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266,000 Ram pickups recalled for side-curtain airbag issue

Stellantis is voluntarily recalling an estimated 212,373 Ram pickups in the U.S., another 49,334 in Canada and Mexico, and a final 4,540 trucks in other markets over an issue with the side-curtain airbag inflators. During the manufacturing process, moisture could have found its way into the inflators. The moisture could cause the inflator to rupture and eject debris into the pickup cabin, even without an incident that deploys the side-curtain airbags. The OEM says it knows of one rupture and no injuries. Stellantis said it will let owners know when they can bring their vehicles in for service free of charge, the fix being replacement of the side-curtain airbag. The trucks at issue were all produced between the 2015 and 2020 model years. They are the Ram 1500 Classic, and Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup and chassis cabs. Some inflators sold as replacement parts are also implicated. The current-generation Ram pickup launched for the 2019 model year isn't affected.  The automaker's statement included the line, "The inflators were produced by a supplier implicated in a similar recall by another auto maker." This could refer to GM's July recall of 400,000 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups from the 2015 and 2016 model years. The inflators came from Joyson Safety Systems, the company that bought Takata's assets in 2018 when Takata went bankrupt, and were produced in Mexico. Joyson appears to still be suffering indigestion from that purchase, the company announcing the discovery of falsified seat belt testing data from the Takata era just two months ago. The problem ingredient in Takata inflators was identified as ammonium nitrate, a volatile compound designed to explode to inflate airbags in a crash. The chemical reacts poorly to moisture and humidity, and when exposed, can explode with excessive force, blowing apart the metal container it's stored in and sending shrapnel into the cabin. Stellantis, though, said the airbags involved in this recall don't contain ammonium nitrate.   Ram owners with questions can call the Stellantis help line at 1-800-853-1403. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The Best Midsize Pickup: Ranger vs Gladiator vs Tacoma vs Colorado

Detroit Three's lucrative pickup war intensifies as Ram makes big gains

DETROIT — The battle for profits from sales of large pickup trucks is intensifying among the Detroit Three automakers as sales of small cars in the United States shrivel. For decades Ford has had the single best-selling truck brand in its F-Series trucks. General Motors' Chevrolet brand was a solid No. 2, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Ram was a distant third. Now, that hierarchy may be in flux. Sales figures for December and the fourth quarter released on Thursday show Ram tied with GM's Chevy for the No. 2 spot, as sales of the redesigned Ram pickup surged, fueled in part by demand for an optional 12-inch (30.48 cm) dashboard screen. Chevy not long ago held second place to Ford by a wide margin. GM executives said on Thursday they are bullish on their new GMC and Chevy trucks for 2019.Related: How the Detroit Three's pickups compare on paper 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie review 2019 Chevy Silverado 2.7L four-cylinder review 2019 Ford F-150 2.7L EcoBoost review "There's no doubt this segment (pickup trucks) is one of the epicenters of the auto wars," said Sandor Piszar, director of marketing for Chevrolet at GM. "It's been that way forever, and we wouldn't have it any other way." On Wall Street, investors give electric car leader Tesla a higher valuation than any of the Detroit automakers. But in the nation's heartland, big pickups remain far more popular and profitable than any electric car — and most other consumer vehicles of any kind. Large pickups generate at least $17,000 a vehicle in pretax profit for GM, the company has indicated in disclosures to investors. By contrast, many Detroit Three sedans are so unprofitable, their manufacturers have decided not to build them anymore. 'Hotly contested' Sustaining sales and pricing in the large-pickup segment will be critical in a year when most forecasters expect overall U.S. car and light truck sales to fall. Ford's U.S. sales chief, Mark LaNeve, on Thursday called the F Series "the backbone of our franchise" during a conference call, and added the "segment will continue to be strong, but hotly contested" in 2019. Automakers are banking on pickup truck sales to stay strong even if U.S. interest rates continue to rise. Rising interest rates translate into higher monthly car payments and are expected to deter some buyers in 2019. GM has said 27 percent of Chevrolet and GMC trucks — which can haul trailers by day and substitute for a luxury sedan by night — sell for more than $55,000.

Stellantis and LG launch joint venture for North American battery plant

Stellantis has struck a preliminary deal with battery maker LG Energy Solution (LGES) to produce battery cells and modules for North America, as the world's No. 4 automaker rolls out its 30 billion euro ($35 billion) electrification plan. Global automakers are investing billions of euros to accelerate a transition to low-emission mobility and prepare for a progressive phase-out of internal combustion engines. Stellantis and LGES's joint venture will produce battery cells and modules at a new facility with an annual capacity of 40 gigawatt hours (GWh), the two firms said on Monday. No financial details of the deal were provided. The plant is scheduled to start production by the first quarter of 2024, with groundbreaking expected in the second quarter of 2022, the companies said in their statement. Its location is under review and will be announced later. Stellantis, formed in January from the merger of Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA, has said it wants to secure more than 130 GWh of global battery capacity by 2025 and more than 260 GWh by 2030. The batteries produced under the deal will supply Stellantis' U.S., Canadian and Mexican assembly plants for installation in hybrid and fully electric vehicles, supporting its goal of e-vehicles making up more than 40% of its U.S. sales by 2030. The company, whose brands include Peugeot, Fiat, Opel and U.S. best-sellers Jeep and Ram, earlier this year announced it would invest more than 30 billion euros through 2025 on electrifying its vehicle lineup. Stellantis has said it would build three battery plants in Europe and two in North America, including at least one in the United States. Intesa Sanpaolo analyst Monica Bosio said the deal was positive, and a further step ahead in Stellantis' electrification process. It comes weeks after Stellantis and its partner TotalEnergies agreed to open up their battery cell joint venture ACC to Daimler, to expand their European sourcing of battery cells. Stellantis is also targeting more than 70% of sales in Europe to be of low-emission vehicles by 2030, and aims to make the total cost of owning an EV equal to that of a gasoline-powered model by 2026. Related video: Green Plants/Manufacturing Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Citroen Lancia Opel Peugeot Vauxhall Electric Hybrid EV batteries LG