which is right. If you move the truck back here, which is [the UAW's] domain, [and move] all the cars that we get killed on somewhere else, we could actually make sense of this bloody industry and actually increase the number of people employed in this country and really share wealth because we are making money," Marchionne told AN. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing UAW/Unions Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Sergio Marchionne FCA toluca warren sterling heights