Free Republic

Michigan autoworkers are worried that President Joe Biden’s policies pushing for a transition to electric vehicles (EV) will cost their jobs, according to The New York Times. Some autoworkers represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union are not pleased with the president’s support of EVs due to the products needing less manpower to produce, which could eliminate tens of thousands of jobs not just in manufacturing, but also in supporting services like insurance and trucking, according to the NYT. Biden has made union support a key part of his campaign and presidential policy, but his push to have half...

On November 28, 1973, approximately 2,000 Detroit auto workers, led by Arab Americans, walk off their jobs at Chrysler’s Dodge Main plant, demanding that the leadership of their union, the United Auto Workers (UAW), divest from Israel. The strike, which was organized by the union’s recently formed Arab Workers Caucus, was centered around an event taking place that same day in Detroit: Leonard Woodcock, the president of UAW, was set to receive a humanitarian honor from a Zionist organization, B’nai B’rith International. This local push for divestment began a month prior to the strike, when UAW workers in Detroit became...

President Joe Biden promised to be the “most pro-union president” in U.S. history. But his push to transition to electric vehicles (EVs) may be costing him a union endorsement — at least for now. United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain said in a letter seen by Reuters the union would hold off on endorsing Biden’s re-election bid due to concerns about the EV push. “The federal government is pouring billions into the electric vehicle transition, with no strings attached and no commitment to workers. The EV transition is at serious risk of becoming a race to the bottom,” Fain...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed the death Monday. It was the third death attributed to a recalled Takata airbag in a Fiat Chrysler sedan in 2022 and the fifth in total involving such airbags in any car over the past year. Fiat Chrysler’s latest “Do Not Drive” warning concerns around 276,000 vehicles, including 2005-2010 Dodge Magnums, Chargers and Challengers, and Chrysler 300 sedans of the same model years. Owners of these vehicles are encouraged to check if their cars’ Takata airbags are included in the recall and to call 833-585-0144 to schedule tows and repairs free of...

Total new vehicle sales in September dropped to 1.01 million vehicles, down 37% from 1.6 million vehicles in March, when there were still enough new vehicles to sell. The industry-standard Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) of sales – which adjusts for the number of selling days per month and for seasonal factors, and converts the monthly sales into what sales would be for an entire year – plunged for the fifth month in a row, by 29% year-over-year, to 12.2 million units SAAR, the lowest, outside of the two lockdown months, since June 2011 ,according to data from the Bureau...

President Biden's top national security and economic advisers are trying to address a critical supply crunch that is slowing U.S. automobile manufacturing and threatens other sectors, including national security, according to experts. National security adviser Jake Sullivan, National Economic Council director Brian Deese, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimodo will meet with executives from 19 companies to discuss growing shortage of semiconductors, a key component of many computerized electronics. The shortage touches nearly every industry, but U.S. auto makers have been especially hit hard. General Motors, Ford and Stellantis (formed by a merger involving Fiat Chrysler) have all temporarily closed down...

The carmaker is implementing an “asset-light” strategy in the country because of concerns that rising political tensions could lead to sanctions in a conflict between China and the rest of the world... The CEO’s candid comments offer an explanation for Stellantis’s announcement last week it’s leaving a 12-year manufacturing partnership with state-owned Guangzhou Automobile Group. The exit raises uncomfortable questions about what the future may hold for foreign manufacturers in China. The war in Ukraine has disrupted supply chains in Europe, and the lengthening list of sanctions targeting Russia is a grim reminder of what could happen if China were...

Stellantis is closing its assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois, in February 2023. The Illinois plant employs about 1,350 workers, who are expected to be laid off. Stellantis cited the rising costs of electric vehicle production for the closure. The company said the replacement of the Jeep Cherokee SUV, along with other vehicles on a new electrified platform, will be produced in Toluca, Mexico. Stellantis has said it will invest over $31.6 billion through 2025 on electrifying its vehicle lineup. It also has said it expects EVs to make up 100 percent of its sales in Europe and 50 percent in...

Multinational automaker Stellantis is indefinitely closing an assembly plant in Illinois in February and laying off hundreds of workers, in large part due to the high cost of making electric vehicles. Stellantis noted in a statement emailed to FOX Business on Friday that the industry had been adversely affected by factors including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the global microchip shortage and the increasing cost related to the electrification of the automotive market, which it said was the most impactful. There are about 1,350 workers at the Belvedere plant, which produces the Jeep Cherokee. Stellantis reportedly told The Associated Press that...

Multinational automaker Stellantis, which formed last year in a merger between Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the French PSA Group, is shuttering a plant in Illinois that produces the Jeep Cherokee. The company dropped a statement for local media: Our industry has been adversely affected by a multitude of factors like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the global microchip shortage, but the most impactful challenge is the increasing cost related to the electrification of the automotive market. Stellantis has taken a number of actions to stabilize production and improve efficiency at its North American facilities to preserve affordability and...

