The all-electric Ram 1500 REV pickup will not launch by the end of 2024 as expected. Ram’s first electric pickup is being delayed as Stellantis works to manage the “significant” workload ahead of it.
After unveiling the Ram 1500 REV (Revolution Battery-electric vehicle) concept at CES 2023, Ram’s electric pickup stole the show.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares claimed Ram’s EV pickup would “outperform all competitors” in the areas that matter most, including range, payload, towing, and charging times.
Although Stellantis planned to launch the Ram 1500 REV by the end of the year, that will no longer be the case.
After launching its new STLA Frame platform on Tuesday, Tavares confirmed that Ram’s first electric pickup will be delayed until the first half of 2025.
Tavares told reports on a call (via Bloomberg), “We are just facing a very significant amount of workload,” and the company wants to be “prudent” in the validation process. “So we take our time,” Tavares added.
According to Stellantis’ head chief, the company is “managing the peak between the products that we have ahead of us.”
The peak will include several highly anticipated EV launches, such as the electric Dodge Charger Daytona, Jeep Wagoneer S, and Ram 1500 REV.
Tavares boasted the new STLA Frame platform, designed for upcoming Ram and Jeep EVs. The platform delivers up to 500 miles of range. For range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs), like the upcoming Ram truck, it provides up to 690 miles of range.
Powered by a 168 kWh battery pack, the Ram 1500 REV is expected to have a range of over 350 miles. It will also have a maximum towing capacity of up to 14,000 lbs and a 2,700 lb max payload.
Stellantis, like most automakers, are bracing for the impacts of President-Elect Donald Trump taking office.
Trump has already vowed to loosen fuel economy regulations that prompted many companies to invest in US manufacturing. According to Reuters, His transition team is also reportedly preparing to kill off the federal EV tax credit.
Stellantis is already struggling to keep pace in the US, with sales slipping 17% through the first nine months of 2024.
The automaker still only has one fully electric passenger vehicle, the Fiat 500e, rolling out in the US. That will change next year when the first Jeep, Dodge, and Ram electric models hit the market.
Meanwhile, other automakers like Hyundai and Kia are gaining market share with several long-range, fast-charging electric models already available.
Even GM, after launching the new Chevy Blazer, Equinox, and Silverado EVs, sold a record 32,095 electric vehicles in the US in Q3.
Tavares claimed US buyers may not be ready for EVs, saying the company will pay fines or buy regulatory credits if needed.
“It depends on if there are enough customers to buy the ZEV vehicles — if there are, we are just fine, we’ll be where we expected to be,” Tavares told reporters. He added, “Not to say we expect to have a very strong demand, because we see the market is not reacting very fast.”
Stellantis will need to get its electric models into customers’ hands before it decides there is insufficient demand. Delaying Ram’s first electric pickup will only put it further behind rivals like the Tesla Cybertruck, Chevy Silverado, and Ford F-150 Lightning.
