Automotive News - December 18, 2023 - 21

December 18, 2023 * 21
Ramcharger's capability: 'It was clear early on'
T
he 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger, the
first series hybrid pickup, aims to give
consumers a truck with an electric drivetrain
that will not be tethered to the
charging network - thereby eliminating range
anxiety and other issues affecting EVs.
The Ramcharger's front and rear axles have
traction motors fed by electricity that is generated
by a 3.6-liter V-6 engine. Joe Tolkacz, 63,
the Ramcharger's propulsion system chief engineer,
spoke to Staff Reporter Richard Truett
about the unusual choice
for the truck's powertrain.
Here are edited excerpts.
Q: When did you know
that the series
hybrid
QA&
JOE
TOLKACZ
powertrain would meet
the performance metrics
you established for
the truck?
A: We do a lot of analysis upfront
and we were pretty convinced,
based on our detailed
analysis. We did modeling
for fuel economy. We did
thermal modeling. We did
package modeling. We felt pretty confident.
Then we built some prototypes that we ran first
on a dynamometer to verify. It was clear early
on, even before we drove the vehicle, that it had
a lot of capability. And we're pretty excited
about bringing this to market because we think
this is going to meet a lot of customers' needs in
a lot of the use models that the current battery
electric trucks do not.
How important is it to take the current
state of the public charging network off
the list of concerns for customers looking
for an electric truck?
On either coast, the charging networks are
pretty capable or at least more capable maybe
The Ram 1500 Ramcharger's axles have traction motors fed by electricity generated by the engine.
than we have here in Michigan. I'm a big outdoors
person. My play area is up north in Michigan.
I'm probably not going to see many charging
stations right now once I cross the bridge into the
upper peninsula and get north of Marquette. We
can be towing snowmobiles in the winter or jet
skis in the summer and we don't have to worry
about: " Hey, where's my next charge station? "
and " Do I have enough [range] to get where I
want to go? " Ramcharger provides unlimited
range. I think it's going to be years before some of
these more rural areas are going to see a significant
charge network. We think this is a great technology
based on those circumstances.
The duty cycle of the 3.6-liter engine is
going to be different in the Ramcharger.
Can you keep the engine running in a
certain revolutions-per-minute range -
its sweet spot - so that it runs more efficiently
while generating enough electricity
to power the truck?
Current gasoline engines are about 30 percent
efficient. With electric motors you can push the
efficiency higher. Our goal is to run [the engine]
when you're [driving] in a steady state at a very
efficient point. Typically, that is high load and
low speed. For anything that's not needed for
the road load we can do what we call opportunity
charging. That charges the battery for those
times when we may be in an engine operation
mode or drive mode that might not be efficient
to run the engine at that point.
Let's say the truck is hauling a heavy
load. What's the engine speed?
Our peak point is 5,800 rpm. That gives you
the greatest capability, for instance, if you are
towing at max capability [14,000 pounds] in
what we would call a Davis Dam maneuver.
That would be the high-speed operation point.
How fuel-efficient is the Ramcharger?
For instance, will one 27-gallon tank of
fuel charge the battery pack two or three
times?
I think the best way to phrase that would be
the range. We are targeting 690 miles. About 140
of that is electric. And then obviously, the rest of
that would be on gasoline. It's really competitive
in the marketplace when you consider the
capability, and the structure we add to the vehicle
to be able to tow. To me, the range number is
what people are most interested in. How often
are they going to the gas station to fill up? The
cool thing with us is the first 140 miles of electric
range. That covers probably 60 percent to 70
percent of people's daily drives. I can easily see
the case where the customer could drive their
daily commute. The guys that use these as tools
and work trucks, they can go to the job site every
day and charge when it's convenient. And if
they have a longer trip, they don't have to worry
about finding a charge network. They can make
more efficient use of their time.
With weight being so crucial to range in
an electric vehicle, did you consider a
turbo four-cylinder instead of the V-6?
In general, turbos tend to be less efficient
than more conventional engines. We were also
very concerned about tractability. The four-cylinder
is harder to package because you have
four cylinders in a line, where the V-6 has [two
banks of] three cylinders. And we are looking to
maximize the range with the battery. The
four-cylinder was considered, but for reasons of
value and range, we thought the Pentastar V-6
was a better deal.
What's the Ramcharger like to drive?
It's incredibly quiet. As I said, I am a big outdoors
person and I love being able to not disturb
the environment I am in. Even when the
engine kicks on, it's really quiet. We have done a
nice job isolating the engine noise from the
cabin. The other thing is it is really fun to drive.
The electric motors have a lot of low-end
torque, so some of the numbers we were able to
achieve, well, I'll put this truck up against any
muscle car from the 1960s. It's got great 0-to-60
numbers. It's a great package and we think we
can bring it out at a value price. n
Penske set to acquire 15 Rybrook Group U.K. dealerships
Gail Kachadourian Howe
gail.howe@crain.com
Penske Automotive Group Inc. said
it signed an agreement to acquire 15
dealerships from Rybrook Group, a
dealership group in the United Kingdom
representing about $1 billion in
annual revenue. The deal is expected
to close in January.
Dealerships involved in the acquisition,
if completed, would include four
