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Peugeot E-Boxer seems like it would make a nice electric Ram ProMaster

Though electric cars, and especially pickup trucks, are the hot zero-emissions battlefield, there's another sector that's heating up: commercial vans. Startups such as Rivian and Bollinger have announced plans for vans, and Ford has shown a prototype of an electric Transit. It seems Stellantis is slightly ahead of the curve, though, as it has revealed details of its electric vans with the Peugeot E-Boxer. And the reason you should care is that the E-Boxer and gas-powered Boxer are nearly identical to the American-market Ram ProMaster and Italian Fiat Ducato. Powering the E-Boxer is a single electric motor at the front. It's not particularly powerful with just 122 ponies, but it has a more respectable 192 pound-feet of torque. Top speed is limited to 68 mph, which would probably need to be raised if these vans were offered in the U.S. Supplying power is one of two available battery packs: The shorter models get a 37-kWh battery that is rated for 124 miles of range on the WLTP cycle; longer models get a 70-kWh battery rated by WLTP for 211 miles. Those numbers would likely be lower in American EPA testing. While the range isn't incredible, enormous range likely isn't as important for delivery vans that might operate locally. These vans also come with DC fast charging in case more range is needed quickly. Though not quick, the Peugeot E-Boxer doesn't sacrifice on practicality. No cargo space is sacrificed for the electric powertrain, so you can fit just as much into one as a similarly configured gas model. Payload capacity is comparable to the gas vans, even the V6 ProMaster, too, with a maximum of 4,167 pounds. This number does vary based on configuration, just like cargo space. Peugeot will offer it in four different lengths with three roof heights as well as chassis and cutaway cab models. So it's just as configurable as the regular version. With some adjustment to how quick the E-Boxer can go, it would seem like it could be offered in the U.S. and beat some competitors to the punch. It's all built on the existing Ram ProMaster platform that we get here. And electric power would seem appealing to businesses that need delivery vans: lower fuel and maintenance costs. Time will tell if Stellantis sees things the same way. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2018 Volkswagen California Review

Weekly Recap: Chrysler forges ahead with new name, same mission

Chrysler is history. Sort of. The 89-year-old automaker was absorbed into the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles conglomerate that officially launched this fall, and now the local operations will no longer use the Chrysler Group name. Instead, it's FCA US LLC. Catchy, eh? Here's what it means: The sign outside Chrysler's Auburn Hills, MI, headquarters says FCA (which it already did) and obviously, all official documents use the new name, rather than Chrysler. That's about it. The executives, brands and location of the headquarters aren't changing. You'll still be able to buy a Chrysler 200. It's just made by FCA US LLC. This reinforces that FCA is one company going forward – the seventh largest automaker in the world – not a Fiat-Chrysler dual kingdom. While the move is symbolic, it is a conflicting moment for Detroiters, though nothing is really changing. Chrysler has been owned by someone else (Daimler, Cerberus) for the better part of two decades, but it still seemed like it was Chrysler in the traditional sense: A Big 3 automaker in Detroit. Now, it's clearly the US division of a multinational industrial empire; that's good thing for its future stability, but bittersweet nonetheless. Undoubtedly, it's an emotion that's also being felt at Fiat's Turin, Italy, headquarters as the company will no longer officially be called Fiat there. Digest that for a moment. What began in 1899 as the Societa Anonima Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino – or FIAT – is now FCA Italy SpA. In a statement, FCA said the move "is intended to emphasize the fact that all group companies worldwide are part of a single organization." The new names are the latest changes orchestrated by CEO Sergio Marchionne, who continues to makeover FCA as an international automaker that has ties to its heritage – but isn't tied down by it. Everything from the planned spinoff of Ferrari, a new FCA headquarters in London and the pending demise of the Dodge Grand Caravan in 2016 has shown that the company is willing to move quickly, even if it's controversial. While renaming the United States and Italian divisions were the moves most likely to spur controversy, FCA said other regions across the globe will undergo similar name changes this year. Despite the mixed emotions, it's worth noting: The name of the merged company that oversees all of these far-flung units is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Obviously the Chrysler corporate name isn't completely history.

Marchionne offers belated apology for 'wop engine' comment

Automotive News reports Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has issued a written apology for his comments regarding his decision to stick with an Italian engine for the upcoming Alfa Romeo 4C. As you may recall, back in January, Marchionne was quoted as saying, "I cannot come up with a schlock product, I just won't. I won't put an American engine into that car. With all due respect to my American friends, it has to be a wop engine." The CEO penned an apology to the Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition for using the racial epithet, saying that he made the comment in jest. Marchionne also said he realizes his remarks were unacceptable.
ONE VOICE, an organization aimed at fighting discrimination and stereotyping of Italian Americans, thanked Marchionne, Chrysler and Fiat for the apology. Marchionne is an Italian-born Canadian citizen, and he's gotten in trouble for other comments in the past. In 2011, he called high interest rates Chrysler was paying to the Canadian government "shyster rates." He apologized a day later.