2012 Ram Big Horn on 2040-cars

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FCA to invest $4.5B for new Detroit plant, expanded production at current facilities

We expected some shifts in manufacturing plans as Fiat Chrysler plans to begin electrifying its Jeep brand, but this news bodes well for Michigan. FCA announced today that it would spend $4.5 billion to expand production in the state, including building a new assembly plant in Detroit and increasing capacity at five other facilities in the state. The plan, which FCA says will create nearly 6,500 new jobs, will help to meet increasing demand for Ram and Jeep products, and to electrify Jeep models. $1.6 billion will be set aside to transform the Mack Avenue Engine Complex into a site to build the next generation of Jeep Grand Cherokee, as well as an unspecified, new three-row Jeep model. FCA says this part of the plan will create 3,850 new jobs. FCA is increasing its investment in the Warren Truck plant to $1.5 billion in order to continue building the Ram 1500 Classic, as well as the new Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, creating 1,400 new jobs. FCA says that the new Ram 1500 Heavy Duty will still be built in Saltillo, Mexico. At FCA's Jefferson North facility, the automaker will invest $900 million to upgrade the plant. This site will continue to build the Dodge Durango, as well help build the next Jeep Grand Cherokee. FCA expects this to create 1,100 new jobs. As Jeep plans to electrify models in its SUV lineup, each of the above plants will produce plug-in hybrid versions of the Jeep models produced there, "with flexibility to build fully battery-electric models in the future," the company said in its announcement. "Three years ago, FCA set a course to grow our profitability based on the strength of the Jeep and Ram brands by realigning our U.S. manufacturing operations," said FCA CEO Mike Manley, referring in part to earlier investments in Illinois, Ohio and Michigan. "Today's announcement represents the next step in that strategy," Manley continued. "It allows Jeep to enter two white space segments that offer significant margin opportunities and will enable new electrified Jeep products, including at least four plug-in hybrid vehicles and the flexibility to produce fully battery-electric vehicles." Other investments include $119 million to move production of the 3.0-, 3.2- and 3.6-liter Pentastar engines from Mack I to the Dundee Engine Plant, and $400 million for increased capacity and 80 new jobs at the Sterling and Warren stamping plants. This comes at a time when FCA's U.S.

Midsize Ram truck coming to U.S.

The midsize truck segment is officially back in full force. Today, at FCA's new five-year plan, company CEO Sergio Marchionne and Ram head Mike Manley announced that America will be getting Ram's new global midsize truck. The new model is designed for a global audience. It will not be based on the Mitsubishi Triton, we're told. FCA already sells that model in certain markets as the Ram 1200. Trucks for the North American market will likely be built in Mexico on the old Ram Heavy Duty production line. The upcoming Ram HD — set to debut at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show — will be built in the US. The timing of the new midsize Ram isn't pinpointed, but the above slide from FCA's presentation suggests we'll see it by 2022. A with all upcoming Ram models, look for some form of electrification, likely in the form of the 48-volt mild hybrid system that's set to debut later this year in the 2018 Ram 1500. Don't expect the truck to tailor too heavily to US tastes like the Toyota Tacoma or Chevy Colorado. Like the upcoming Ford Ranger, this is a global truck first and foremost. Marchionne said that Ram's focus in the US will remain mostly on full-size trucks. Still it will be sold in the U.S., just not in any expected large volumes. Related Video:

Here's what Ram may name its electric pickup

Ram's answer to the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Chevrolet Silverado EV is due out in 2024. Official details about the electric pickup are few and far between, but a recent trademark filing might have revealed the nameplate that the model will wear when it lands in showrooms. Parent company Stellantis asked the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to trademark the name "Ram Revolution" in January 2022. Discovered by CarBuzz, the filing applies to "motor vehicles, namely, passenger trucks" so it's not for a toy or an event. The filing has fueled speculation that Revolution will be the name given to the 1500's electric sidekick. It's a move that would make sense; Ram pledged to redefine the segment, so the pickup will be more of a revolution than an evolution, and the word "revolution" has "EV" in it. Unlike rival Ford, Ram doesn't have an EV-friendly nameplate in its attic that's waiting to be dusted off. Dodge's trucks were lumped under the D-Series umbrella for decades, and its limited-edition models wore names like The Dude, Warlock, and Macho Power Wagon. We suppose that the Li'l Red Express could become the Li'l Green Express, but that territory is arguably best left unexplored. And, following Chevrolet's lead by tacking "EV" after the "1500" nameplate is seemingly not creative enough for the company's marketing department. As always, a trademark filing is not a guarantee that a nameplate will see the light that awaits at the end of a production line. If it was, Volkswagen would sell the Amarok in the United States and the Falcon would again be part of the Ford lineup. Ram hasn't commented on the trademark filing, and it hasn't revealed what it plans to call its first series-produced electric truck. More details should emerge in 2022.