Add another participant in the high-stakes battlefield of electric pickup trucks.
At CES in Las Vegas, Ram Trucks (STLA) unveiled the Ram Revolution 1500 EV Concept, a full-size pickup that will likely mirror a production version that Ram says we’ll see later this year.
The production version, which is slated for 2024, will face fierce competition in the full-size EV pickup space, with the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet Silverado EV already on sale at that time.
Nevertheless, the Ram 1500 Revolution has some interesting features. Although the concept has “grand saloon” style doors that open and likely won’t appear in the production version, one feature likely to remain is what Ram calls an industry first: third-party jump seats. row.
Ram says the truck’s powered mid-door can retract to reveal mounted jump seats, which can also be removed to allow for multiple flexible seating configurations. Ram also says that when the middle door is retracted, the full length of the car is available for long loads, allowing a passageway (which includes the frunk) that can hold items up to 18 feet. long.
Ram says the concept is based on the STLA Frame body-on-frame chassis that was built specifically for electric vehicles, and in this case it will feature two electric drive modules (EDMs) to provide all-wheel drive.
No other specs were given at the reveal, but the truck would be expected to feature similar specs to the competition with similar price points.
Ram says he faced a number of challenges to create the EV pickup to appeal to his customers. “First of all, battery packaging, because batteries are very, very heavy,” Ram Brands CEO Mike Koval said of one of the biggest challenges in an interview with Yahoo Finance. Vegas.
“I think the research continues to suggest and support that trucking intentions, and even current buyers, are becoming more open to the idea of electrification in their pickup trucks, but they tell us time and time again, s ‘please don’t compromise, don’t sacrifice the core attributes that we care about most – which historically were payload and towing,” Koval said.
Koval said battery life and charging time are top customer desires. Ram engineers therefore had to create an architecture capable of supporting the weight of the battery.
Due to the smaller electric motors used, Ram engineers were able to expand the cabin by 4 inches, which in the automotive world is huge for creating more space and luxury in the cabin. Ram trucks are known for some of the best, if not the best, interiors of any truck series, and Koval says their customers expect that part of the equation to remain in any truck they manufacture.
Koval says its creature comforts like a larger cabin, the Revolution EV’s flexibility for mixed-use cases, battery capacity (which some rumors could be 500 miles), and propulsion systems (one truck to hybrid range extender could be in the works), will help .it win on the sales floor.
“I think that’s ultimately what’s going to help differentiate RAM from the other guys if we’re going to bring a better suite of solutions to market from 2024 that I think will better address real customer needs, so that we’re moving to electrification,” he says.
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Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on instagram.
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