Team Lead – Engineering

Meet the new Service & Warranty Lifecycle Summit speakers. James Nardini - Warranty operations national manager - kia america. With more than 30 years of experience across aftersales operations, warranty, customer experience and technical support, James Nardini brings a practical view of how process change affects dealers and customers. His Summit participation includes leadership-roundtable discussion and feedback around service and labor-time developments. Kristin Kolodge - former VP research product development - JD power. Kristin Kolodge adds a research and product-development perspective shaped by years of examining customer expectations, industry performance and the signals organizations use to guide improvement. Her experience strengthens the Summit conversation about turning data and market insight into clearer operational priorities. Jose Clemente - manager GPSC warranty performance - general motors. Jose Clemente works at the point where warranty performance, supplier collaboration and field improvement meet. His session, "From Bolts to Bytes: How SDVs Transform Warranty Responsibility," examines how software-defined vehicles blur the line between hardware and software failures - and how warranty frameworks must adapt to support fair responsibility, faster fixes and stronger customer trust. Paul Whitworth - chief operating officer - warrcloud. Paul Whitworth will contribute to the discussion around today's and tomorrow's warranty-processing challenges. Workforce shortages, aging systems, detailed claims, new vehicle technologies, audits and rising costs are increasing pressure on both dealers and OEMs. His perspective connects those challenges with opportunities in automation, specialized expertise, shared standards and more connected warranty systems. Tim Kellogg - service manager - denooyer chevrolet. Tim Kellogg brings the dealership perspective into the room. That view is essential because warranty policies, systems and administrative requirements ultimately become real workflows inside service departments. His experience helps ground the conversation in repair execution, dealer efficiency and the practical effect of warranty decisions on employees and customers. Victor Garcia - deputy GM warranty Group america - nissan north america. Victor Garcia adds an OEM warranty-leadership perspective spanning operational governance and compliance. His participation will help connect policy decisions with the controls, processes and cross-functional alignment required to manage warranty consistently across a complex organization. Why these perspectives belong together. Warranty and service outcomes are shaped across multiple functions. Decisions involving claim processing, technical support, customer experience, dealer operations, product quality, data and technology continually affect one another. The Service & Warranty Lifecycle Summit is structured to make those connections visible. * Workshops, * Case studies, * Leadership sessions, * Xchange Group meetups, * Roundtables give participants the opportunity to compare operating approaches and understand how decisions move through the wider lifecycle. Join the 6th annual Service & Warranty Lifecycle Summit. The Service & Warranty Lifecycle Summit takes place October 19-21 at The Westin Southfield Detroit. Follow MAPconnected on LinkedIn:

