heavy Archives | AutoDepot

2014 Ram ProMaster configurator reporting for heavy duty

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Work, Ram

Ram has brought the configurator online for all sizes of its new ProMaster van, known to the rest of the world as the Fiat Ducato. Destined to take on the new Ford Transit and Nissan NV, the ProMaster is available in three sizes – 1500, 2500, and 3500.

Once a size has been chosen, the world is your oyster. We could (probably) spend the rest of our day with this configurator and not repeat a build once. Each truck can be had in different styles ranging from windowed van to cargo hauler to cutaway truck, while buyers can also choose from a number of wheelbases and roof heights.

Add to that an options sheet that’s almost Porsche-like in length, and you get a van that can be completely customized to the needs of your business. Check out all three configurators at the following links: 1500, 2500 and 3500.

2014 Ram ProMaster configurator reporting for heavy duty originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2014 Ram ProMaster configurator reporting for heavy duty”

GM adding 750 jobs to build more heavy-duty pickups

Filed under: Truck, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Work, Chevrolet

Chevrolet Silverado HD at Flint Assembly

General Motors has announced that it will add another shift at its Flint Assembly plant to produce more Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups. The third shift is expected to add a full 750 new jobs, and the first wave of employees will begin arriving at the facility during the second quarter of this year. Production will ramp up in the third quarter. Right now, Flint Assembly employs 2,100 workers, and last year, the factory churned out 115,000 vehicles. GM says that the first wave of positions will be filled by workers who were laid off at other facilities. The majority of those workers are expected to originate from Lansing.

The remainder of the positions will be taken by employees who were laid off at other plants, including Orion, Willow Run and Warren. GM won’t be hiring any new employees for the third shift. Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM adding 750 jobs to build more heavy-duty pickups

GM adding 750 jobs to build more heavy-duty pickups originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “GM adding 750 jobs to build more heavy-duty pickups”

PickupTrucks.com pits 2011 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty Diesel against Delta IV Heavy rocket

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Work, Dodge

Ram HD vs. Rocket

Talk about odd hauling. The team over at PickupTrucks.com put together a rather interesting comparision: 2011 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty diesel vs. Delta IV Heavy rocket. One is capable of crusing down the highway with a gross combined weight rating (vehicle, passengers and trailer) of 25,400 pounds. The other is easily capable of lifting that entire load into geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above our planet.

Rocket While the guys didn’t send the truck into space, they did use the Ram at the launch site (Vandenberg AFB along the California coast) as a camera platform. Autoblog tagged along for a ride (in the Ram, not the rocket) and took a handful of pics at the successful launch.

Oh, the comparison? Long story short, the truck is quicker to 60 mph but the rocket has a much higher top speed. The truck has dual-zone air conditioning, while the rocket chills with supercooled liquid fuel (483,500 gallons all kept below -297 degrees Fahrenheit). And, of course, the truck offers Satellite Radio while the big rocket simply becomes a satellite.

Gallery: Delta IV vs. Ram HD Pickup

Delta IV rocket vs. Ram 3500 HD pickup

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

PickupTrucks.com pits 2011 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty Diesel against Delta IV Heavy rocket originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “PickupTrucks.com pits 2011 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty Diesel against Delta IV Heavy rocket”

EPA issues first-ever fuel efficiency and emissions standard proposal for heavy-duty vehicles

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Work, Specialty, Diesel

semi truck

As expected, the EPA has released its first-ever proposal for greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty vehicles. The proposal, and that’s all it is at this point, would create three new categories for heavy trucks: combination tractors, heavy-duty pickups and vans, and vocational vehicles. The rules will cover on-road vehicles with a gross vehicle weight at or above 8,500 pounds, unless these vehicles are already covered under CAFE. All of these proposals would start with the 2014 model year and make some big improvements relatively soon. The EPA is working with the DOT and NHTSA on the joint standards, which will have two types of metrics.

For pick-ups and vans, the metric will be gram per mile (and gallon per 100-miles) based on payload.
For vocational vehicles and combination tractors, the standards are gram per ton-mile (and gallon per 1,000 ton-mile).

Each of the three categories has different targets.

Combination tractors (commonly known as semi trucks) would get new engine and vehicle standards and, according to the EPA, “achieve up to a 20 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and fuel consumption by 2018 model year,” compared to a 2010 baseline.
Heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans would fall under emissions rules that are similar to the rules that govern light-duty trucks and passenger cars. There would be separate gasoline and diesel standards that would, “achieve up to a 10 percent reduction for gasoline vehicles and 15 percent reduction for diesel vehicles by 2018 model year (12 and 17 percent respectively if accounting for air conditioning leakage).”
For vocational vehicles, the proposed standards would reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions up to 10 percent by 2018 model year.

(This post continues after the jump.)

