New Truck News | Ram Introduces Tradesman HFE EcoDeisel, More Ford Maverick Prototype Spy Photos Revealing Suspension, Rivian Planning Huge Stock IPO

Ram introduces 33-mpg Tradesman HFE EcoDiesel

It’s now tied for segment-best fuel economy

Ram announced Tuesday that its 2021 1500 Tradesman HFE EcoDiesel trim goes toe-to-toe (tow-to-tow?) with the segment’s most efficient diesels, offering 23 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway and 26 mpg combined. That’s good enough for a first-place tie in the segment, as those numbers now match those of Chevy’s Silverado 1500 with the 3.0-liter Duramax oil-burner.

“Ram is committed to innovation and powertrain leadership, and as the no-compromise benchmark for efficiency and performance, we continue to listen to customer input by offering unsurpassed fuel economy,” said Ram boss Mike Koval Jr. “The Ram 1500 is America’s most powerful half-ton diesel pickup with 480 lb.-ft. of torque and the most capable light-duty diesel with towing capability up to 12,560 pounds, and delivers up to 1,000 miles of range on a single tank of fuel.”

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Ford Maverick prototype spy photos reveal an independent rear suspension

It could be paired with AWD

Spy photos of the upcoming Ford Maverick compact pickup truck have revealed a fascinating development in the truck’s design. Up until this point, the Maverick prototypes we’ve seen have featured a torsion beam rear suspension and front-wheel drive. This example very clearly has ditched that layout in favor of an independent setup. And while we don’t see any all-wheel-drive components, this could conceivably be coupled with a differential and drive axles.

You can clearly see that instead of a a solid curved beam, this truck has individual lower control arms for the left and right rear wheels. They also feature coil springs, like the torsion beam variant, and separately mounted shocks. The subframe that they’re bolted to seems high enough that a differential could be comfortably perched between the control arms. The rearrangement of the springs and shocks for this suspension may also grant clearance for axle shafts to rear the rear wheels. The control arms have somewhat odd-looking thin metal panels and brackets clamped around them. They look like they might be early prototype pieces, possibly a stand-in spring perch design while final arms are still being designed.

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Rivian, with Amazon and Ford already in its corner, plans huge stock IPO

At $50 billion valuation, it will be one of the year’s biggest debuts

Rivian Automotive Inc., the electric-vehicle startup backed by Amazon.com and Ford is looking to go public as soon as September at a valuation of about $50 billion and perhaps more, according to people familiar with the matter.

The company’s timeline for an initial public offering and its potential value might change, and a listing could happen later in the year or even slip to 2022, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. Rivian has been speaking to bankers about its plans, one of the people said.

Rivian, one of the highest-profile potential competitors to Tesla Inc., has raised more than $8 billion to date from investors who expect its battery-electric pickup and SUV to perform well in the U.S. market. At a $50 billion valuation, it would likely be one of the biggest IPOs of the year and one of the most noteworthy EV listings since Tesla’s 2010 offering.

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