2014 Ram 2500 Laramie on 2040-cars

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Dodge vs. Chevy tug-of-war taken to the extreme

They say "idle hands are the devil's playground," but said playgrounds grow to Disney-sized proportions when a pair of jacked-up trucks, two egos, a chain and an empty mall parking lot are involved. Proof of this is the video below, which shows a Cummins-powered Dodge Ram circa 2006 to 2008 chained tail-to-tail with what looks to be a gasoline-powered Chevrolet Silverado from the late 1990s or early 2000s.
We don't necessarily have to tell you who wins this battle, but we'll let you see for yourself the lengths the "winning" driver goes to prove his point. There's plenty of foul language in the video below, so beware that this might be Not Safe For Work, and not that we should have to tell you, but please, do not try this at home.

Ram introduces Harvest Edition for chassis cab trucks

Trucks are workhorses first and foremost, and Ram is adding a Harvest Edition to its Chassis Cabs trucks to drive that point home. That means the Chassis Cabs are available in Case IH Red and New Holland Blue to match the other farm machinery in your shed. The Harvest Edition trucks are Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cab models, available in all four-door Crew Cab and two-door Regular Cab configurations. The trucks can also be 4x4s with the 6.4-liter Hemi or 6.7-liter Cummins diesel. It's not the first outing for this specific limited edition, as a year ago Ram offered Harvest Edition 1500, 2500 and 3500 models. This year, it's the chassis cab trucks' turn to go red or blue. The nod to Case IH and New Holland makes sense because both companies are owned by CNH Industrial, which in turn is related to FCA. Ram North America head James Morrison says that the color choices were originally a direct request from farmers. And for those with no feelings toward either Case IH or New Holland — or those whose blood runs John Deere Green — there's the choice of black or white exterior paint. But the trucks aren't as basic as a tractor can be: There's an exterior chrome package for the grille, side steps, door handles and mirrors, and depending on the model, the polished aluminum wheels are either 18-inch or 19.5-inch. Inside, there's connectivity tech from 4G WiFi to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. For hardware functionality, there are large front tow hooks and a skid plate for the transfer case. The limited edition's pricing starts at $43,990 for the 3500 Chassis Cab, for $48,140 for the 4500 and $49,240 for the 5500. The 3500 Harvest Edition is available with either single and dual rear wheels, and the 4500 and 5500 are dualies, with 60-inch and 80-inch cab to axle lengths. The Harvest Edition goes on sale in the third quarter of 2018. Related Video:

Stellantis previews 4 electric platforms: Here's how they'll be used

Stellantis EV Day is hitting hard and fast this morning, with big news coming from Dodge and Ram and Jeep and the rest. But to support those brand transformations, a core initiative within Stellantis will help it become a leader in electrification. To do that, the group is developing platforms and technologies with cross-shared components and systems. This starts with four flexible BEV platforms: STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA Large and STLA Frame. As for targeted numbers, they’re lofty: By 2024, Stellantis aims for over 500 miles of range, 0-62 mph in 2 seconds and charging 200 miles of range in 10 minutes. The four platforms will offer battery capacities from 37 kWh to more than 200 kWh. More specifically, STLA Small will offer 37-82 kWh and up to 300 miles of range. STLA Medium will have 87-104 kWh and up to 440 miles. STLA Large will provide 101-118 kWh and up to 500 miles of range. The truck-focused STLA Frame will provide 159-200+ kWh and up to 500 miles of range (and will support an electric Ram 1500 pickup). Chrysler EV Front 34 View 8 Photos Stellantis has big plans for the STLA Large platform, and is currently developing eight vehicles for it in the next three to five years. Examples of possible vehicles shown include a midsize Ram truck and a Jeep off-roader that could fight against the likes of the Toyota 4Runner. Stellantis design boss Ralph Gilles could be seen in a presentation looking over a Chrysler electric crossover based on this platform. We also saw a Wagoneer badge teased momentarily. There was a rendered silhouette of a crossover that looked like it could compete with the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Gilles said the platform would allow Stellantis to “create a long-range luxury sedan, an all-conquering muscle car, a heart-of-the-market DUV, a heart-of-the-market SUV, a very capable Jeep off-roading white-space opportunity vehicle as well as a new mid-sized truck.” See for yourself in this video starting at the 90-minute mark. As for powertrains, Stellantis is developing three electric drive modules with a shared, scalable inverter, and other common components, as well as in-house software to control them. Those drive units will offer from 70 to 330 kW (94-402 horsepower). More specifically, one EDM will provide 70 kW, a second will provide 125-180 kW, while the most potent can produce 150-330 kW.