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As Benna CDJR awaits the arrival of Stellantis Battery Electric Vehicles, it is clear that one of the paradoxes of EVs is that they are the least practical for a group that would probably be most open to the idea. That would be young urbanites. Driving distances are shorter in the city, and much of it involves stop-and-go driving, both of which work in EV’s favor. The younger demographic is also generally more environmentally conscious (they have to live with the consequences longer) and less established in their automotive preferences. The problem is that many of them live in apartments where they have no means of charging overnight. The city of Liverpool, UK, has plans for at least a partial solution. Adding 300 Chargers to the City The plan is to install Level 2 chargers on lampposts that line the city streets for use by cars parking curbside. A company called Ubitricity plans to install 300 such charge points around Liverpool. When added to the 150 charge points already in the city, this will give Liverpool the status of third largest public charging network in the country. London and Coventry are first and second, respectively Regarding London, they are also planning to have Ubitricity add 500 chargers to lampposts in the Westminster area of London. London has a fairly robust charging infrastructure already having had over 6000 public chargers since 2018. " This program puts down a real mark of intent to provide the necessary infrastructure to help the move away from petrol and diesel-powered cars," said Liverpool city councilor Dan Barrington. "The fact that the roll-out is being led by community requests means the points are going where the demand is needed most which means they'll be getting maximum usage." What the system has going for it is taking advantage of existing electric infrastructure. Ubitricity will be attached 5kW chargers to the lamp posts. They might not fully charge a depleted Hummer EV Pickup overnight, but they could be expected to fully charge the average EV owned by a city dweller. This is presently thought to be one of the most cost-effective and accessible EV charging infrastructure ideas that could be replicated in the U.S. Due in large part to its size, charging infrastructure in the US by Tesla, Electrify America, ChargePoint, and others has mostly focused on collective charging locations featuring DC-direct fast charging for people traveling from one part of the country to another and adding charging locations to office parking lots.  That still leaves out many apartment renters looking to charge their commuters. Would it Work in the U.S.? The idea raises several questions in terms of its viability in the U.S. City curbside parking is often in short supply, so would the chances of finding available chargers be too haphazard for city EV drivers to feel confident in their charging ability? Would there be a backlash when spaces by street lamps are reserved for EVs? Would hooligans roam the streets with cable cutters just for spite? And are apartments structured differently enough in the U.S. that promoting charging ability within apartment complex parking would be more effective?  These questions and many more are likely to be asked by city planners across the U.S. as they closely watch the Liverpool plan. In any case, such changes probably may not come to the Superior area any time soon. If you have a place to charge overnight, the EVs planned by Stellantis and coming to Benna CDJR may work for you.

Everyone understands that regular maintenance is the best course of action to prolong the life of a vehicle. At Benna CDJR, we strive to make all of your vehicle maintenance as trouble-free as possible. It is worth noting that vehicle maintenance schedules are established when the vehicle is new, before few, if any, versions of the model have reached high mileage in real-world use. The enthusiast site Motorbicuit has taken a look at the Dodge Ram 1500 maintenance schedule and then talked to current high mileage Ram 1500 owners and worked out their own recommended maintenance schedule. The Ram 1500 comes with a maintenance schedule for up to 144,000 miles. But, in the words of Motorbiscuit, “ Some owners claim Ram 1500s are so reliable that they don’t consider their Ram trucks high mileage until they reach the 200k mark.” The Ram 1500 design only dates back to 2019, so examples of models that have surpassed the 144K mark aren’t common. Josh Wheeler is a diesel mechanic who regularly travels across the country and puts about 50K miles per year on his 2019 Ram 1500 Limited, the odometer of which now shows 190K miles. He let Ram’s built-in systems tell him when to change the oil, which had him service it about every 8K to 10K miles. After his 160K oil change, Josh sent samples of the old oil to two separate labs for analysis. The unanimous results were that the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 “Had a perfect score.” His worst issue was a cracked exhaust manifold