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Stellantis, the parent company behind Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat, Chrysler, and others, is set to release several new all-electric vehicles next year to kick off its EV campaign. Here’s a look at the first EVs due out next year.

Stellantis to launch EV offensive in 2024

Although later than much of the competition, Stellantis will launch its first electric cars for four brands next year.

Under its Dare Forward 2030 strategy, the auto giant aims for 50% of total US sales (100% in Europe) to be electric by 2030. The plans include several brands going all-electric, including Alfa Romeo by 2027 and Chrysler by 2028.

Despite this, the company’s first all-electric vehicle in the US, the Ram ProMaster EV, will debut later this year. Next year, Stellantis will ramp things up with the first EVs from Jeep, Dodge, and Fiat.

Fiat will kick things off next year with its new 500e launching early next year. The Fiat 500e is the brand’s top-selling electric car in Europe, and CEO Oliver Francois believes it can also make a mark in the US.

Fiat-500e-EV
Fiat’s new 500e (Source: Stellantis)

Ram 1500 REV electric pickup

Ram’s first electric pickup, the Ram 1500 REV, is due out in late 2024 to take on Ford’s F-150 Lightning and upcoming Chevy Silverado EV.

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2025 Ram 1500 REV electric truck (Source: Ram)

CEO Carlos Tavares vows Ram’s electric truck will “outperform all competitors” in range, towing, payload, and charge time.

The Ram 1500 REV will be built on the Stellantis STLA large frame with dual 250 kW electric motors providing up to 654 hp and 620 lb-ft of torque. Ram says its pickup will be able to tow up to 14,000 lbs and payloads of up to 2,800 lbs.

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All-electric 2025 RAM 1500 REV (Source: RAM)

It will be offered in two battery options – 168 kWh or 229 kWh. The former has a 350-mile targeted range, while the latter aims for 500 miles. Ram also claims the EV truck can add around 110 miles of range in 10 minutes with 800 V fast charging.

Dodge Charger Daytona SRT

Dodge will also dive into the EV era next year after showing us a sneak peek of what to expect with the Charger Daytona SRT Concept.

Jeep-Dodge-Ram-EVs
Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept (source: Stellantis)

The automaker calls it “the future of electrified muscle,” with patent-pending features like front aerodynamic wings, an “exhaust” noise system, and multi-speed transmission with electro-mechanical shifting.

The concept is powered by a new 800 V Banshee propulsion system that Dodge says will outperform the brand’s famed SRT Hellcat engine in all key measures.

Jeep-Dodge-Ram-EVs

Dodge’s Charger Daytona SRT features a three-point Fratzog badge that originated on Dodge muscle cars in the ’60s and ’70s. The return represents Dodge’s electrified future and commitment to its performance heritage.

Jeep

Jeep will launch its first electric vehicles in the US next year, including the Recon and Wagoneer S.

The rugged SUV brand revealed three all-electric models set to hit the market. The first was the Avenger, released in Europe earlier this year.

Jeep-electric-Recon-Wrangler
Jeep Recon (Source: Stellantis)

Next up will be the Recon and Wagoneer S, poised to hit the US market next year. The Recon will be a “rugged and fully capable electric SUV” inspired by the Jeep Wrangler. Like the Wrangler, the Recon will feature options like removable doors and windows.

We caught a sneak peek of the 2024 Recon Moab 4xe after images leaked out of a dealer event in Las Vegas.

Jeep-Recon-EV-images
Jeep Recon Moab 4xe (source: Jeep Recon Forum)

Jim Morrison, head of Jeep North America, said the upcoming Recon “has the capability to cross the mighty Rubicon Trail,” known as one of the hardest off-road trails in the US.

Perhaps, more importantly, Morrison claimed you will also be able to “reach the end of the trail with enough range to drive back to town and recharge.”

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Jeep Wagoneer S (Source: Stellantis)

The next electric Jeep arriving will be the Wagoneer S. Jeep’s premium electric SUV has targetted 400 miles range, 600 hp, and a 0 to 60 mph time in around 3.5 seconds.

What’s Next?

Looking ahead, other Stellantis brands, including Chrysler, will continue the offensive with its first all-electric crossover due out in 2025.

Ram is expected to release a smaller electric pickup that’s expected to launch around 2026. Dodge also has an electric crossover expected out in early 2026.

