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2019 Ram 1500 eTorque First Drive Review | The un-hybrids

Misinformation is already being passed around about the 2019 Ram 1500 eTorque – reports calling the new electrified version of the full-size half-ton pickup truck a hybrid and saying its eTorque system adds torque to the truck's engine increasing payload, towing capacity, and performance. Don't believe a word of it – this isn't a hybrid in the conventional sense of the word. eTorque does not increase the truck's power or capability. Instead, the system feeds in some electric torque at low RPM, which helps with fuel efficiency by spinning up the engine during start/stop operation, smoothing gearchanges, and harvesting some energy from braking – that's basically it. Ram is partially to blame for the hybrid confusion. Although the "h"-word does not appear anywhere on the truck or the vehicle's window sticker, the automaker has chosen to call eTorque a "mild-hybrid system", which implies that it might be able to propel the truck on electric power. But the Ram's small battery pack and single electric motor cannot – it's more similar to the original GM Parallel Hybrid Truck system than the later two-motor, two-mode hybrid system circa 2009. Also, eTorque applies power to the engine and the wheels briefly at very low engine speeds and during gear changes. These applications of power only last for fractions of a second at any given time, some as quick as the blink of an eye. So it's a labeling fiasco, but Ram's explanation of the eTorque system's operation and its benefits, which are significant, can also be perplexing. And the resulting discombobulation is unfortunate, because eTorque is clever, and it really does work. Earlier this week we drove two Rams with the system, one a V6 and one a Hemi, through Kentucky horse country, and came away impressed by its measurable contributions to the truck's fuel efficiency, drivability and smooth operation. We also interviewed Mike Raymond, the Chief Engineer on the Ram 1500, and Brian Spohn, Ram's Vehicle Electrification Manager, Powertrain Engineering, to better understand what it is and how it functions. How eTorque works Ram will offer the 3.6-liter 24-valve V6 with eTorque as the standard engine in most models. The V6 will not be available without eTorque, although we'd be surprised if it wasn't added to the menu at a later date.

Ram 2500HD, 3500HD Kentucky Derby edition gives a leg up to horse owners

This year will be the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, an event and a track Ram has sponsored for the past 10 years. To celebrate the milestones, Ram's unveiled a Kentucky Derby Limited Edition of the recently introduced 2500 HD and 3500 HD. The truck maker specced equipment meant to give breeders and their crews confidence when hauling multi-million-dollar, 3-year-old Thoroughbreds. That means trailering technology like the 360-degree surround-view camera with trailer-reverse guidance, fifth-wheel/gooseneck prep, and air suspension with bed lowering. There's also Forward Collision Warning-Plus with trailer braking, and a bed step. Starting with the Limited trim, those features come as part of the Limited Level 1 Equipment Group, Towing Technology Group, and 5th Wheel/Gooseneck Towing Group. That bundle throws in the Uconnect 12-inch touchscreen radio with Sirius XM 360L and navigation, power-retracting running boards and blind-spot monitoring, too. The combined price of those packages alone is $3,885. Ram has priced the Kentucky Derby trucks at $66,890 for the 2500 HD, $68,240 for the 3500, plus a $1,695 destination fee for both. That's $2,250 more than the base price of the 2500 Limited, and just $625 more than the entry-level 3500 Limited. The extra-cost equipment doesn't end there, though. A billet-appearance grille sets the tone up front, body-colored bumpers are fitted front and rear, and a DOT safety kit gets stashed in a cubby. The interior's been dressed in black and saddle brown leather with greystone stitching and piping. Ram has capped production at 1,000 units, available in almost every configuration possible on the 2500 and 3500: Cummins 6.7-liter Turbo Diesel I-6 in standard or 1,000 foot-pound trim, 6.4-liter Hemi V8, 4x2 or 4x4, Mega Cab or Crew Cab, single rear wheel or dual rear wheel, 6-foot-4 or 8-foot bed lengths. The only exclusion appears to be that you can't order the truck in Billet Silver Metallic, one hue in the eight-strong exterior palette. If you're OK with that, then giddy up.

United States drivers buying fewer Mexican-made cars

Crossovers and pickup trucks are not only growing in market share, they're also more profitable than cars. A crossover on the same platform as a sedan retails for thousands more, despite similar components. It's one of the reasons we've seen automakers rapidly shifting production of their sedans and hatchbacks to Mexico, where cheap labor preserves the thin profit margins on these inexpensive vehicles. But as the market continues to shift in the United States, Mexico is getting burned by its lack of product diversity. The country's auto exports, which are heavy on cars, suffered a 16-percent drop last month, Automotive News reports. In total, year-over-year exports fell from 233,515 to 197,020 last month, while year-to-date exports are down by 7.4 percent, from 922,029 to 854,118. The number one culprit? America – which usually accounts for 75 percent of Mexico's exports – and its appetite for crossovers and pickup trucks bolstered by cheap gas prices. While Mexico does build some light truck models – AN specifically calls out the Ram 2500, Honda HR-V, GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tacoma as export leaders – the vast majority of vehicles rolling out of its factories are sedans and hatchbacks. In fact, the three biggest drops in Mexican exports came from companies whose south of the border factories only build cars – Ford (Fusion/Lincoln MKZ and Fiesta), Mazda (Mazda3), and Volkswagen (Golf and Jetta). Mexican Automotive Industry Association President Eduardo Solis told AN the export shortfall will likely be sorted out sooner rather than later, thanks to a pair of new factories – a Kia car factory and an Audi SUV plant – that are coming online by year's end. The two facilities will add around 100,000 vehicles to the country's export totals, which Solis said should leave the industry on the verge of breaking another export record in 2016. But how sustainable will these record-breaking years be? Slapping an "Hecho en Mexico" sticker on a new German SUV won't be enough to change the fact that Mexico's product mix is tilted too heavily towards body styles that are not growing in volume. Mexico's record-breaking export years probably aren't at an end, but we'd argue they're certainly under threat. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Omar Torres / AFP / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Ford GMC Honda Mazda RAM Volkswagen Truck Crossover SUV Mexico