BMW, four Mini, four Volvo, two Land
Rover and one Porsche store, Penske
Automotive said Dec. 11 in a statement.
" The
Rybrook dealerships represent
MORRIS
continued from Page 8
interest in were no longer at the business location
and learned that the store was firing all of its
staff and closing its door within days. "
The bank determined 75 vehicles being used as
collateral were missing, representing $1.8 million
in inventory, according to the complaint.
" To the best of Equity's belief, " it said, " these vehicles
were either sold out of trust or transferred
to other dealership locations " owned by the
company.
Vehicles are sold out of trust when floorplan
loans aren't repaid in a timely manner.
The situation at the Missouri dealership worsened,
according to Equity Bank, as more vehicles
disappeared without explanation the day after its
audit, while the store failed to return any of the
collateral and remained in default.
Two newspapers, The Durango Herald in Colorado
and the Sedalia Democrat in Missouri, reported
that millions of dollars' worth of vehicles
were taken from the two Nissan dealerships in
exceptional brands, " Darren Edwards,
CEO of Penske's U.K. Sytner Group
subsidiary, said in a statement.
In September, Penske Automotive,
together with Sweden's Hedin Mobility
Group, was competing with U.S. auto
retail rivals Lithia Motors Inc. and
AutoNation Inc. to purchase U.K. auto
retailer Pendragon.
On Oct. 4, Penske Automotive said it
did not intend to make a firm offer for
that business due to valuation. AutoNation
also bowed out and Lithia is
slated to buy Pendragon and a piece of
its dealership management system
Pinewood yet this year or early in 2024.
The dealerships to be acquired are in
England and Wales and " complement
the existing franchises/scale we currently
have in those market areas, "
Penske Automotive spokesman Anthony
Pordon said in an email to Automotive
News.
Pordon said the group's Sytner subPorsche
Centre Chester is one of the
premium brand stores in the deal.
Penske Automotive said it has " certain
regulatory approvals " needed for
the Rybrook deal, which it said will be
funded using existing liquidity.
October. The local papers also reported on customer
complaints of deceptive business practices,
including alleged forgery and trade-in irregularities
at the stores.
Equity Bank's lawsuit accuses the defendants
of fraud, breach of contract, breach of personal
guaranties and related claims. It seeks an order
directing the local sheriff to seize the vehicles, including
their titles and keys, as well as damages
of $2,516,255, plus interest.
A lawyer for Equity Bank, Justin Nichols of Kansas
City, Mo., told Automotive News, " We're still
trying to figure out the next steps for us. "
Equity Bank isn't the only creditor left holding
the bag, according to the complaint. It names
Nissan Motor Acceptance and two other apparent
creditors as codefendants on certain claims.
A spokesperson for Nissan and Nissan Motor
Acceptance declined to comment on the lawsuit.
F&I lawsuit
In a separate case, a company that sells finance
and insurance products through dealerships is
suing Stephanie and Chad Morris and Stephanie
sidiary approached Rybrook this year
about a possible deal. He said the purchase
price is undisclosed.
" We believe the [Rybrook] deal is another
proof-point that the UK is a desirable
market, as PAG and peers have
increased investment here in recent
quarters, " Stephens Inc. analyst Daniel
Morris Nissan in Missouri for breach of a loan
agreement. In that suit, filed in November and
pending in a Jackson County circuit court in Missouri,
Mechanical Breakdown Protection Inc. is
asking for about $375,000, plus interest.
According to the complaint, Mechanical
Breakdown gave the defendants an interest-free
loan in exchange for a minimum number of
monthly vehicle service contracts, guaranteed
asset protection and automaker sales for an exclusive
five-year period starting in February
2022.
However, the store sold its products only
through August 2022, when it repaid the loan and
switched to another F&I products provider, the
lawsuit said.
" They took the loan and used the money, " Mechanical
Breakdown lawyer David Marcus, of
Kansas City., Mo., told Automotive News. " They
were not honoring the terms of the contract. "
Defense counsel for the Morrises, Erik Nelson,
on Dec. 1 filed a motion asking a judge to let
them withdraw from the case, court records
show. Nelson, of Kansas City, Mo., said he can't
Imbro said in a note to investors Dec.
11. " We expect this will be well-received,
as PAG continues to deploy
capital for growth and automotive sellers'
multiples continue to normalize. "
The auto retailer on Oct. 25 posted a
drop in third-quarter net income amid
lower earnings from its U.K. operations,
higher interest expenses and lower equity
earnings from its investment in
Penske Transportation Solutions.
Penske Automotive, of Bloomfield
Hills, Mich., ranks No. 3 on Automotive
News' list of the top 150 dealership
groups based in the U.S., retailing
185,831 new vehicles in 2022. n
discuss the case because of attorney-client privilege.
Wage
dispute
In yet another case, ex-floor manager Heather
Winesburg of the Missouri store accuses the
dealership, Stephanie Morris personally, and a
former manager of failing to fully compensate
her and other office managers for wages and
overtime premiums.
Winesburg's job often required her to work
more than 40 hours a week, according to the collective
action complaint filed in federal court in
October 2022. It is pending.
In her court filings, Morris disputed liability
and denied that she " has engaged in any unlawful
practices, including, but not limited to, nonpayment
of minimum wage and/or overtime
compensation. "
Kathryn Wright, a lawyer representing the defendants
in the wage case, said she could not
comment on pending litigation. The firm is not
involved in the unpaid loans case, said Wright, of
Prairie Village, Kan. n

Automotive News - December 18, 2023

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