Stallantis recalling vehicles

Stellantis, with a manufacturing facility in Belvidere, is recalling nearly 318,000 Dodge and Chrysler vehicles worldwide because the side air bag inflators can explode and hurl metal fragments at the vehicle’s occupants.

The recall covers airbag inflators on both sides of certain Dodge Chargers and Chrysler 300 cars from the 2018 through 2021 model years.

EV charging grants announced

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency announced Round Two of grants available to fund the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure at publicly accessible locations.

The program is funded by the Rebuild Illinois capital plan and authorized under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. Each application must include a minimum of two publicly accessible charging station locations.

The agency expects to announce Round One awardees in the coming weeks.

Rail crossing safety improvements

The Illinois Commerce Commission approved its annual five-year Crossing Safety Improvement Program to implement life-saving safety upgrades at highway-rail crossings across Illinois.

There are over 1,300 rail crossings around the state. In 2023, preliminary statistics indicate there were 90 collisions at public-highway-rail crossings in Illinois, compared to 123 in 2022, a nearly 27% decrease.

Total fatalities resulting from collisions at highway-rail crossings in Illinois decreased from 28 in 2022 to 18 in 2023.