The Ram 1500 is able to swing for 500 miles

Electric Ram: The Next-Generation Plug-In Hybrid Pickup and Tractor Heavy-Ion Super-Vehicle

The electric Ram pickup truck will surpass vehicles from major competitors in range and capability, according to the CEO of the company. On Wednesday, the company put some specific numbers behind the CEO’s claims.

Electric motors have a lot of pulling power, which is good for towing heavy loads, but doing so can greatly diminish driving range. A lot of range can be a positive thing in an electric truck. A (presumably less expensive) version of the Ram REV will also be offed with a range of up to 350 miles, according to Stellantis.

There are two electric motors that power the front and back of the Ram REV. The maximum power output of the truck is 694hp, making it a lot more powerful than a gas-powered truck. The Ram TRX has a V8 engine that’s only slightly more powerful than the Ram REV.

Despite its size and weight, Ram says the 1500 REV will be comparatively quick, with a 0–60 mph time of 4.4 seconds, 654 horsepower and 620 lb-ft of torque. The truck can also handle up to 24 inches of water fording, so don’t be afraid to get a little wet.

The next iteration of the truck will be equipped with a gasoline engine that can be used to charge the vehicle’s batteries as it drives. The plug-in hybrid truck is meant for customers who are not ready to trust a fully electric truck.

The Ram 1500 REV, a new upscale pickup truck that can sell electric and solar power, and also sell energy back to the grid

I enjoy racing. I love competition,” said Tavares, who is an amateur racing driver, at a recent event. “So if you define the frame of the competition with that kind of regulatory framework, I’m fine with competing.”

Americans love big trucks. Big tires, big grilles, big payloads — all things that sell extremely well, despite their big (re: negative) impact on the environment and road safety. So, of course, electric trucks were going to be big, too.

Range anxiety is defined as a fear that an electric car may not be able to handle all the driving that you want before it runs out of power. It is held up as a barrier to widespread EV adoption. More people would buy EVs, the reasoning goes, if they had greater confidence in the charging infrastructure or the range of the vehicle.

Ram was lagging behind Ford and Chevy in truck sales, so it had been trying to move out of third place. The automaker sold over 468,000 trucks in 2022, a 17 percent slide compared to the previous year. Ram is attempting to get back in the game with a truck that can defeat their competitors in a head-to-head match.

And it doesn’t stop there: Ram also boasts the biggest frunk, or front trunk, with 15 cubic feet of storage space. That’s more frunk than the F-150 Lightning (14.1 cu-ft), Hummer EV and Chevy Silverado EV (both 9 cu-ft).

The Ram 1500 REV will also offer bidirectional charging capabilities, with enough battery capacity to charge another EV or even a whole house during a power outage. It can also be used to sell energy back to the grid. An onboard power panel in the truck’s bed can provide up to 7.2 kW of energy, while an additional panel in the frunk provides up to 3.6 kW.

The new trim level on the 1500 REV is called Tungsten, which the company claims is top of the lineup and raises the no-compromise benchmark again for upscale pickup trucks. Klipsch provides a 23-speaker audio system for those who choose the ultra-premium trim. No prices announced yet, but don’t be surprised if it extends well beyond six figures.

The advanced driver assist will be Level 2-plus, meaning it will support hands-free highway driving in addition to all other standard capabilities. It will not, however, feature Stellantis’ STLA Brain operating system, which the company has said would support Level 3 unsupervised highway driving in the future. No word on whether the Ram 1500 REV expects to support that capability in the future.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/5/23668469/ram-1500-rev-truck-range-tow-photos-specs

Light-Duty Trucks: Where are We Now? What Are We All Looking for? How Do We Get Our $Lambda$?

Trucks, of course, are insanely popular right now. Light-duty trucks, a category that includes SUVs and crossovers, are what the Big Three brands, Ford, GM, and Stellantis only sell.