I think it’s pretty safe to say that so far, Ram has had about as much impact on the electric truck market as Arby’s has had on the vegan market: you know, fuck all, like the Brits say. That seems to be changing (for Ram, not Arby’s) since they’ve been teasing about an EV pickup called Ram 1500 Revolution. A new teaser says the concept will be revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (you know, where you can see the latest HAM radios and robotic floor waxers) in Las Vegas, in January of next year. Which is just two months away. Holy crap, I’m kinda more blown away by that fact, if I’m honest.
Here’s the tweet that announced the concept’s reveal:
#Ram REVolution: @RamTrucks brand to reveal a glimpse into the future with debut of Ram 1500 Revolution battery-electric vehicle concept at 2023 @CES in Las Vegas, January 5.#Ram1500 #BEV #CES
Details: https://t.co/W3kv9rtdlG pic.twitter.com/eUaQKTwY4Q
— Stellantis North America (@StellantisNA) November 1, 2022
In case you can’t really make out what’s going on in that picture, here it is, enlarged and brightened a bit:
Okay, it’s the side of a truck, quite swoopy, and with a few notable differences from Stellantis’ earlier tease, which showed a different light signature and looked more like a designer’s rendering:
Ram is coming a bit late to the game for EV trucks, with Ford’s F-150 Lightning already for sale, and the Rivian already on the market as well, along with Hummer, Silverado EV, and Sierra EVs from GM, and Tesla of course has their Cybertruck, which they say will start production at the end of 2023, but, really, who knows.
The Ram will very likely be built on the body-on-frame version of the Stellantis STLA platform, which is very much like most body-on-frame EV platforms, with a battery pack on the floor in the middle and drive units at each axle. If they even try a little in the packaging department, they should be able to get a good size front cargo area and perhaps even some surprise cubbies for tools or whatever, too, just like pretty much everyone else.
What I’m curious about is how might Ram make their trucks different or more appealing than the competitors that are likely already out there. Power? Charging? Range? Packaging? Towing? Cargo capacity? Styling? It’s hard to imagine Stellantis pulling off any miracles on any of these crucial points, but who knows?
So, what do we think of this? Are people excited for CES to see this, or will it be another essentially the same EV pickup truck? What are we even hoping for, anymore, with out EV pickups? Who are we? Do we matter? Will the Ram truck be able to fill the aching holes in our soul?
I’m curious to hear your thoughts!
Good lord, that thing looks like it’s at least 12 feet tall and 25 feet long, a locomotive for road. Being a Real American Machine, I expect MOAR batteries and just a stupid level of dick-swinging torque. The range-extender they’ve discussed will likely extend the range a whopping 10 miles because it will be attached to another couple of motors and two more wheels in order to give it 6×6 capabilities.
I can’t wait.
It has that circumcized penis front end styling treatment, which is okay I guess.
If your dick looks like that, you should seek help.
I’m of the hope (but not the expectation) that truck design gets a thorough review as we move to electric, because EV powertrains can free them from the packaging constraints imposed by ICE powertrains.
I mean, what are the fundamental purpose elements of a pickup truck? A pickup bed and towing capacity (along with safety tools / crashworthiness among all modern designs), right? Could we package those elements in a form that isn’t peacocking as a friggin’ MRAP? Kill the massive blunt front ends and move the overall package lower to the ground so you don’t need to be Shaq to see over the hood. Lower frontal area and a more streamlined shape will be helpful for aero and range (and the use of a less colossal battery for reasons of weight and sustainable production).
I’unno. I’m not an automotive engineer and I’m sure as hell not a product planner. Baroque machismo seems to sell well in today’s mediascape of [thing you should be scared of] so I dunno if a lower to the ground “streamliner” design would do well.
This is certainly more interesting than another special edition charger or w/e. It’s a shame truck design language hates aerodynamics. A swoopy wall is still a wall.
Alright….
I loved Ram back when it came out in 96 or 98 at that nice chiseled front clip.
I even slightly liked it when they canted it forward. But they took out all of the plastic chrome and put it in more plastic than a californian girl should ever have in her Bazoomas.
There is a joke here…
RAM + CES + Computers….
I liked it better when it stood on its own.
I’d much rather have a phev pickup: commute to my office job on electrons, but have plenty of range for my rural weekends.
Id rather have fun in my commute, day in and day out.
…okay? I’m not sure I understand how a PHEV pickup automatically precludes fun, but gaining some truck utility without having to pay for truck mpg while doing non-truck stuff seems like a win to me.
I see SO MANY people hauling a big load of absolutely nothing around town all day every day because they want to make Lowe’s run twice a month; why not do those trips without burning any gas?
But hey, if it makes you feel better, I’ve also got a little roadster. It’s fun enough to let me focus on other needs for a second vehicle.
Probably something other than a truck to commute in, perhaps smaller, sportier, more fuel efficient if not an EV or Hybrid.
I honestly don’t know why there isn’t one… a major part of pickup duties is towing, and for EVs we really, really are not there yet. A PHEV lets you be EV in your commute but tow without range worries when you need to.
Me either. I suspect I’ll end up ordering the first one that makes it to market. My wife’s wagon is taking a hell of a beating being conscripted into lumber hauling duty.
For a long time EVs all had mustaches. Now they all have Mercury Sable headlights.
HAM Radio shop owner here. Very few HAMs/CBs/Scanners are unveiled at CES. Generally its the dayton Ohio HAM Fest in this industry.
Come for the cars, stay for the HAM radios.
Not wrong lol
What about those robotic floor waxers, though?
Isn’t this the 4xe Gladiator…but with a fancier set of clothes and an actual payload?
Side note: it appears to still have a cliff for a face…which seems unnecessary.
