Ram's new light duty diesel pickup can cover a lot of ground with impressive fuel economy and towing numbers, Fox News Autos editor Gary Gastelu reports. Ram is ready to ramble on its own. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has created a new partnership with Waymo to incorporate the Google-owned company's self-driving technology into its Ram Promaster vans. The Level 4 autonomous Waymo Driver system is currently being tested in the Chrysler Pacifica minivan in ride-hailing and delivery services in Phoenix, Ariz., with the latter set to be the focus of the new vans. The vehicles employ several modules equipped with a variety of sensors that include lidar, radar and cameras, and are capable of fully automated driving under most conditions, but still have controls for a human driver to use.

Fiat Chrysler, in partnership with Chinese-based AutoX, wants to launch robo-taxis in China later this year, according to an announcement. The automobile maker, one of the "Big Three" in Detroit, has been casting a wide net for autonomous vehicle tech, and wants to keep pace with rivals in Detroit. Hong Kong's AutoX said it plans to integrate self-driving vehicle tech into a fleet of Chrysler Pacifica minivans -- the same vehicle that Waymo, Alphabet's subsidiary known for its work on autonomous vehicles, has often chosen to use. The two companies said they plan to offer up the self-driving cars this year in numerous Chinese cities, including Shenzhen and Shanghai, later in 2020. AutoX -- a lesser-known startup than others in the field -- was founded in 2016 by Jianxiong Xiao, a former Princeton professor who specializes in 3D learning, computer vision and robotics. According to a Medium post by the company, he goes by the nickname Professor X. AutoX has attracted high-profile investors like China's Dongfeng Motor Group and eCommerce giant Alibaba.

The rapper and Fast & Furious franchise star Ludacris told USA TODAY on Wednesday that he hasn't had much luck scoring one of the EVs, even though one of Tesla's driving modes has a strikingly similar name. "We've been trying to get a free car out of my man Elon Musk for a long time. But'Ludicrous Mode' I guess, wasn't Ludacris mode," the Grammy award-winning musician said before a glitzy performance hosted by Spotify during CES. The Palo Alto-based automaker launched "Ludicrous Mode" in 2016, a powertrain that enables the Model S to sprint from 0 to 60 in less than three seconds. Ludacris hit the car scene in a big way in 2003 after the rubber cooled on the set of the crime thriller "2 Fast 2 Furious."

Tin foil is one way to keep modern car key fobs safe from creative thieves. Kim Komando explains the technology -- and how to keep them safe. In March, a Tesla Model 3 was hacked. The duo responsible for uncovering the vulnerability accessed the car's web browser, executed code on its firmware and displayed a message on the infotainment system before making off with the Model 3 and $375,000. The hackers didn't remotely take total control of the car or wreak havoc on its door locks or brakes while an innocent driver sat inside.

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. A budding deal to combine Jeep maker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and French automaker Renault could make that possibility a reality in the coming years. After years of searching for a partner, Fiat Chrysler may have finally found the one. Less than a year after the death of consolidation promoter and Fiat Chrysler savior Sergio Marchionne, a merger of Fiat Chrysler and Renault is on the verge of happening. Fiat Chrysler on Monday unveiled its proposal to combine the two companies in a 50-50 deal that would carry seismic consequences for the global automotive business. Here's how it could affect American car shoppers: Fiat Chrysler is badly lacking electric vehicles in America.

If that works out as planned, the auto maker expects to double operating profit to €16 billion ($18.71 billion) by 2022 and hit double-digit profit margins from 6.8% today. Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said the company will invest €9 billion to develop and deploy electric engines as it expands its lineup of electric-powered vehicles, part of a €45 billion spending plan over the next five years focused on four core brands: Jeep SUVs, Ram pickups and Alfa Romeo and Maserati luxury cars. "This plan will provide the portfolio of products aligned with our brands that will ensure our ability to comply in each region" with stricter emissions and fuel-economy standards, Mr. Marchionne told financial analysts and media at a meeting on a company test track located outside Milan. In the U.S., the company is expanding its bet on bigger SUVs and trucks, reflecting consumer demand and a more relaxed approach to increasing fuel economy standards in Washington. Mr. Marchionne chided his peers for appearing to back away from what he said was a unified request to President Donald Trump by auto industry leaders to ease fuel economy regulations.

Google's autonomous vehicle spinoff Waymo announced on Thursday that it is planning to buy up to 62,000 minivans from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for a ride-hailing service, which will launch later in the year in Phoenix. Waymo had previously struck a deal to buy 20,000 compact cars from Jaguar Land Rover in March. Rather than manufacturing cars itself, Waymo plans to retrofit these fleets with cameras, sensors, and other self-driving technology. Beyond ride hailing and leasing, Waymo indicated that it also plans to earn revenue from deliveries and mass transit. "We're excited to deepen our relationship with F.C.A. that will support the launch of our driverless service, and explore future products that support Waymo's mission," CEO John Krafcik told the New York Times.

U.S. drivers' fears of fully autonomous (self-driving) vehicles has risen in the past several months according to a new survey by AAA. SAN FRANCISCO -- Waymo's self-driving mission is about to mushroom. The Alphabet-owned autonomous car company announced Thursday that it is significantly ramping up its partnership with Fiat Chrysler and over time will add up to 62,000 Pacifica Hybrid minivans to its fleet. That's a significant bump from a January announcement in which Waymo, which started out as Google's self-driving car project in 2009, said it would add "thousands" of new FCA minivans. The news speaks to the quickening pace of Waymo's development of fully self-driving vehicles, which have been testing around the Phoenix area for more than a year.

On the same day of a massive $2.25 billion Softbank investment into General Motors' Cruise, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is announcing an expanded partnership with Waymo that will add up to 62,000 more Chrysler Pacifica minivans to Waymo's self-driving car fleet later this year. This isn't too surprising, given Waymo said earlier this year that it had ordered thousands of new Chrysler Pacifica's from FCA. Waymo and FCA are also exploring ways to license Waymo's self-driving car technology in order to deploy the tech in cars for consumers. "FCA is committed to bringing self-driving technology to our customers in a manner that is safe, efficient and realistic," FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne said in a statement. "Strategic partnerships, such as the one we have with Waymo, will help to drive innovative technology to the forefront." This expanded partnership comes a couple of months after Waymo partnered with Jaguar to introduce a premium self-driving car.

The auto maker had previously provided 600 Pacifica minivans to Waymo, which has equipped cars with its driverless technology in 25 U.S. cities, including most recently in Atlanta, for testing. Since October, Waymo has tested the minivans without people behind the steering wheel in suburban Phoenix, where the weather is sunny and in a state receptive to the technology. The company announced in November plans to begin giving rides to select residents as part of a public trial. On Tuesday, Waymo said it expects to open the ride-hailing service to the general public in the Phoenix area this year as a commercial service. During a demonstration in October, the minivans had screens welcoming customers aboard and instructing them to push a blue "start ride" button on the ceiling.