According to AutoForecast Solutions (via Automotive News), Dodge may also launch a four-door electric charger in the near future. Meanwhile, the iconic Challenger will likely get an electric upgrade over the next year or so.

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E-quipment highlight: Komatsu PC365-11 hybrid excavator

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E-quipment highlight: Komatsu PC365-11 hybrid excavator

Thanks to a clever, fully electric swing system and “boom up” power assist features, the big PC365-11 hybrid excavator from Komatsu promises better performance and serious fuel savings compared to conventional diesel machines.

Komatsu says its PC365-11 hybrid excavator uses a “boom-up” power assist feature that captures and stores kinetic energy during different operation cycles, then taps into that power to provide an extra energy boost when needed. The result is 15% more productivity and a 20% improvement in fuel efficiency when compared to non-hybrid excavators in ~40 ton class.

“The PC365LC-11 was engineered for excellence in multifunction applications by leveraging its innovative electric powertrain system to boost job site productivity while reducing fuel consumption,” says Matthew Moen, Komatsu’s product manager. “To highlight these performance enhancements, we’re emphasizing the concept of ‘multifunction plus’ as the defining feature of this machine.”

How it works


Komatsu hybrid explainer; via Komatsu.

Komatsu’s hybrid system replaces the conventional hydraulic swing function with a fully electric swing motor that draws power from an ultracapacitor (as opposed to a battery) energy storage unit. As excavator slows or stops swinging, something like a regenerative braking system captures the kinetic energy that would normally be lost as heat and stores it in the capacitor. Once there, the stored energy can be quickly released to power the swing motor or assist the engine, delivering up to an extra 70 hp when needed to support heavy lifting or digging cycles.

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And, thanks to Komatsu’s proprietary software, all of this energy capture and reuse happens automagically during normal work, without the need for external charging. The fuel savings happen because removing the hydraulic load from the ICE engine allows it to run at an ultra-low idle, while the productivity comes from the greater power and overall speed of the electric operations vs. conventional hydraulics.

Electrek’s Take


Komatsu lunar excavator; image by the author.

Trust me when I tell you that Komatsu didn’t wake up one day and decide to build a capacitor-based hybrid crane. One of their customers had the idea and came to them, promising orders. That’s what Komatsu does – from undersea remote control dozers to lunar mining rigs (above), if you bring Komatsu an order, they will absolutely find a way to fill it.

As for PC365-11 hybrid excavator, it’s packed with clever tech, overall – offering significant fuel, emissions, and TCO reductions without dramatically changing the operational logistics of an existing fleet’s operations. That’s all the sales pitch it needs.

SOURCE: Komatsu, via Equipment World.


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Five for Five: Kia PV5 scores 5 star European safety rating

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Five for Five: Kia PV5 scores 5 star European safety rating

For serious fleet buyers, safety isn’t a “nice-to-have,” it’s an absolute must – and Kia’s new PV5 electric van meets that need with a positively stellar, five-star safety rating on the tough European NCAP safety test.

The new “do-it-all” Kia PV5 showed strong performance across a number of key safety categories, including Occupant Protection, Safety Assist/Crash Avoidance, and Post-Crash Safety. The PV5’s robust suite of standard ADAS technologies that includes AEB, Lane Support System, and Speed Assistance System also helped the new electric work van to deliver top marks in the NCAP’s “real world” test scenarios.

The PV5 opens a new chapter in practical, electrified mobility, offering generous space and modular versatility for everyday use,” explains Sangdae Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of the (relatively) new PBV Business Division at Kia. “Achieving the top Euro NCAP five-star rating is clear validation of its safety performance and will serve as strong momentum as Kia expands its PBV lineup across Europe.”

The Euro NCAP tests highlighted the strong performance of a number of the PV5’s ADAS features, specifically calling out the following:

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  • Demonstrated strong responsiveness in vehicle-to-vehicle scenarios
  • Provides additional protection for pedestrians behind the vehicle
  • Avoided collisions in most pedestrian and cyclist test cases

The Kia PV5 slots into familiar territory for US buyers, landing roughly in the same size class as the Ford Transit Connect or Ram ProMaster City, with ~180 cubic feet of interior cargo space available, which is plenty to make it attractive for last-mile delivery and trade work in tight urban markets.

Globally, the PV5 is offered with a number of battery options, including a smaller 43.3 kWh Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LFP) pack, as well as larger Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese (NCM) packs at 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh. The longest-range versions are good for about 250 miles of estimated range – more than enough for Kia to make a case for it as a practical, city-focused alternative to much larger (and pricier) electric vans.

Larger vans, by the way, that may not have that 5 star Euro NCAP rating.

Kia PV5


SOURCE | IMAGES: Kia; photo by Scooter Doll.


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Waymo pauses robotaxi service in San Francisco after blackout chaos — Musk says Tesla car service unaffected

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Waymo resumes robotaxi service in San Francisco after blackout chaos — Musk says Tesla car service unaffected

Alphabet-owned Waymo has suspended its driverless ride-hail service in the San Francisco Bay Area after blackouts plagued the city Saturday afternoon.

“We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing services in the San Francisco Bay Area due to the widespread power outage,” a Waymo spokesperson tells CNBC. “Our teams are working diligently and in close coordination with city officials, and we are hopeful to bring our services back online soon. We appreciate your patience and will provide further updates as soon as they are available.”

Waymo notice of service outage in San Francisco.

Source: Waymo

As power outages spread yesterday, videos shared on social media appeared to show multiple Waymo vehicles stalled in traffic in different parts of the city.

San Francisco resident Matt Schoolfield said he saw at least three Waymo autonomous vehicles stopped in traffic Saturday around 9:45 p.m. local time, including one he photographed on Turk Boulevard near Parker Avenue.

“They were just stopping in the middle of the street,” Schoolfield said.

A Waymo vehicle stuck between Parker and Beaumont, on the north side of Turk Boulevard in San Francisco.

Credit: Matt Schoolfield

The power outages began around 1:09 p.m. Saturday and peaked roughly two hours later, affecting about 130,000 customers, according to Pacific Gas and Electric. As of Sunday morning, about 21,000 customers remained without power, mainly in the Presidio, the Richmond District, Golden Gate Park and parts of downtown San Francisco.

PG&E said the outage was caused by a fire at a substation that resulted in “significant and extensive” damage, and said it could not yet provide a precise timeline for full restoration.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a 9 p.m. update on X that police officers, fire crews, parking control officers and city ambassadors were deployed across affected neighborhoods as transit service gradually resumed. “Waymo has also paused service,” Lurie said.

Amid the disruption, Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted on X: “Tesla Robotaxis were unaffected by the SF power outage.”

Unlike Waymo, Tesla does not operate a driverless robotaxi service in San Francisco.

Tesla’s local ride-hailing service uses vehicles equipped with “FSD (Supervised),” a premium driver assistance system. The service requires a human driver behind the wheel at all times.

According to state regulators — including the California Department of Motor Vehicles and California Public Utilities Commission — Tesla has not obtained permits to conduct driverless testing or services in the state without human safety supervisors behind the wheel, ready to steer or brake at any time.

Tesla is vying to become a robotaxi titan, but does not yet operate commercial, driverless services. Tesla’s Robotaxi app allows users to hail a ride; however, its vehicles currently have human safety supervisors or drivers on board, even in states where the company has obtained permits for driverless operations.

Waymo, which leads the nascent industry in the West, is Tesla’s chief competitor in AVs, along with Chinese players like Baidu-owned Apollo Go.

The outage-related disruptions in San Francisco come as robotaxi services are becoming more common in other major U.S. cities. Waymo is among a small number of companies operating fully driverless ride-hailing services for the public, even as unease about autonomous vehicles remains high.

A survey by the American Automobile Association earlier this year found that about two-thirds of U.S. drivers said they were fearful of autonomous vehicles.

The Waymo pause in San Francisco indicates cities are not yet ready for highly automated vehicles to inundate their streets, said Bryan Reimer, a research scientist at the MIT Center for Transportation and co-author of “How to Make AI Useful.”

“Something in the design and development of this technology was missed that clearly illustrates it was not the robust solution many would like to believe it is,” he said.

Reimer noted that power outages are entirely predictable. “Not for eternity, but in the foreseeable future, we will need to mix human and machine intelligence, and have human backup systems in place around highly automated systems, including robotaxis,” he said.

State and city regulators will need to consider what the maximum penetration of highly automated vehicles should be in their region, Reimer added, and AV developers should be held responsible for “chaos gridlock,” just as human drivers would be held responsible for how they drive during a blackout.

Waymo did not say when its service would resume and did not specify whether collisions involving its vehicles had occurred during the blackout.

Tesla and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

CNBC’s Riya Bhattacharjee contributed reporting.

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