2023 Ram 1500 Longhorn on 2040-cars

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Stellantis lays off salaried workers, cites uncertainty in EV transition

DETROIT — Jeep maker Stellantis is laying off about 400 white-collar workers in the U.S. as it deals with the transition from combustion engines to electric vehicles. The company formed in the 2021 merger between PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler said the workers are mainly in engineering, technology and software at the headquarters and technical center in Auburn Hills, Michigan, north of Detroit. Affected workers were notified starting Friday morning. “As the auto industry continues to face unprecedented uncertainties and heightened competitive pressures around the world, Stellantis continues to make the appropriate structural decisions across the enterprise to improve efficiency and optimize our cost structure,” the company said in a prepared statement Friday. The cuts, effective March 31, amount to about 2% of Stellantis' U.S. workforce in engineering, technology and software, the statement said. Workers will get a separation package and transition help, the company said. “While we understand this is difficult news, these actions will better align resources while preserving the critical skills needed to protect our competitive advantage as we remain laser focused on implementing our EV product offensive,” the statement said. CEO Carlos Tavares repeatedly has said that electric vehicles cost 40% more to make than those that run on gasoline, and that the company will have to cut costs to make EVs affordable for the middle class. He has said the company is continually looking for ways to be more efficient. U.S. electric vehicle sales grew 47% last year to a record 1.19 million as EV market share rose from 5.8% in 2022 to 7.6%. But sales growth slowed toward the end of the year. In December, they rose 34%. Stellantis plans to launch 18 new electric vehicles this year, eight of those in North America, increasing its global EV offerings by 60%. But Tavares told reporters during earnings calls last month that “the job is not done” until prices on electric vehicles come down to the level of combustion engines — something that Chinese manufacturers are already able to achieve through lower labor costs. “The Chinese offensive is possibly the biggest risk that companies like Tesla and ourselves are facing right now,Â’Â’ Tavares told reporters. “We have to work very, very hard to make sure that we bring out consumers better offerings than the Chinese.

2019 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty starts at just over $35,000

Pricing has been announced for the 2019 Ram Heavy Duty models, and they are barely more expensive than the old models. The 2019 Ram 2500 starts at $35,090, just $350 more than the outgoing version. The base 3500 model starts at $36,540, which is only $400 more than before. The chassis cab version starts at $36,445. This pricing keeps the new Ram close to the price of the current price leader, the Ford F-250, which starts at $34,745. Both 2500 and 3500 models come in at less than the current Chevy Silverado 2500HD's base price of $39,095. These prices will get you a Ram Heavy Duty with the standard 410-horsepower 6.4-liter gas-powered V8. For the entry-level Cummins diesel engine with 370 horsepower and 850 pound-feet of torque, you'll need to add $9,100. The high-output Cummins engine with 400 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque is naturally even more expensive at $11,795. Now we also know that full-size trucks can get pretty expensive, and the Ram Heavy Duty is no exception. The most expensive starting price is for the Ram 3500 Limited with the Mega Cab and four-wheel-drive, at $67,050. Adding the high-output Cummins engine would bring that to $78,845. We don't know what options will be available, but we wouldn't be surprised if that particular truck could crest $80,000 with a few extras. Related Video:

Ram 1500 TRX thunders across the desert ahead of August 17 debut

Ram turned every head at the 2016 edition of the Texas State Fair when it introduced a 1500-based, Hellcat-powered concept named Rebel TRX. Nearly four years later, it's finally ready to unveil the production version of its burly truck, which will seemingly lose the Rebel designation while keeping the supercharged V8. Aimed directly at the Ford F-150 Raptor, the 1500 TRX — an acronym which stands for Tyrannosaurus Rex; get it? — will arrive as a high-performance truck that feels right at home speeding through the desert. Although the preview video released by Ram hides the truck's overall design, it's reasonable to assume it will receive a rugged look characterized by a model-specific front bumper that increases the approach angle, skid plates that protect the underbody, and massive tires tucked under fender flares. It will be bigger and meaner than the standard 1500. It will sound the part, too, thanks to a version of the supercharged, 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 engine found in several Dodge and Jeep models. Although the concept made 575 horsepower, insiders (and spy videos shot on the Silver Lake Sand Dunes) hinted the production model will put over 700 horses under the driver's right foot. Ram will introduce the 1500 TRX online on August 17 at noon Eastern time, which is 9 a.m. in Los Angeles. It will stream the event on its various social media outlets (including its Facebook account and its YouTube channel). Sales will start in the coming months, but pricing information hasn't been announced yet. We expect the TRX will be pegged in the same price bracket as the F-150 Raptor, which starts at $55,150 including destination. And, while Dodge will only manufacture the Hellcat-powered Durango for six months, we'd be surprised if the 1500 TRX lands as a limited-edition model. Odds are Ram plans to fill every order it receives. Related Video:     RAM Truck Performance