Recent content by patfromigh

Toyota changed the game this week with the introduction of their 6th generation plugin hybrid system for the new RAV4. The new system blurs the line between a hybrid, an EV, and a range extended EV. The usual Toyota 2.5 liter naturally aspirated four running an Atkinson Cycle is under the hood...

Here is a Mopar Insiders article from early last year which reveals the future plans for a Fiat Panda family. I think the pickup concept could be fashioned into a mini-Gladiator. Please note that these drawings are very rough estimates of the actual finished product. For example, the City Car...

The Ford F-150 is losing its decades long "king of the hill" status to the Toyota RAV4 on the sales chart. Up until this week, half of the RAV4 sales were hybrid. Toyota revealed the 2026 RAV4 on Wednesday and now that model will have hybrid only drive trains, either a 5th generation HEV or a...

We didn't receive the entire story on the Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid press event. Fiat also presented a concept at that event. https://www.fiat.com/news/grande-panda-4x4-concept-reveal-turin

There's room for both, but Fiat USA needs to drop the boutique style selling environment. The price on the 500e is also too high, Europe gets a base trim. A "Giga-Panda" is on the way next, plus there are other Panda themed vehicles in the pipeline as well. There is the recent article about the...

All the Jeep concepts in the video each offer fascinating food for thought. A few weeks ago the SLATE EV pickup went viral and started a conversation about how affordability and simplicity have gone missing in today's auto market. When I look at the J6 concept I can't help but think, what if a...

Don't saddle the Chrysler brand with outdated obsolete drive technology. The solution for the Charger is bring the electrification up to date. Here is what ZF just unveiled in Shanghai a few weeks ago. Read about it here-->Range Extender: More Than Just Extra Range - ZF If you want...

The cadence of new Stellantis product introductions for everywhere but here is truly staggering. Notice also that the Avenger for Latin America also gets a driveline tailored to the regional customers desires. Allegedly, we are supposed to get a Renegade replacement. The Avenger is too small...

A Helephant powered Ram 1500 crew-cab for $125,000 USD is the best we can do. Oh by the way, there's a new Fiat Grande Panda based pickup on the way as well. It will be available everywhere but here. There is a fairly recent Mopar Insiders article on the start of production of the Fiat Titano...

The real impossible mission is selling the battery electric Wagoneer S at a profit.

Is this this midsize pickup truck what the buyers truly want? The sales charts for the midsize and smaller pickup segments seem to indicate buyers are choosing smaller, simpler, and less expensive vehicles for their purchases. The drive train of choice appears to be hybrid. A hybrid Rampage...

Let me add this correction to my recent post. Here is a quote from Insideevs(dot)com: The 50 mile figure is for the electric only range added from 10 minutes on a 400V fast charger. Good look finding one of those.

The poor marketing decisions involving the Jeep Renegade in North America also played out with its platform mate the Fiat 500X. I don't think there was any coordination between Jeep and Fiat USA on their respective B-segment offerings. We could also implicate Dodge in this with the Hornet, which...

If pure EV is played out someone should talk to the other manufacturers introducing new BE models. Those investors in new charging networks and expanded coverage of existing locations should also be notified. Ram is still planning to introduce a mid-size truck based on the ST-Large platform with...

... Especially if they want to sell to law enforcement agencies.