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Stellantis to halt production at Melfi, Italy, car plant in April, union says

MILAN — Carmaker Stellantis will halt production at its plant in Melfi, southern Italy, April 2-12 because of low demand triggered by the COVID-19 crisis, the UILM union said on Monday. Production at the plant, where the world's fourth largest automaker makes Jeep Renegade and Compass models and the Fiat 500X compact SUV, has been repeatedly disrupted due to weak demand and semiconductor supply shortages. The FIM CISL union said last week the firm was considering permanently closing one of its two production lines at the Melfi plant to address excess capacity in Italy. European car registrations fell 23% year on year in the first two months of this year, according to industry data, as protracted coronavirus lockdowns and consequent uncertainty keep impacting spending decisions among families and businesses. UILM's Gianluca Ficco said on Monday the company told unions the latest Melfi production freeze was specifically due to low demand and not a result of the global chip shortage. A spokesman for Stellantis confirmed the plant would be closed in that April 2-12 period. All of Melfi's more than 7,000 workers would be put on a furlough scheme for the period.  

Texan finds creative way to clear highway fast lane

Few things are as infuriating as someone driving slow in the fast lane. A Jeep driver from Texas found himself in just such a predicament near Fort Worth, and came up with a creative way to urge the offending lane-blocker to get a move on. Machine, a YouTuber and off-road enthusiast from the Lone Star State, posted some dashcam footage to his account back in March which showed him stuck behind a slow driver. He was attempting to pass a slow-moving bobtail Peterbilt tractor when he got hung up by a white Ford Econoline squatting in the passing lane. On his YouTube page, Machine stated that the van, which apparently belonged to a plumbing company, was traveling along between 60 and 70 miles per hour along a stretch of highway with a stated speed limit of 70 mph. Confronted with the slow-moving van blocking the left lane, and traffic in the right lane, Machine called the number on the back of the Econoline and politely asked him to get out of the way. In the Econoline, the passenger picked up and was momentarily confused as Machine asked him to ask his driver to move out of the lane and let traffic pass. The van sped up, passed a tractor-trailer, and got out of the way, much to the relief of the traffic behind him. According to CBS news, 38 states have laws on the books to punish slow drivers squatting in the passing lane. In five of those states, the fine is upwards of $1000, and 22 states classify it as a misdemeanor. Related Video: News Source: YouTube, CBS News Auto News Humor Weird Car News Ford Jeep Driving Safety Minivan/Van SUV Commercial Vehicles wrangler passing lane

Stop waiting for the official Wrangler pickup and buy one of the last AEV Brutes

We're eagerly anticipating the launch of Jeep's official pickup truck. If you have the means, though, you can have a Wrangler pickup right now. American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) still builds its Wrangler-based Brute Double Cab. But if you want one, you'll need to order it soon. This is the last year AEV will build the truck, and it will only take orders until March 31. There is a reason we mention needing the means to purchase one of these Brutes. They're really expensive. The conversion starts at $41,665. And that doesn't include the cost of the Wrangler Unlimited to be converted. You do get an impressive piece of kit for the money, though. AEV obviously adds the composite bed and lengthens the frame a total 39 inches to make it fit, but the company also adds a suspension lift, 35-inch tires, a Warn winch, skid plates, and off-road lights. AEV will even replace the standard 3.6-liter V6 with a 5.7- or 6.4-liter Hemi V8 if you want. Of course, that will obviously cost extra. If you're interested in placing an order, you can call 248-926-0256, or find dealer contact info at this link. If you can't afford one but still want to know more, you can check out our quick review. Our tester only had the 3.6-liter V6, but it was still pretty sweet. Related Video: