Page 34 - On The Move - Volume 16, Issue 4

Porsche Launches Production of Taycan EV

Porsche opened a new production facility for its Porsche says. “Production of the Porsche Taycan with
first all-electric sports car at its Zuffenhausen site in zero-emission powertrain at the Zuffenhausen site will
Germany after a construction period be carbon-neutral.”
of fewer than 48 months and locat- Construction included several individual sub-
ing part of the plant underground. projects: body shop, paint shop, plant for the produc-
Production of the first Taycan vehi- tion of electric motors and components, vehicle as-
cles is now underway, and Porsche sembly hall and the connecting transport technology.
says assembly will take place in a Some 38,500 tons of steel were used for the new facil-
factory of the future – flexible, net- ity. The total area of the buildings is 1.83 million sq.-ft.
worked and using 4.0 production (170,000 sq.-m).
technology. Preparations for con- The positive response to the unveiling of the
struction required 21 individual Mission E concept EV in September 2015 marked
preliminary projects and more than the start of the largest construction project since the
5,000 employee relocations. Zuffenhausen plant was established.
In addition to using electricity “We’ve built a factory inside a factory – in the
from renewable sources and biogas middle of the city and close to our neighbors, in the
to generate heat, the new production buildings are most confined of spaces, in the shortest possible time
designed to be energy-efficient. There are electrically and without disrupting the existing sports car pro-
powered logistics vehicles, the use of waste heat in duction facility running at full capacity,” Albrecht Re-
the paint shop, the greening of roof areas and other imold, member of the Executive Board for Production
potential resource savings. and Logistics at Porsche, says in a statement.
“It is a further step towards the zero-impact Source: Ward’s Auto
factory with no negative environmental impact,”

Ram Announces New Trim Levels for ’20 Model Year

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Ram brand an- New Ram Rebel safety features include adaptive
nounced its lineup for the ’20 model year, featuring cruise control with stop-and-go, forward collision mit-
several new appearance and feature packages. igation, lane-departure warning and automatic high-
The Ram 1500 pickup offers new Night Editions beam headlamps. Rebel also offers a standard comfort
on Big Horn and Laramie models that include mono- package that includes power tailgate release, wireless
chromatic designs with black wheels, grilles, badging charging, rear heated seats and 12-way driver’s seat
and other exterior details. with memory settings.
The Ram Rebel Black Appearance Group re- Lane-keep assist, adaptive steering and trailer
turns with black wheels, black skid plate and theme- tire-pressure monitoring now are available on all Ram
matched all-black interior option, while the Ram Pow- Heavy Duty trim levels. A 50-gallon (190-L) fuel tank
er Wagon now offers a black-wheel option. is standard on Crew Cab models with an 8-ft. (2.4-m)
The ’20 Ram Heavy Duty offers lane-keep assist, bed.
connected services on all radios, dual auxiliary camera “Whether it’s the off-road-enthusiast appeal
capability and two new exterior colors: Olive Green of the Ram 1500 Rebel, the stylish Night Editions or
and Hydro Blue. greater usability for the most powerful, most capable
With the addition of the all-new, third-genera- heavy-duty trucks, Ram trucks deliver features and du-
tion 3.0L V-6 EcoDiesel, Ram claims the 1500 becomes rability that are winning over more and more buyers,”
America’s most powerful half-ton diesel pickup, with Ram brand chief Reid Bigland says in a news release.
480 lb.-ft. (651 Nm) of torque and highest available Source: Ward’s Auto
half-ton towing capability at 12,560 lbs.
(5,697 kg). For comparison, the heavy-du-
ty Ram 2500 and 3500 are powered by a
Cummins I-6 turbodiesel with a torque
rating of 1,000 lb.-ft. (1,356 Nm).

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