As Pickup Truck Sales To Set Records FCA Shakes Up Pecking Order

Even veteran automotive market analysts are bug-eyed at the seemingly unstoppable run-up of pickup truck sales in the US. In the last 5 years, light duty pickup sales have increased by 36 percent, compensating for the drop-off in demand for other vehicle categories like sedans and small cars, to push the overall industry to an 11 percent increase during the same period.

With consistently low fuel costs, improved efficiency of lightweight aluminum components, aerospace adhesives and integrated 48 Volt mild hybrid, pickups have had a lot of running room to fulfill the public appetite to keep on truckin’!

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the steady onslaught of pickups has been the upset in the pecking order staged by FCA with its enormously popular all new RAM 1500 series, and most recently with the distinctly militaristic market conquest by the Jeep Gladiator mid-size pickup!

While the Ford F150 still leads the pack, the new RAM 1500 has taken the number two slot in pickup sales increases over its key competitor Chevrolet Silverado as they launched head to head to intros of all new and significantly improved models.