2015 Ram 2500 Outdoorsman on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2020 Ram Heavy Duty Limited Black Edition answers the call of the void

Ram buyers overcome by the lure of the Sith or the call of the void when configuring their pickups have had a variety of ways to go dark on their trucks, from 1500 to the heavy duty line. Now the 2020 Ram 2500 and 3500 HD's top Limited trim is getting access to all the darkness possible with the Black Edition, creating a truck that says "lights out" in about six different ways. The package blacks out the heavy duty rigs entirely, starting with the black grille with black RAM lettering, black bumpers front and back, black tow hooks, black door handles, black side-view trailer tow mirrors, black bezels around the LED headlights and taillights, dark-tinted taillights, and matte badges. Any colored lenses, such as the clearance lights above the cab, are clear. Because on the Ram Heavy Duty Black Edition, black means black. The Black Edition can be optioned on the Ram 2500 or 3500 in 4x2 or 4x4, in single- or dual-rear-wheel trims. When outfitted with single wheels in back, the Black Edition sits on 20-inch black wheels. When dual wheels hang off the back axle, buyers will find 17-inch black wheels with machined eyelets. Engine choices are the regular trio of 6.4-liter Hemi V8 with 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque, the normal 6.7-liter Cummins straight-six diesel making 370 hp and 850 lb-ft, or a high-output version of the 6.7-liter restricted to the 3500 that puts out 400 hp and 1,000 lb-ft. The three-quarter- and one-ton darkness rolls into dealerships in a few months starting at $64,440 for the Ram 2500 2,745 after a $1,695 destination charge. That's a $1,095 premium over the standard Limited Trim. Assuming the same premium for the Ram 3500 Black Edition means a starting price of $65,790. Related Video:    

Fiat Chrysler, Waymo expand partnership for Level 4 self-driving

Fiat Chrysler and Waymo, the self-driving unit of Google parent Alphabet Co., are expanding their partnership in an ambitious plan to develop fully autonomous commercial delivery vehicles and integrate Level 4 autonomous technology across the FCA fleet, the two companies said Wednesday. The agreement makes FCA (soon to be dubbed Stellantis when the PSA merger is complete) the exclusive partner for Waymo to develop and test self-driving Class 1-3 light commercial delivery vehicles. Initial efforts will focus on integrating the Waymo Driver system into the Ram ProMaster cargo van for commercial fleets, including Waymo Via, which have seen demand for home delivery services mushroom during the coronavirus pandemic. Conversely, FCA has tapped Waymo as its exclusive supplier for Level 4 self-driving technology across its vehicle fleet, opening up possibilities for ride-hailing and personal-use vehicles. An FCA spokesman would not commit to any timelines for integrating Waymo’s self-driving technology into the ProMaster or other brands or models. The Society of Automotive Engineers defines Level 4 systems as fully automated driving, though a human driver can manually override and take control of the wheel. There are currently no Level 4 autonomous vehicles offered to customers, and most experts believe the technology still faces many obstacles to broad adoption and regulatory clearance. Fiat Chrysler first partnered with Waymo in 2016. The two companies have worked to test WaymoÂ’s Level 4 technology using retrofitted Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans. “Our now four-year partnership with Waymo continues to break new ground,” Mike Manley, Fiat ChryslerÂ’s CEO, said in a statement. “Incorporating the Waymo Driver, the worldÂ’s leading self-driving technology, into our Pacifica minivans, we became the only partnership actually deploying fully autonomous technology in the real world, on public roads.” Waymo recently introduced its fifth generation of the Waymo Driver system, which it completely redesigned to be able to handle more environments and situations. It combines 360-degree lidar sensors positioned atop the vehicle and at four points around the sides, plus cameras and radars. Waymo said it had already manufactured the new sensors and integrated them onto Jaguar I-Pace test vehicles.

More Ram trucks recalled over tailgate issue

Almost a year ago Fiat Chrysler recalled roughly 1.6 million Ram trucks over an issue with the locking power tailgate. The actuator limiter tab for the power locking mechanism could fracture, which would permit the actuator's lock-rod control to move beyond its limits. That would pull the locking rods open, thereby allowing the tailgate to open at any time. The 2018 recall covered Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickups from the 2015 to 2017 model years, with the five-foot-seven and six-foot-four beds and the power locking tailgate option. Trucks with eight-foot beds, and those with manual-locking tailgates, were excluded. The trucks with eight-foot beds have been added to the recall as of earlier this month, putting 410,351 more trucks in the pool. According to Consumer Reports, Ram redesigned the locking assembly on the other two shorter bed sizes for trucks built after August 2, 2017, which was the end of the 2017 model year. But the eight-foot long-bed trucks didn't get the redesigned part until April 2, 2018 for some reason, making all eight-foot-bed pickups from the 2015 model year to April 1, 2018 part of the recall equation. FCA says it's not aware of any accidents or injuries because of the issue. The company plans to notify owners on June 28. The paperwork filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn't advise owners to stop driving the trucks, but nor does it instruct owners on how to address the problem in the meantime. Sounds like bungee cords might be the go. The fix is estimated to take 30 minutes at the dealer and entails removing the tailgate cover and installing a stop block to prevent the locking actuator's pivot arm from traveling too far. FCA says it will reimburse owners for any other repairs made to address the problem. Meanwhile, owners can contact Fiat Chrysler Automobiles customer service at 800-853-1403, and refer to FCA's number for this recall, V44. The NHTSA campaign number is 19V-347. Last year's recall comes under FCA number U74, and NHTSA campaign number 18V-486. Ram's not alone on this field. The NHTSA continues to investigate the 2017 Ford Super Duty pickups for a similar issue.