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US Postal Service going Ram ProMaster

Selling cars, vans, and trucks one at a time is business good enough to keep most automakers solvent, but fleet sales are where it's really at. Take this latest order placed by the United States Postal Service from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, for example. The order calls for a massive fleet of 9,113 units of the 2016 Ram ProMaster 2500 cargo van. That number may only be a drop in the bucket compared to the 190,000 vehicles the Postal Service operates across the country, but it's still a pretty large order to place all at once. "While each and every one of our fleet customers is important to us, none command our attention like USPS," said FCA's fleet operations director Tim Kuniskis. "I can't think of another more mission-critical service than literally delivering the goods of our nation on a daily basis, and we are honored that USPS chose the Ram ProMaster to help them meet their challenging duty." Naturally, each of the 9,113 Ram vans will be specially equipped for the purpose of collecting and delivering the mail and packages. They'll also be fitted with 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engines driving 280 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque through six-speed automatic transmissions to the front wheels. It's the latter feature which the post office may find the most compelling, helping the vans get traction regardless of the weather. You know, given the whole "neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night" thing that the service seeks to uphold. Related Video: FCA US LLC TO SUPPLY 9,113 NEW 2016 RAM PROMASTER VANS TO U.S. POSTAL SERVICE - Ram Commercial to supply 9,113 new 2016 Ram ProMaster 2500 cargo vans to U.S. Postal Service - Ram ProMaster 2500 is a highly customizable van designed to exceed the demands of commercial customers - Customized outfitting for national mail and package delivery service - Segment exclusive front-wheel-drive system enhances all-weather operation September 29, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC announced today that it will supply 9,113 new 2016 Ram ProMaster 2500 cargo vans to the United States Postal Service (USPS). The 2016 Ram ProMaster 2500 cargo van selected by USPS features the award-winning, gasoline-fueled 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine rated at 280-horsepower output with peak torque of 260 lb.-ft. The engine is paired with a proven, smooth-shifting, six-speed automatic transmission, upgraded to accommodate the ProMaster's exceptional cargo-hauling capability.

2014 Ram 1500 named Truck of Texas, Chrysler Cleans Up at Truck Rodeo

Trucks are king in Texas, so the annual Truck of Texas awarded by the Texas Auto Writers Association gives automakers big bragging rights. This year's Texas Truck Rodeo featured 63 trucks, crossover and SUVs, and the 2014 Ram 1500 took home the prestigious Truck of Texas, giving the pickup back-to-back wins for this award. The good news didn't stop there for Chrysler Group, as Ram, Dodge and Jeep dominated most other categories, accounting for 14 of the possible 24 awards.
Ram also was named the Truck Line of Texas winning seven individual awards - including Best Powertrain with its 3.0-liter EcoDiesel, Best Technology with the new Heavy Duty rear coil suspension and Best Commercial Vehicle with the 2014 Ram Promaster. The Jeep Grand Cherokee won two individual awards to be named the SUV of Texas, while the Hyundai Santa Fe was named the Crossover of Texas, and Nissan picked up three awards, too. Scroll down for the full list of categories and winners.

Prosecutors indict three FCA employees in alleged emissions-cheating case

Federal prosecutors indicted three Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA, now Stellantis) employees as part of an investigation into alleged emissions cheating. Charges unsealed on April 20, 2021, accuse the defendants of helping rig the emissions control system fitted to the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 used in some models during the 2010s. Prosecutors claim Emanuele Palma, Sergio Pasini, and Gianluca Sabbioni played a determining role in developing a defeat device that allowed the V6 to obtain certification from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) while polluting too much in normal driving conditions. Jeep and Ram began making the engine available in the Grand Cherokee and the 1500, respectively, in 2014, but the charges state plans to game the EPA started in 2011. Palma, Pasini, and Sabbioni knowingly mislead federal regulators, the charges claim; they called it "cycle beating," according to The Detroit News. While the three men were part of FCA's research and development department, they started the project while working for an Italian supplier named VM Motori, which FCA purchased in 2013. Pasini and Sabbioni are each charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Clean Air Act, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and six counts of violating the Clean Air Act. They could spend several years behind bars if they're found guilty. Both are currently in their home country of Italy. Palma's legal troubles are more serious. He was charged with several counts in September 2019, though four wire fraud charges were dropped in November 2020. He lives in Bloomfield Hills, a city located on the far outskirts of Detroit. Prosecutors claim motorists spent over $4 billion on over 100,000 trucks and SUVs fitted with the non-compliant engine between January 2013 and September 2017. FCA has already agreed to pay $800 million to resolve civil claims from the Justice Department, state officials and customers, though it significantly has not admitted guilt. It stressed that "it did not engage in any deliberate scheme to install defeat devices to cheat emissions tests."