Dodge did not indicate which Ram engine the hybrid system will be paired with, though it will back 5.7L Hemis in the SUVs. The hybrid powertrain is called "two-mode" because electric motors mounted within the automatic transmission offer power assist at high speeds and also assist-or take over motive duties completely-at low speeds too. The two-mode powertrain, in combination with the Hemi's MDS cylinder-deactivation system, is expected to improve the SUVs' fuel economy by 25 percent overall and 40 percent in the city. We'll have to see if the hybrid pickup will match those fuel economy gains.
*"Chrysler-Nissan-Renault is a marriage made in heaven," said an industry analyst (quoted in Automotive News) about the potential for shared technology between the manufacturers. We reported last month that Chrysler and Nissan had entered into a joint-venture agreement in which Chrysler will make fullsize pickup trucks for Nissan in 2011 for the '12 model year (thereby bringing the current Titan to an end). But the sharing doesn't have to end there. Nissan could source Cummins diesels via Chrysler for its Armada and QX56 SUVs, said the trade journal.
*Details about the government's new fuel economy standards are starting to come out, including information about how the standards will be set. Though it's been reported that fuel economy goals must improve by 40 percent-an industry average of 35 mpg-by 2020, each manufacturer will, apparently, be tasked with a different mpg goal, based on the "footprint" of their vehicles, or the area contained within their four wheels. In a nutshell, those manufacturers that make bigger vehicles generally, such as GM, Toyota, and Chrysler, will have lower mpg targets than those companies that make smaller vehicles, such as Suzuki and Honda. Automotive News offered this example: For '15-model-year trucks, GM would have the lowest target among the six biggest companies at 27.4 mpg. Honda trucks would have the highest target at 29.6 mpg. The current fuel economy standard for trucks is 22.5 mpg.
- Sema reports Congress has approved legislation designating 106,000 acres in Washington state's Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest as wilderness. SEMA and the OHV community opposed the bill and supported an alternative version to preserve existing roads and trails on about 13,000 acres of the land. The measure, which is commonly referred to as the "Wild Sky Wilderness," has been pushed in Congress for about five years. In years past, the bill was blocked by former House Resources Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA) who, with SEMA's support, proposed a compromise "backcountry wilderness" designation to set aside specific tracks of land that have existing roads and trails. Chairman Pombo was defeated in the 2006 election, and the bill's sponsors were able to pursue the legislation without concession. Congressional leaders are now moving forward on other wilderness proposals which also may not adequately protect existing roads and trails. Currently there are more than 20 other wilderness bills pending before Congress.
- Hearings were recently held in the Senate on two proposals that would impact hundreds of thousands of acres of land in Idaho and Utah. One proposal would designate more than 517,000 acres in the Owyhee-Bruneau Canyonlands of southwestern Idaho as wilderness. Of concern to the OHV community is the closure of 200 miles of roads and routes near the proposed wilderness areas to motorized vehicle use. There is some good news. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) would be directed to consider allowing OHV activities on 190,000 acres of nearby lands under its jurisdiction. On the other hand, proposed legislation will designate 260,000 acres in Washington County, Utah, as wilderness. It would potentially close riding areas and recreational routes that have been used for generations. In attempts to address these concerns, the bill sponsors included a provision for a "High Desert Off-Highway Vehicle Trail" in the legislation. The BLM would, however, have ultimate authority to designate which existing trails and routes would be included in the High Desert Trail and which would not.