New Ram pickup EV has gas-powered electric generator

2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger Tungsten Steel

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Detroit — Automobile Manufacturer star There are plans to produce an industry-first electric pickup called the Ram 1500 Ramcharger, equipped with a generator and gas engine.

If that sounds like an oxymoron, here’s how it works: The truck can run as a zero-emission electric vehicle until the battery is depleted, and then an onboard electric motor-generator powered by a 27-gallon, 3.6-liter V6 kicks in, giving the truck power. vehicle.

Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis said the result is a truck that offers the benefits of electric vehicles, such as fast acceleration and some zero-emission driving, without the range anxiety of most current electric vehicles.

“This is the ultimate answer to battery electric trucks. No one has anything like it,” Kuniskis told reporters at the event. “This is going to be a game changer for electric trucks.”

The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger is expected to go on sale in late 2024 alongside the previously announced all-electric Ram 1500 truck, which does not come with a gasoline engine or range-extending generator.

Stellantis estimates the Ramcharger’s range to be up to 690 miles, including up to 145 miles of range when fully charged when powered by the 92-kilowatt-hour battery, eliminating the need for the range-extending power of a gas engine and 130-kilowatt generator.

Compared to this range, the all-electric Ram 1500 REV pickup truck has an estimated range of up to 500 miles. It also surpasses the current Ram 1500, which has a 3.6-liter V-6 engine and a whopping 26-gallon fuel tank for a total range of 546 miles. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Stellantis did not announce pricing for the Ramcharger, which was announced Tuesday as part of a redesign of the existing gas-powered Ram 1500 pickup truck for the 2025 model year.

“Not a plug-in hybrid”

Kouniskis said the Ramcharger is designed to be a bridge between traditional internal combustion engine trucks, which currently face significant obstacles in charging infrastructure and range anxiety, especially when the vehicle is towing, and fully electric trucks – which is where to buy The main reason for trucks.

Stephanie Brinley, associate director of automotive intelligence at S&P Global Action, said such improvements could be a differentiator for the brand.

“It addresses the fact that right now the industry, particularly the pickup segment, is not ready to move 100 percent to electric,” she said. “It addresses some of the performance and range anxiety issues, and it’s powerful. But difficult. The best part is getting consumers to really understand what it does.”

2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger Tungsten Steel

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Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis unveiled the Charger Daytona SRT concept electric muscle car on August 17, 2022 in Pontiac, Michigan.

Michael Weiland/CNBC

“The Ramcharger is not a plug-in hybrid,” Kuniskis said. “It’s a battery electric truck with its own on-board high-speed charger.”

“There’s no connection between the engine and the wheels,” he said. “The gas generator is just for charging the battery.”

Ram’s truck strategy compares favorably with that of its main rivals, General Motors and Ford. The latter offers conventional, hybrid and all-electric versions of its F-150 full-size truck, while GM has said it plans to transition from conventional trucks to electric trucks without hybrid power.

Stellantis currently offers PHEV versions of vehicles such as the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee SUV.

Goodbye Haimi

Ram’s 2023 Super Bowl ad debuts the production version of the Ram 1500 REV electric pickup truck, which is expected to be available by the end of 2024.

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“Some customers are upset that there’s no Hemi in it,” Kuniskis said. “Of course, the Hemi is an absolute legend. Americans love the Hemi, but this thing totally outperforms the Hemi.”

The 3.0-liter Hurricane engine is rated at 420 horsepower and 469 foot-pounds of torque, while the high-output version of the engine is rated at 540 horsepower and 521 foot-pounds of torque. By comparison, the current V-8 Hemi has 395 horsepower and 410 foot-pounds of torque.

Automakers such as BMW and Jaguar have used inline-six engines in U.S. cars, but they are far from mainstream in the country

Other changes to the truck include a new luxury model called the Tungsten and a performance variant called the RHO, which replaces Ram’s high-output TRX pickup with a Hemi 6.2-liter V-8 capable of producing 702 horsepower and 650 ft. lbs. of torque.

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