Chrysler Demands More Diesels From Supplier
C hrysler’s jump into diesel is paying off, enough so that the brand is asking its supplier to send more of the oil burning engines.
The VW Motori 3.0-liter V6 diesel is used in both the Ram 1500 and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Chrysler wants VM Motori, a subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, to increase its capacity. Currently, VM Motori can build about 100,000 of these engines a year, half of which are allotted to North America. If the company was to boost production, it would take less than 18 months to significantly expand output numbers.
“We got well in excess of 10,000 orders in just the first few days that we opened this thing up, and that ordering and demand has really sustained itself,” Reid Bigland, head of the Ram brand told Automotive News. “We’ve sent word over to VM Motori and they’re in the process of ramping up, but realistically, nobody can turn a switch to do the things that it takes to get ramped up, but they’re in the process of doing it.”
SEE ALSO: Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Dominates in Real-World Fuel Economy
Until more engines can be produced, an internal fight for diesel allocation may spring up, because the Ram EcoDiesel has proven to be more popular than its Jeep counterpart. Diesel-powered Rams have been sitting on dealer lots for an average of 13 days before selling, compared to 94 days for the Grand Cherokee.
Mike Manley, head of Jeep said however that there is “no behind-the-scenes fight over allocation of diesel with Ram.”
[Source: Automotive News]
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Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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