which he addressed promptly. The Maintenance Schedule Motorbiscuit published the following maintenance schedule based on the official Ram recommendations and some additional input from the CarEdge.com website. Here is their recommendation: Mileage Service 8k miles Oil change & tire rotation 16k miles Oil change & tire rotation 20k miles Inspect: brake pads, tie rods, and all front suspension components 24k miles Oil change & tire rotation 30k miles Inspect: Brakes, front suspension components, CV joints, transfer case fluid, and the condition of the transfer case and axle 32k miles Oil change, tire rotation Replace: Air filter and spark plugs 40k miles Oil change & tire rotation 48k miles Oil change, tire rotation Replace: Spark plugs 56k miles Oil change & tire rotation 60k miles Inspect: Brakes, suspension components, and all filters Check and/or replace: transmission fluid, engine coolant, transfer case fluid, and brake fluid 64k miles Oil change, tire rotation Replace: Air filter, spark plugs, and spark plug wires 72k miles Oil change & tire rotation 80k miles Oil change, tire rotation, cooling system flush 88k miles Oil change & tire rotation 96k miles Oil change & tire rotation Replace: Air filter, spark plugs, and spark plug wires 100k miles Inspect: Brakes, suspension components, CV joints, and all filters Check and/or replace: transmission fluid, engine coolant, transfer case fluid, and brake fluid 104k miles Oil change, tire rotation, cooling system flush 112k miles Oil change & tire rotation 120k miles Oil change, tire rotation, serpentine/drive belt replacement, transmission fluid service, transfer case fluid service Inspect Brakes and suspension components. Check and/or replace: Engine coolant and brake fluid 128k miles Oil change & tire rotation Replace: Air filter and spark plug/wires 136k miles Oil change & tire rotation 144k miles Oil change & tire rotation Replace Spark plugs and cabin air filter Following this maintenance schedule not only protects your car and you should you need to make a warranty claim, we will also have your entire service history all in one place if you have the maintenance performed by our Benna CDJR service professionals. That could increase your vehicle's resale value. We offer you a challenge. Let’s work together to see if we can set a record for longest lasting Ram 1500.

As a driver, you are expected to keep your eyes on the road. As a parent, you are expected to keep your eyes on your kids.  This has long been a conundrum for parents while driving but the Pacifica Minivan model line found here at Benna Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Superior, Wisconsin, provides the answer. The Fam Cam is found on both the Pacifica and Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid.  You can see it as a black curved disc above the 2nd-row seats, but what is important is how you can see through it.  The Fam Cam control is found in the Vehicles menu on the dash touchscreen.  Activate it to view an onscreen image of everyone in the 2nd and 3rd-row seats.  When you tap on a seat on the digital display, you will get a closeup of that seat on the right side of the display. Better than Eyes in the Back of Your Head The Fam Cam can be useful whenever there are people in the rear of the Pacifica, but it is particularly invaluable when using rear-facing car seats.  These child seats have been proven to be the safest position for babies to ride in a car.  All child seats are required to be installed in the rear seat; most likely a 2nd-row seat for the Pacifica.  This is a result of front seating airbag placement and lack of LATCH attachments.  Normally, with a rear-facing car seat in the 2nd-row, inhibits your view of your child.  With the Fam Cam, due to camera placement, you are provided a perfect view looking directly down on them.  There are settings for daytime, nighttime, and even an infrared setting for when it's pitch dark.  No matter what time of day, you can see everything. Keep an Eye Around the Outside As Well The Fam Cam is accompanied by the 360-degree surround view camera system which allows you to see all around the Pacifica as if you were hovering above it.  That scooter leaned up against the tailgate will be in full view, or you’ll know if you just placed your front passenger next to a mud puddle.  And you will always be able to position the Pacifica perfectly within your parking spot.  With the Pacifica Pinnacle, you’ll have a full view inside and a full view outside. Experience safety and reliability of the new Chrysler Pacifica here at our Benna location in Superior on Tower Ave. Check out the Fam Cam and 360-degree surround view camera for yourself, along with additional amazing Pacifica features. Our Benna Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram inventory is sure to entice the excitement of your next journey and driving experience.  All new and Certified-Pre-Owned vehicles come with our Benna Chrysler Dodge Jeep and Ram exclusive 20-Year / 200,000-Mile Warranty. Stop by today!