The electric part on the dipstick was to indicate the trans fluid level. One of the shortcuts Dodge used during the "lean financial days" before the gov loan/bailout, or what ever you want to call that deal in 78, was to install short dipsticks in the vans. Made it a real pita to check the fluid level. The electronic dipstick was an extra cost option.
The short dipstick was only used for a couple of years (the electronic dipstick may have been around for a little more time). The very long tubes and dipsticks had been used before the coming of the short tubes & dipsticks or the electronic dipsticks and Dodge returned to the very long tubes & sticks afterwards.

As far as nearly empty junk yards, around here we have lost at least 4 yards within a 30 mile radius. Back when scrap went sky high, a lot of the locals saw a chance to cash out. The few that remained either became a pull a part with a very short car on lot time frame, or they became strictly scrap yards that didn't sell auto parts. Between the fed, the state, and the local govs, running a junk yard to sell car parts out of has become a major undertaking, they don't want old cars around, so the easiest was to solve that "problem" is to make it difficult to sell old car parts, and they are pretty good at what they do. Gene