DETROIT – Stellantis said Friday that it plans to indefinitely idle a Jeep plant in Illinois, starting early next year, to cut costs as it invests in electric vehicles. The transatlantic automaker, formerly known as Fiat Chrysler, said the plant will cease production as of Feb. 28. The more than 1,200 workers at the facility, which produces Jeep Cherokee SUVs, will be placed on indefinite layoffs, the company said. “Our industry has been adversely affected by a multitude of factors like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the global microchip shortage, but the most impactful challenge is the increasing cost related...

WASHINGTON—Roughly half of all cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. by 2030 would be electric, hydrogen-fuel cell and plug-in hybrid vehicles under voluntary targets set to be announced Thursday by the Biden administration and backed by auto makers, contingent on government support. In a joint statement, General Motors Co. , Ford Motor Co. , and Chrysler maker Stellantis NV said their commitment hinges on federal funding for manufacturing and supply-chain research and development, purchase incentives and an EV-charging network. The auto makers said the voluntary targets for EV sales “can be achieved only with the timely deployment of...

Dodge’s V8-powered muscle cars are nearing the end of the assembly line. The automaker has announced that production of the current Challenger and Charger will end in December 2023 before they are replaced by a new electric vehicle platform. The Charger sedan has been in production at the automaker’s Brampton, Canada, factory since 2005, where the Challenger coupe joined it in 2008. Over three billion horsepower-worth of cars have been built since. Dodge is having a blowout celebration for both models with a slew of special editions and options, along with the installation of a commemorative "Last Call" badge under...

Sean Nemeth, the owner of a plug-in hybrid Chrysler Pacifica, was perplexed when earlier this year he received a rather surprising recall notice, advising him to park his vehicle outside and away from structures. The notice informed him that his particular model is at risk of catching fire—even while stationary and turned off—and the cause is still unknown. “What am I supposed to do with it then?” said Mr. Nemeth, recalling his reaction at the time. He eventually decided to park it across the street from his house in a low-traffic cul-de-sac. His predicament has become more commonplace in recent...

VIDEO AT LINK ................ Ram has released a new video teaser of its upcoming all-electric Ram 1500 pickup truck, which is scheduled to enter the market in 2024. The new video is entitled "Ram Revolution | First Look" and shows the front of the vehicle, with a futuristic shape and an interesting LED headlight. It's very similar to the two images that we saw in March. The tweet version includes info that suggests the presentation of the vehicle in Fall 2022: "Time to steal some thunder. Unleashing Fall 2022. https://RamRevolution.com" At this point, we don't know whether it's a concept...

Almost 20,000 2017-18 models are being recalled following several fires. Chrysler's parent company, Stellantis, is recalling 19,808 Pacifica Hybrid minivans due to a potential fire risk. Only 2017-18 models are affected, with the recall coming after an internal investigation found 12 fires occurred with Pacifica Hybrids in those model years. All of those 12 fires happened when the vehicles were parked and turned off, with 8 of them charging as well. Fortunately Stellantis is not aware of any injuries or accidents as a result of the fires, but they are urging all owners not to charge their Pacificas and to...

Automaker Chrysler just announced plans to go completely electric by 2028, anticipating the release of its first electric vehicle by 2025. Chrysler announced the plans along with a new AI-enabled vehicle system powered by a battery that the company says can travel 350 to 400 miles per charge, as The Associated Press reported. Chrysler is part of Europe’s Stellantis, which last month announced a new strategy to embed AI-enabled software into millions of vehicles across its 14 different brands. This could gain Stellantis $22.6 billion in annual revenue by 2030. This is all part of the race among automakers to...

Stellantis’ mysterious concept EV now has a name, and it’s called the Airflow. Revealed during the brand’s EV Day earlier this summer, the Chrysler crossover concept looks to be sized relative to the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E, with familiar nods to late Chrysler-branded products. Digital rendering of the Chrysler Airflow EV concept on display.Photo: Stellantis ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This EV concept is part of Stellantis’ roadmap it plans to reveal at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 5 in Las Vegas, what Stellantis is calling it’s “transformation to clean mobility and seamlessly connected customer experiences.” The Airflow...

Even fully remote workers in the automobile industry are subject to a corporate vaccine mandate that threatens the livelihood of those who assert their right to medical freedom.Even fully remote workers in the automobile industry are subject to a corporate vaccine mandate that threatens the livelihood of those who assert their right to medical freedom. An FAQ sent out by the company threatens those who do not comply with the vaccine mandate, warning, “Individuals who do not report their status by December 4, 2021 will be considered unvaccinated.” The penalty for being unvaccinated? “Those who do not meet the vaccination...

A big win for medical privacy and the principles of freedom. Ford, General Motors and Stellantis have agreed the United Auto Workers union members will not be forced to take the mandatory vaccine as a condition of employment. [UAW Announcement] Additionally, the vaccine status of the workers will remain private with a policy of private and voluntary disclosure. UAW – At a meeting Monday evening, the COVID-19 Joint Task Force, comprised of the UAW, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, has aligned on a policy of voluntary and confidential disclosure of vaccination status for UAW members. Each company will provide additional...