We can add Ram to the list of automakers that have rejigged their electrification plans in the past few months. Citing slowing demand for half-ton electric trucks, the Stellantis-owned brand announced that it has pushed back the launch of the 1500 REV to prioritize the 1500 Ramcharger with its gasoline range extender, which Ram says will give the truck a 690-mile range.
Ram currently has two electrified pickups in its product pipeline. One is the Ramcharger, which was announced in November 2023 with a drivetrain that uses a 3.6-liter V6 to generate electricity and zap a pair of electric motors into motion. The second is the REV, which made its debut in April 2023 with pure electric power and a claimed 500-mile range made possible by a mammoth 229-kilowatt-hour battery pack.
The original plan was to launch the Ramcharger (shown above) in late 2024 while the REV (pictured below) was due out in the first half of 2025. Thatโs changed as the range-extender model is now scheduled to go on sale in the first half of 2025, so a few months later than expected, while the EV will launch in 2026, though Ram didnโt say whether thatโs January 1 or December 31. The company hasnโt announced pricing information for either model.
Ramโs logic is sound. The electric truck revolution announced as a bang landed with a whimper. Earlier in 2024, Chevrolet dealers were so desperate to offload their inventory of Silverado EVs that they were offering a $16,000 discount. Meanwhile, Ford stores were sitting on so many unsold units of the F-150 Lightning that the brand stopped building the EV from mid-November 2024 to January 6, 2025, to clear out inventory.
When it goes on sale, the Ramcharger wonโt have much in the way of rivals. There are electrified half-ton trucks on the market, but theyโre either entirely electric or feature a more conventional hybrid system. The REV will land in a relatively crowded segment of the market, and it will need to fend off competition from the Rivian R1T, F-150 Lightning, Chevrolet Silverado EV, and, more indirectly, the upcoming Scout Terra thatโs also slated to get a range-extender in time.
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