With North American sales and earnings on the slide, Stellantis faces a number of challenges that have already led to some major changes in upper management and layoffs on the factory floor. And CEO Carlos Tavares is under mounting pressure to find a fix, reports Headlight.News.
Ram is the latest automaker to embrace the dark side of the moon with the 2024 Ram 2500 Power Wagon and Rebel Lunar Edition. Special edition will help the truck hold down the fort as it prepares to update the HDs
UAW President Shawn Fain used a prime-time speech during the opening of the Democratic National Convention to warn of a possible strike against Stellantis. Speaking out against what he described as “corporate greed,” Fain accused the Euro-American automaker of reneging on investments promised as part of a settlement union and management reached during contract talks last autumn.
The Tesla Cybertruck missed a number of earlier targets, coming in 50% more expensive than planned, while offering about a third less range than promised by CEO Elon Musk back in 2019. Now, the automaker is ready to address the range problem by offering a range-extender battery that sits in the forward part of the bed. But it creates other problems: adding substantial cost while reducing cargo capacity.
Ram ends an era with the decision to axe the Ram 1500 Classic after the 2024 model year. Model was the last remnant of Ram’s days as a member of the Dodge family and was also the last option left for truck buyers looking for a traditional V8 in their pickup purchase.
Online retailing will generate over $1.2 billion in revenues this year. And whether you’re buying from Amazon, WalMart, Target or countless other Internet retailers your package is likely to will make it to your doorstep in a delivery van. Increasingly, those vans are going electric as fleet operators seek low-cost solutions. Now, Ram is getting into the game with the new ProMaster EV. Headlight.News had a chance to take the rig for a run – without having to make any delivery stops.
As EV sales growth slows, automakers are looking for other ways to reduce emissions without turning off potential buyers. That’s led to a wave of new plug-in hybrids coming to market – and to a surge in demand for PHEVs which grew 50% globally during the first five months of the year. But will they continue to outpace all-electric models? That’s a matter of debate.
Could Stellantis abandon one or more of its 14 automotive brands? In light of the automaker’s weak second-quarter earnings, that is a distinct possibility, warned CEO Carlos Tavares. But which of those marques are the most endangered? Headlight.News takes a closer look and a few seem ripe for the chopping block.
Federal investigators have launched a probe of 150,000 Stellantis vehicles after receiving numerous reports that their mild hybrid engines can unexpectedly stall out. In some cases, owners find it difficult to then restart the vehicles. More from Headlight.News.
U.S. automakers reported strong sales overall for June and the second quarter – with a handful of notable exceptions. In the case of Stellantis, a 21% decline has led the automaker to order temporary layoffs at two plants – with more cuts possible.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares promises massive job cuts as Stellantis attempts to restructure its operations. Several plants and even the company’s HQ building in Auburn Hills are all potential targets for job cuts.
A software glitch preventing the rear view cameras from displaying images on the vehicle’s touchscreen necessitated a recall of 1.16 million Stellantis vehicles. The cameras are equipment on vehicles in the Ram, Jeep and Chrysler vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Find out more at Headlight.News.