Stellantis confirms second range-extender SUV for Michigan plant. Published June 11, 2026 By Mark Jacob Categorized as News Stellantis is doubling down on range-extended electric vehicle technology as it expands plans for future SUV production in the United States. The automaker has confirmed that a second range-extended electric SUV will be built at its Detroit Assembly Complex in Michigan, adding to previously announced plans for the Jeep Grand Wagoneer REEV. The decision is part of a broader investment strategy that underscores Stellantis' growing belief that range-extender technology could play an important role in the transition between traditional gasoline vehicles and fully electric models. The company is investing approximately $100 million to retool the facility, preparing it for the production of multiple electrified SUVs in the coming years. According to reporting from J.D. Power, the announcement extends beyond the Detroit facility. Stellantis also plans to introduce an all-new large SUV lineup at its Warren Truck Assembly Plant beginning in 2028, including both range-extended electric and traditional combustion-powered variants. The move is closely tied to Ram's long-anticipated return to the SUV segment. The developments provide one of the clearest indications yet of how Stellantis plans to respond to a rapidly evolving automotive market, where demand for electrification continues to rise while concerns about charging infrastructure and driving range remain significant. Table of Contents Range extenders gain momentum. For years, much of the automotive industry's focus has centered on battery-electric vehicles. However, recent market conditions have encouraged some manufacturers to reconsider how quickly consumers are willing to make the transition away from internal combustion engines. Range-extended electric vehicles, commonly known as EREVs or REEVs, offer a potential middle ground. These vehicles rely primarily on electric motors for propulsion, while a gasoline engine serves as a generator that produces electricity when the battery charge drops to a predetermined level. This configuration delivers many of the advantages associated with electric vehicles while helping alleviate concerns about charging access during longer journeys. Stellantis has increasingly embraced this approach. J.D. Power reported that the automaker's Detroit Assembly Complex will now build a second EREV SUV alongside the Jeep Grand Wagoneer REEV, signaling growing confidence in the technology's market potential. The company believes range extenders can appeal to consumers who are interested in electrification but remain hesitant about relying entirely on public charging networks. Expanding the Detroit Assembly Complex. The Michigan facility already plays a major role within Stellantis' manufacturing network. Located in Detroit, the assembly complex currently produces several Jeep models and serves as one of the company's most important production centers in North America. The latest investment demonstrates Stellantis' intention to keep the plant central to its future electrification strategy. J.D. Power noted that roughly $100 million will be invested to retool the facility and prepare it for the additional vehicle program. Manufacturing upgrades of this scale typically involve new tooling, production equipment, assembly processes, and employee training. The goal is to ensure the facility can efficiently produce multiple vehicle architectures while maintaining quality standards. The investment also highlights the growing importance of U.S.-based manufacturing as automakers respond to changing market conditions and government policies encouraging domestic production. For Stellantis, expanding capabilities in Michigan provides both operational flexibility and strategic advantages. Grand Wagoneer REEV leads the way. The first range-extended vehicle scheduled for production at the facility is the Jeep Grand Wagoneer REEV. Jeep has traditionally built its reputation on capability, utility, and long-distance travel, making range-extender technology a potentially attractive fit for the brand's larger vehicles. Full-size SUV buyers often place a premium on towing capability, extended driving range, and flexibility. While battery-electric technology continues improving, some customers remain concerned about the challenges associated with towing and long-distance travel in fully electric vehicles. The Grand Wagoneer REEV is designed to address those concerns. By combining electric propulsion with a gasoline-powered range extender, the vehicle aims to deliver electric driving characteristics without forcing owners to depend exclusively on charging infrastructure. The addition of a second EREV model suggests Stellantis sees broader opportunities for the technology beyond a single flagship SUV. Ram's Return to the SUV Market Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the announcement involves Ram. According to J.D. Power, Stellantis plans to begin production of an all-new large SUV family at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in 2028. The lineup is expected to include both range-extended electric and traditional gasoline-powered variants. The move effectively marks Ram's return to the SUV segment after years of focusing primarily on pickup trucks and commercial vehicles. Ram previously offered SUV derivatives based on its truck platforms, but those products disappeared from the market as the brand concentrated on trucks. The new program suggests Stellantis sees an opportunity to leverage Ram's strong reputation among truck buyers while expanding into another profitable segment. Large SUVs remain a significant part of the North American market, particularly among buyers seeking towing capability, passenger space, and versatility. A Ram-branded SUV could provide the company with another competitor in a segment currently dominated by products such as the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Ford Expedition, and Jeep Wagoneer. Why range extenders are becoming attractive again. The renewed interest in range-extender technology reflects broader changes occurring throughout the automotive industry. While electric vehicle adoption continues growing, many consumers remain uncertain about charging infrastructure, long-distance travel convenience, and vehicle affordability. Automakers have increasingly recognized that not every buyer is ready to transition directly from gasoline power to a fully electric vehicle. Range extenders offer a compromise. Drivers can complete many daily journeys using battery power alone while retaining the reassurance of a gasoline-powered generator for longer trips. The technology effectively eliminates traditional range anxiety while still reducing fuel consumption and emissions compared with conventional vehicles. Several manufacturers have recently shown renewed interest in similar solutions. The trend suggests the industry is becoming more flexible in its approach to electrification rather than relying exclusively on battery-electric vehicles. For Stellantis, the strategy provides another pathway toward meeting emissions goals while maintaining appeal among customers who value practicality and convenience. A major manufacturing commitment. The scale of Stellantis' investment demonstrates that the company views these programs as more than experimental projects. Retooling manufacturing facilities requires significant financial commitments and long-term planning. Automakers typically make such investments only when they believe there is substantial market demand for future products. The Detroit and Warren plant announcements indicate that Stellantis expects range-extended vehicles to become an important part of its portfolio throughout the next decade. The strategy also provides flexibility. By offering both combustion-powered and range-extended versions of future SUVs, the company can adapt production based on changing consumer preferences and regulatory requirements. That flexibility may prove valuable as the pace of EV adoption continues to vary across different markets and customer groups. Preparing for an uncertain future. The automotive industry is currently undergoing one of the most significant transformations in its history. Manufacturers must balance electrification goals with consumer demand, infrastructure realities, regulatory pressures, and profitability concerns. There is no universal solution that works for every customer or every market. Stellantis appears to believe range-extender technology can help bridge that gap. J.D. Power's reporting highlights a company that is investing heavily in alternatives that sit between conventional gasoline vehicles and fully electric models. The confirmation of a second EREV SUV for the Detroit Assembly Complex, combined with plans for Ram-branded SUVs at Warren, reflects a strategy focused on providing consumers with multiple choices rather than a single electrification pathway. As production plans move forward and additional details emerge, these vehicles could become important indicators of how willing buyers are to embrace range-extender technology. For now, Stellantis is making one thing clear: it sees EREVs not as a temporary solution but as a meaningful part of its future product strategy.

JD Power launches F&I Performance, ID verification tools. On May 19, 2026 Erratic shifts in demand, rising prices and increasing fraud risks in automotive lending are making it more difficult for dealers to manage finance-and-insurance performance using traditional end-of-month reporting. As conditions become more volatile, dealers are under pressure to gain real-time visibility into performance and strengthen fraud prevention in the transaction process. JD Power has launched a new Dealer Solutions division led by industry veteran Doug Betts, bringing together Darwin's F&I suite and Chrome Data Solutions to help dealers manage F&I operations with more timely data and integrated tools. The first two solutions include: - F&I Performance: A real-time dashboard that consolidates JD Power data with dealership systems, sales tools and other operational inputs to provide live visibility into sales volume, productivity, and progress toward goals, allowing dealers to manage performance throughout the month instead of reacting at the end. - ID Verify: An identity-verification tool embedded directly into F&I menu workflows that allows dealers to validate customer identity at the point of sale and automatically connect verification to downstream processes without using separate systems.