2012 Dodge Ram 2500 Slt - Low Miles, 1 Owner, 4wd, No Urea on 2040-cars

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Fiat Chrysler faces $79 million U.S. penalty for fuel economy shortfall

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Wednesday said it faces a $79 million U.S. civil penalty for failing to meet 2017 fuel economy requirements, as regulators reported more automakers were falling short of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions standards. The Italian-American automaker said the payment is not expected to have a material impact on its business. Of 18 major carmakers in the United States, 13 including Fiat Chrysler failed to comply with fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards for the 2017 model year without using credits, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The agency said its review of model year 2017 vehicles showed "automakers falling further behind current standards." The 2017 model fleet fell 1 1/2 miles per gallon short of the 33.8 mpg standard based on yearly performance without including credits, NHTSA reported. The shortfall was a half-mile per gallon for the 2016 model year. NHTSA said more automakers were failing to comply with standards for the 2018 and 2019 model years, "and the potential penalties on automakers, which are passed along to consumers, are expected to continue to increase." The Trump administration has used the widening gap between the emissions of automakers' U.S. fleets, which are skewing toward larger vehicles, and national vehicle CO2 emissions standards to bolster its case for freezing vehicle emissions and mileage standards at current levels through 2026. Environmental groups and regulators in California and other states are fighting against any rollback in standards, saying tough rules are needed to address climate change and reduce consumer outlays for fuel. NHTSA and the Environmental Protection Agency are working to finalize as early as next month a rewrite of the Obama administrationÂ’s fuel efficiency requirements, which call for sharp reductions in fleet-wide emissions by 2026. Fiat Chrysler is paying fines for the shortfall in its domestic passenger car fleet, which includes several front-wheel-drive Jeep and rear-drive Dodge SUVs and some sedans and muscle cars. The automaker killed its slow-selling domestic small and midsize sedans. After paying $77.3 million last year for a 2016 model year fuel-economy shortfall, a Fiat Chrysler spokesman confirmed Wednesday the company had received a letter on the 2017 penalty and has 60 days to pay the fine.

FCA Drive for Design Ram truck contest winners chosen

Last month, Fiat Chrysler held a 24-hour sketch battle open to anyone in the world willing to design the "wickedest and most outrageous" version of a Ram truck. That flash contest was a sideshow to the main event, FCA's annual Drive for Design competition open to high schoolers in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades who were this year asked to design a Ram pickup for the future. The automaker's design team judged the entries, led by Ram Truck and Mopar Exterior Design boss Mark Trostle, with outside input from Detroit sculptor Josh Welton. The contest closed on May 1, and the winners have been decided: Job Skandera, a 12th grader from Santa Clara, California took first place with his Ram Magma; Vincent Piaskowski, an 11th grader from Birmingham, Michigan (home of Autoblog's headquarters) earned second place with an electric Ram; third place went to the Ram 1500 Series A by 11th grader Alex David Kirschmann from Auburn Hills, Michigan. Kirschmann clearly has a knack for this since he earned second place in last year's Drive for Design competition. The Ram Magma's name is suggested by the translucent polycarbonate windows that forego traditional tinting for a crystalline red privacy sheen "inspired by volcanic igneous rock." The Magma also showcases multiple light bars stretched across the roof, a UV water purifier system between the cab and bed, and a stove embedded into the tailgate. Thankfully, the feature set includes an adjustable suspension that lowers the cab to mortal levels of ingress. The electric Ram protects its extremities with a lightweight graphene hardcoat, offers side storage outside the bed, more storage under the bed floor, a heavy duty power station tucked into the bed wall, and the sandwiched tailgate can form a two-tier shelf system for organization on the job site. That tailgate gives us some real ideas. The 1500 Series A is Judge Dredd's truck when he leaves his Lawmaster motorcycle at the office. The RamBox storage compartments and retractable tonneau cover would represent sentimental historical touches when he's running errands — and moving everyone out of his way — in Mega-City One. Due to social distancing, the traditional awards ceremony and visit to FCA design HQ to talk with team members had to be canceled.

Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is coming soon, but a midsize Ram, not right now

NEW YORK — At this year's New York Auto Show, we had the opportunity to talk with the head of Ram Trucks, Jim Morrison, and he had a few interesting tidbits about what's coming and what isn't for the brand. The first big news is that the 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 diesel is finally coming to the all-new Ram 1500 later this year. Up until now, the engine was only available in the previous-generation Ram 1500 and current Ram 1500 Classic. The new Ram 1500 EcoDiesel won't have the same engine, though. It will be a redesigned 3.0-liter turbodiesel that will also appear in the Jeep Gladiator in 2020. That means it should also make 260 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, unless the Ram gets unique tuning that changes the output. Morrison wouldn't elaborate on any other details, though, including whether it would utilize the eTorque mild-hybrid assist of its gas powered cousins. The other news concerns things we probably won't see from Ram anytime soon — and one of them is a midsize pickup truck. Morrison said there are no plans for one yet, though the company is always considering options. In the meantime, the current strategy is to offer the Ram 1500 Classic as an option to potential midsize buyers. The thinking, of course, is that the Ram 1500 Classic is cheaper than the redesigned Ram 1500, and it's a bigger truck than midsizers. We can't help but wonder if the Gladiator might also make a midsize Ram a tougher sell at the moment. Finally, Morrison still had nothing to say about a regular cab offering for the redesigned Ram 1500. The only full-size Ram 1500 offering with a regular cab is the Classic model, leaving four-door models only on the normal 1500. We know that regular cabs don't sell well, so it's understandable that there isn't an offering yet, but it seems the company will have to offer one eventually when the Classic runs its course. Odds are that a future Ram 1500 regular cab will look something like the Ram 2500 and 3500 regular cab models, but with a more subdued grille.