Continue reading EPA issues first-ever fuel efficiency and emissions standard proposal for heavy-duty vehicles

EPA issues first-ever fuel efficiency and emissions standard proposal for heavy-duty vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “EPA issues first-ever fuel efficiency and emissions standard proposal for heavy-duty vehicles”

Report: EPA poised to outline medium- and heavy-duty truck emissions standards

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Technology, Diesel

18-wheeler on the move

The EPA appears to be close to releasing its proposal for medium and heavy-duty truck fuel economy standards. As you may remember, the Obama Administration called for the first-ever standards for large work vehicles earlier this year. According to The New York Times, a spokesperson with the EPA has said that the initial proposal will be out soon. Analysts had expected the numbers to show up this week, but that’s looking less and less likely by the hour.

Surprisingly enough, heavy truck manufacturers don’t seem to be up in arms over the thought of new fuel economy standards. The New York Times says that the EPA has a history of working closely with big truck makers to reduce emissions, and that this is the next logical step. The EPA and truckmakers say agree that today’s diesel rigs crank out 60 times less particulate matter than similar equipment did in 1988. That’s thanks in no small part to the EPA’s clean trucks program, which is geared toward promoting clean-diesel technology.

The new fuel economy standards are expected to show up in a climate bill that already regulates fuel consumption for passenger cars, light-duty trucks and stationary devices like generators.

[Source: The New York Times | Image: Ethan Miller/Getty]

Report: EPA poised to outline medium- and heavy-duty truck emissions standards originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: EPA poised to outline medium- and heavy-duty truck emissions standards”

Report: Fuel economy standards could add up to $15K to price of heavy-duty pickups

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Work, Diesel

2010 Dodge Ram 3500

It’s no secret that today’s crop of full-size heavy duty pickup trucks cost a pretty penny to purchase and operate. To wit, the 2010 Dodge Ram 3500 Heavy Duty Mega Cab that we recently reviewed carried a sticker price of over $56,000. A large chunk of that asking price can be accounted for by the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine – largely responsible for the truck’s massively impressive capabilities.

Of course, it’s also going to cost quite a few Benjamins to keep that truck running on a steady diet of low-sulfur diesel fuel, and the Feds are considering some legislation that could potentially have a massive impact on both fuel consumption and the aforementioned bottom line… both positively and negatively, depending on your point of view. While we all want better fuel efficiency, we doubt many would be willing to front a staggering $15,000 surcharge on top of their already pricey work truck for the mileage benefits.

According to a new study by The National Academies, there are lots of ways to increase the fuel economy of a full-size HD pickup, some of which cost just a few hundred dollars. Others, such as adding a hybrid powertrain or switching from a gasoline-fed engine to a diesel, cost several thousand dollars each.

At present, truck manufacturers aren’t required to meet any specific fuel mileage requirements. But that’s soon to change, as the the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation are drafting up a series of regulations for these types of trucks. Exactly what those regulations will entail – and, of course, how much added price they will require to meet – isn’t yet known. Stay tuned, and check out PickupTrucks.com for more data from the study.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Report: Fuel economy standards could add up to $15K to price of heavy-duty pickups originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: Fuel economy standards could add up to $15K to price of heavy-duty pickups”

2010 PickupTrucks.com Heavy-Duty Shootout: And the winners are…

Filed under: Truck, Work, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford

2010 PickupTrucks.com Heavy-Duty Shootout

2010 PickupTrucks.com Heavy-Duty Shootout – Click above for high-res image gallery

When it comes to all things pickup truck-related, our pal Mike Levine from PickupTrucks.com has his finger on the pulse of what’s happening. Every year, Levine gathers all of the currently available contenders in a particular segment of the truck market for a shootout. With General Motors, Ford and Chrysler all having launched heavily reworked heavy-duty trucks in the last six months, that was the segment of choice for this year’s 2010 Heavy-Duty Shootout. Levine collected three examples each of the 3/4-ton gas, 3/4-ton diesel and one-ton diesel duallie pickups for a battle royale at Milan Dragway in Michigan and the General Motors Milford proving ground.

The trucks were put through their paces in acceleration and braking tests, both unloaded and hauling trailers of up to 12,000 pounds. The trucks ran on the level Milan drag strip and up seven- and 16-percent grades at Milford. Levine also evaluated ride and handling and the trucks were put through a fuel economy drive loop. The bottom line results for each category are available after the jump and you can – and should – read Levine’s definitive report over at PickupTrucks.com.

Gallery: PickupTrucks.com Heavy-Duty shootout 2010

[Source: PickupTrucks]

Continue reading 2010 PickupTrucks.com Heavy-Duty Shootout: And the winners are…

2010 PickupTrucks.com Heavy-Duty Shootout: And the winners are… originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2010 PickupTrucks.com Heavy-Duty Shootout: And the winners are…”