The 4XE branding is PHEV. Also the Gladiator 4XE is just vaporware for now, so we don’t know if they will manage payload beyond what the Wrangler 4XE has… assuming they actually bring it to market.
“What I’m curious about is how might Ram make their trucks different or more appealing than the competitors that are likely already out there.”
Their trucks will have the ‘Ram’ brand on it. The others won’t. That’s how it will be different. Though I suspect they’ll figure out a few other ways to be different.
Now having said that, having a greater variety of BEVs from different companies is something that excites me in general.
We need more BEV choices.
And Ram/Stellantis absolutely need to do this ASAP to stay relevant
They’ll have more touchscreens, and maybe think of some more basic functions that can be controlled through them
I mean, we say that they are coming in late to the electric truck game, but were are Toyota and Nissan’s truck-e’s? Or Honda with a e-Ridgeline? For the American car makers, I guess Ram is behind, but otherwise I see them as still in the launch group.
I’m willing to wager that the Ram EV will be on the streets before the Cybertruck.
Pretty sure the heat death of the universe will happen before the Cybertruck.
Maybe they’ll be the first to target the 2 door with an 8 foot bed market. They won’t, but a guy can dream.
If they do come up with a Regular Cab Short Bed, I want one for my Traxxas 4-Tec 2.0, that would be a bitchin’ Touring Car body!
“Will the Ram truck be able to fill the aching holes in our soul?”
I would be satisfied if Stellantis produces enough Rams so average buyers could kick their tires. Every other EV truck is unobtanium. I’m not an EV skeptic, but buying one now is a futile exercise.
Needs to have the red fins as an option. (yes, I know its a motion blur)
The endgame here is that everything is exactly like it is now, but without gasoline.
I don’t know. This looks significantly uglier than now – campy futuristic.
Also, gasoline isn’t going to go anywhere anytime soon. Certainly not in the timeframes governments are deluding themselves with.
So the endgame is more “Exactly like now, but the ratios of things will change a little?”
(I’m daily driving an electric pickup right now. It’s fantastic, and I can absolutely guarantee you that it’s not ready to replace the vast majority of pickups on the market and never will because it’s battery only. That reality will beat every mandate.)
Can I interest you in some (well all of them really) shares in the harness and buggy whip company that my farsighted forebears set up in 1911? I have all the engineering drawings and everything.
For something with better range, and will save me time because I don’t have to sit and wait for a charger to either work, or be available and then recharge? Yes please.
Is that a bad thing? The Lightning is sold out to infinity as it sits – the market is looking for something that looks like what they are used to but electric instead of gas.
I see rearview cameras, so those will be ditched for production.
They will be available through subscription only, and will utilize 4g which will be phased out just about the time these hit the 150k mile used car market.
The 500 mile version of the STLA platform (if it actually happens) will be at a price that no one will really want to pay for other than the very wealthy
I can do 500mi on my 00 Accord.
which means absolutely nothing n this discussion. 500 miles is significant if you are say comparing it to the lightning or even the Rivian as neither get much over 300 to a charge and often lose range precipitously if used for truck things. Your 00 Accord could do absolutely 0 miles doing truck things, because it is oh yeah not a truck.
Someone posted earlier “As a commuter, dump runner, home improvement store vehicle, I can see this for 90% of what is truck is used for.”
Accord is better as the first, minivan is too.
Minivan is better at home improvement store vehicle (plywood and long boards fit better in that than a <6' bed on modern trucks unless we get a BEV pass through where the transmission tunnel would be.
Dump runner is debatable but depending on the cargo minivan is better, i.e. Furniture, home reno (dust and yard waste maybe excluded unless with a tarp which makes it good for firewood and other similar things, not rocks and dirt though. Limited argument here but small trailer also fits the bill)
But if the trailer is small I'd rather minivan and trailer for most things that go in the bed. A fridge for example is easier loading with a Dolly. Better ergonomics for wood, or Mulch, or whatever. Payload for towing with a minivan and loading a Light duty bed is about identical.
Now towing, that is truck things that BEVs don't make sense for. Heavy Duty payloads also don't make much sense but those vehicles also don't make sense for BEVs at this time.
What was my point? Not sure, just wanted to minivan fanboy and say for 90% of actual truck use they are better trucks. The other 10% I acknowledge above.
“Is there are problem with the lighting?”
“Yes there is some”.
Seriously though, I see these as the way to introduce EV to the average American. Take a well known vehicle, make it EV to prove the concept, others follow.
Just don’t let Hoovie make a video as Alex Jones will pick it up and make a case out of it. Hoovie did say it just his findings on one particular circumstance.
As a commuter, dump runner, home improvement store vehicle, I can see this for 90% of what is truck is used for.
That’s what Hoovie gets for running the most popular truck towing review channel on YouTube
It’ll have a front camera so folks less than 6′ tall can see the road and press the pedals at the same time.
Electric Ram. NOW WITH HELLCAT.
Sir, this is an Arby’s.
Now I want a beef ‘n cheddar. Thanks, Torch.
the fact that they’ve discussed a range extender is already an interesting differentiator.
So did Ford. Stellantis is just in the “pre-cancellation” phase of their range extender plans. They haven’t realized they can’t make a profit on it yet, but they will.
Not exactly… https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a34277725/ford-f-150-range-extender-ev-pickup-patent/
curious… nary a word about this since 2020? Stellantis has talked about it a number of times since bringing it up which is perhaps why I know about theirs and not Ford’s.
word on the street is 400 mile range option up to 500. no pricing I could find anywhere, but I do think it looks more like the Silverado than the Lightning. this kind of trumps Farley’s note that he wants to make the EV styling more EV only design, but even the shared parts bin lightning is a 2-3 k units a month thing that is not making enough profit and the new battery chemistry will reduce range in the best version the work truck pro for 50K previously.