2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

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FCA joining virtual CES with in-depth tours and Jeep Wrangler 4xe in AR

CES is sort of, technically happening, but it won’t be the CES weÂ’ve all become accustomed to over the years. Automakers will be doing their best to participate virtually, assuming they decide to join in the festivities at all. FCA is one that will have a little nugget of tech to share with us. A few main experiences will be made available to anybody with a computer. FCAÂ’s main draw is meant to be “highly detailed interactive product tours” where you can get to know a number of vehicles in a virtual world and hear from a “virtual brand ambassador” throughout the tour. You wonÂ’t be able to sit in and crawl through the cars like a normal auto show for the public, but FCA is promising a rather immersive experience online. The guided tour through the cars and technologies will be available in 12 FCA vehicles, two of those being the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer Concept and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. FCA plans to offer in-depth talks about how it tests vehicles, too. There are demonstrations planned for wind tunnels, the four-post shaker, an advanced drive simulator and general performance testing. Additionally, FCA plans on providing more insight into Uconnect 5 and vehicle electrification systems. WeÂ’re guessing the latter will offer up details on the Wrangler 4xe. The plug-in hybrid Wrangler will also be the star of FCAÂ’s AR play at CES. Everybody will be able to scan a QR code on FCAÂ’s site, then have access to a Wrangler 4xe on their phone. YouÂ’ll be able to “put it” in your driveway virtually, change the colors and get up close and personal with the interior.  All of this will launch on fcaces2021.com at 9 a.m. ET on January 11 (official first day of the virtual CES show), so surf on over there next week if you want to check it out. Related video:

Chrysler says its 8-speed transmissions will save 700 million gallons

Chrysler Group's TorqueFlite eight-speed transmission could be earning some serious green bragging rights if the company's projections are correct. The recently widely proliferated automatic gearbox, which is now in more than a million vehicles around the world, is poised to save drivers an estimated 700+ million gallons of fuel over the vehicles' lifetimes (an expected cost savings of $2.5 billion). In addition, Chrysler expects a reduction in CO2 emissions by more than six million metric tons. According to Chrysler, and depending on the vehicle, the TorqueFlite can improve fuel economy. The TorqueFlite autobox features particularly close ratios from fifth to eighth gear (see the press release below for the specific numbers), and uses low-viscosity fluid that doesn't need to be replaced. Transmission software adapts to the driving situation to optimize efficiency based on driver behavior, temperature, grade, stability control, and longitudinal and lateral acceleration. The TorqueFlite is capable of handling a variety of duties. As evidenced by the wide range of vehicles Chrysler Group has seen fit to equip with the eight-speed transmission, the TorqueFlite is capable of handling a variety of duties. Since its 2012 introduction, the TorqueFlite has gone from performing cog-swapping duties in Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 models equipped with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 to changing gears in vehicles such as the Pentastar- and Hemi-powered Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee and even the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. For the 2015 model year, the eight-speed is finding its way into even more vehicles with the addition of a third version. In addition to the American-made TorqueFlite 845RE and 8HP70, the new 8HP90 will be manufactured in Saarbrucken, Germany. The 8HP90 is designed for higher torque loads, making it ideal for high-performance vehicles like the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. The already-in-use 8HP70 will expand its duties to be used in 2015 Hemi models such as the Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Challenger SRT8. You can see the list of those benchmarks in Chrysler's press release below.

The EPA has alleged that FCA installed undisclosed emissions software in about 100k Ram and Jeep diesel models [UPDATE]

Update: The text has been updated with official information from the EPA given in a press release and a conference call. Although an initial report from Reuters said the EPA will accuse Ram and Jeep of using emissions defeat devices today, that isn't quite the case. In a press release and a conference call, the EPA stated that the notice of violation sent to FCA is for the installation of eight undisclosed auxiliary emissions control devices on 2014 to 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 models with the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6. The violation applies to about 104,000 vehicles in total. The agency also explained that auxiliary emissions controls on vehicles are not necessarily illegal, but installing them without disclosing them to the EPA when having the vehicle certified is. Though this initial notice of violation is for installing undisclosed software, the EPA may soon also classify these emissions devices as defeat devices, as it did with the software Volkswagen used. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, there could be fines of up nearly $45,000 per vehicle involved in the notice of violation. The agency revealed that the software alters how the emissions system performs in certain situations. In controlled testing, the vehicles are compliant, but in conditions such as high speed operation, the EPA found the vehicles would produce much higher levels of NOx emissions. The EPA is continuing to investigate, and is waiting for FCA to explain why these emissions control devices are not cheating or defeat devices. In an official statement, FCA stated it is looking forward to explaining that the software does not constitute a defeat device, and has also proposed software updates to achieve compliance. During the conference call, EPA representatives also noted that the vehicles are still safe and legal to be driven, and that owners do not need to take any action yet regarding their cars. It should be noted there is no stop-sale on current models at this time. Additionally, 2017 versions of the 3.0-liter diesel FCA vehicles have not been emissions certified yet. Related Video: News Source: Reuters, Environmental Protection Agency Government/Legal RAM