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2019 Ram ProMaster, ProMaster City vans lose the crosshair grille

Ram is updating its commercial van offerings with the 2019 Ram ProMaster and ProMaster City full-size and compact vans. They're very minor updates, mainly consisting of a new grille. The old crosshair versions are gone in favor of mesh grilles with the Ram logo in all caps. This brings them inline with the 2019 Ram 1500 pickup trucks. The compact ProMaster City doesn't get any other changes, but the big ProMaster sans-City gets some upgrades buyers may appreciate. The variety of van configurations has been expanded to include 136-inch wheelbase, low-roof options for the 2500 and 3500, and a high-roof 136-inch body for the 3500. With the current ProMaster, only 1500 models can be had with a low roof, and there are no 136-inch offerings for the 3500. View 7 Photos Ram has also increased payload capacities for each trim, with the 1500 now sitting at 4,000 pounds, the 2500 at 4,250, and the 3500 at 4,680. Towing capacity is also up, with a maximum weight of 6,800 pounds. The most a current generation van can tow is 5,100 pounds. All of this is done with the same 280-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 and six-speed automatic. One additional change to both the big ProMaster and little ProMaster City is pricing. Both vans see base price increases of $200. The ProMaster starts at $31,840, and the ProMaster City starts at $25,740 for the two-seat cargo van. The two-row wagon version is an extra $1,700. Featured Gallery 2019 Ram ProMaster Image Credit: Ram RAM Minivan/Van Commercial Vehicles ram promaster ram promaster city

Ford F-450 claims best-in-class towing, company abandons practice of removing items to boost payload number

The ongoing heavy-duty truck battle between Ford and Ram is showing no signs of slowing down. The Blue Oval is trying to remove at least one point of contention between the two brands by testing its 2015 F-450 Super Duty using the Society of Automotive Engineers J2807 towing standard, which Ram also uses. In the new evaluation, the F-450 is rated at a max towing capacity of 31,200 pounds. That's an identical amount as under Ford's own, previous test.
"We leave no doubt with customers that the F-450 pickup truck has best-in-class towing of 31,200 pounds - whether tested using our own internal towing standards or SAE J2807," said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president for Global Product Development, in the company's release.
At the same time, Ford is also changing how it calculates the F-450's payload. Instead of using its minimum curb weight as before, the brand is now using the truck's base curb weight. The revision lowers the pickup's rating to 5,300 pounds, compared to 5,450 pounds previously. The company said in its announcement that the reason for this is "aligning its payload rating practices with other manufacturers to make it easier for customers to compare vehicles." General Motors made a similar switch for its pickups in August.

Recharge Wrap-up: Ram 1500 EcoDiesel earns RMAP Truck of the Year, GM earns Energy Star awards

Jas Hennessy & Co, maker of Hennessy Cognac, has taken delivery of 45 electric vehicles from Renault at its headquarters in Cognac, France. The 23 Zoes and 22 Kangoo ZEs are to be used by employees traveling between the company's sites, and replace 80 percent of the company's internal combustion fleet. "For many years now, Jas Hennessy & Co has been actively working to reduce its environmental impact," says Hennessy Operations Manager Marc Sorin. Hennessy also recently bought an electric boat to take visitors across the Charente River to the company's aging cellars. Read more from Renault. General Motors has earned two Energy Star awards from the EPA. The automaker earned the Energy Star Partner of the Year award for Sustained Excellence for efforts in energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions. For example, GM has achieved a global reduction of energy intensity by six percent, and has invested $34 million in energy, water and carbon reduction projects at its facilities. GM also earned the EPA Energy Star Climate Communications award for its outreach to employees, customers and stakeholders about energy efficiency and climate change. Read more from General Motors. The 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel has been named Truck of the Year by the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press Association. The Ram truck beat out the Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty and GMC Canyon to earn the honors at the Denver Auto Show. The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel boasts a fuel economy of 21 mpg in the city, 29 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined. Ram attributes the truck's efficiency to features like its eight-speed transmission, stop-start system and active aerodynamics. Rocky Mountain Automotive Press Association Names 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel 'Truck of the Year' and 2015 Chrysler 200 'Car of the Year' AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- - Denver-based journalist organization announces the awards at the Charity Preview for the Denver Auto Show - Winners are chosen from a field that includes every significant new car and truck introduced in the last year - Each eligible vehicle is evaluated and voted on by the members of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press - The 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, America's most fuel-efficient pickup, earned a 29 mpg rating from the U.S.