This is the kind of vehicle that EV hesitant buyers (myself included) are looking for. A truck that can do truck things while also having the benefits that come with EV performace and fuel savings
I, a EV hesitant buyer, would purchase one of these if I could afford one. This is the best application of EV to a pickup truck that’s actually useful so far.
I drive an EV, but I can’t recommend them for everyone. This is a truck I could actually recommend for someone looking into electric power, although it’ll be really expensive. I hope they’ll use this model in an SUV.
Not necessarily, the generator on the ram will replenish the batteries, locomotives' generator powers motors directly. Still, it's a move in the right direction as far as I'm concerned.
Yep GM backed the wrong horse when they ditched their Voltec research. A Voltec Silverado and Colorado would be cleaning up right now, and they wouldn't hoard batteries so they can sell four of them for every one of those Silverado EVs.
Chevy Volt, no longer in production, was very similar to this concept. Not sure why they didnt develop it more, but Glad RAM came in to give it the proper attention it deserved.
The Volt was the best selling American hybrid of all time. The goal was no gas use, so that's why it was ditched I guess. Also more complicated and expensive to purchase fix or manufacture.
I have an Outlander PHEV and a Outlander is a midsize SUV and I get over 45 miles on a charge but can drive condifently across the country with the onboard gas engine.
The volts gas engine powered the car when it was out of battery, it didn't charge the battery like the ram does. The volt was/is shit and was only offered to up the overall MPG of the entire line up.
I travelled from Georgia to British Columbia this summer to help in the completion of the Edison Motors heavy-duty vocational truck production prototype. This truck uses a 350kW Danfoss generator (currently powered by a Caterpillar C9 diesel) to charge the 265kWh battery pack that powers the e-axles. As a tandem drive, the truck delivers 800HP; putting 66,000 ft-lbs of torque to the ground through 3:1 planetary axles. It moved under its own power for the first time on September 2, 2023, and, while still undergoing integration configuration, it pulled its first load of 100,000 lbs on October 14, 2023. *Range extended electric is the way to go!*
Been saying this since the beginning of EV’s, whoever figures out the best way for trucks is hybrid will dominate. Prius figured it out a long time ago. I like the idea of a hybrid V8 with the engine powering drivetrain but this is still the best option available as it is
This is how locomotives work. Diesel generator that runs at constant RPMs, which powers batteries, which power the vehicle. Edison Motors built a logging truck with this tech that gets 1400hp. You get the benefits of cleaner burning fuel at constant RPMs, which is healthier for an engine, plus massive fuel efficiency. You also get all the benefits of electric motors. It's a win/win & by far the superior technology.
Expensive for now....but I got a feeling lots of cars and trucks are gonna copy this. I can already see a V8 mustang doing this and getting 30 miles a gallon.
I’ve been waiting for the diesel locomotive auto for years as well. Surprised it took this long. Removing the transmission, transfer case and axles from the equation saves a load of weight, expense, and maintenance. I wonder if it’s practicable to eliminate the heavy expensive battery, and use capacitors or hydraulics to get the power to the ground.
Actually it's reasonably priced... the tradesman edition starts at 60k new and the top trim level for the ramcharger is 95k called the tungsten edition obviously there are are trim levels in between those two
Fiskar had this idea years ago. Aint new, but it sure is welcome. This is the kind of vehicle that rides the perfect balance for those that use trucks like trucks, and for those that like that city efficiency.
This is the only possible electrified pickup that would work in extreme cold climates. Pickups sometimes get left for days outside and then retuned to service again. A pure ev left away from a charger in the cold for multiple days would seemingly be useless until charged again to to cold saturation loss. This platform solves that equation, rendering the Ford lightning and Silverado ev and yes the cyber truck useless. Wow. Ram just snuck up behind those guys and snuffed them out.
I think everyone needs to understand that trucks now have all the features of the best selling luxury cars. Why would you pay $100k for a German sedan that cant tow or haul anything when you can pay $80k for a comparable interior while hauling 2k lbs and towing 10k lbs.
Simple. No one needs a truck. Only 25% of full size truck owners use it for towing. Which is part of the reason the big three is pricing them out of most peoples budget and pushing mid size trucks. Too many people are upside down on full size truck loans that dealers keep having to resell instead of selling new inventory. Oems lose money doing that. Also paying 80k for a truck is robbery.
For those of us who work out of our trucks. The fact that I can drive to and from my job sites like a traditional truck, yet when I’m sitting I’m not constantly idling, I can just sit their silent with the AC still on for most of the day would be worth it for me….
The vindication of the philosophy behind my BMW i3. This sounds like the same setup…but on steroids! I like not having to worry about a transmission (or differentials). Just simple electric motors and the on-board engine recharges the battery on the go.
Combo hybrid is the way to go, waiting for the price! Hope Toyota &Ford also put out one to compete, relying solely on charging station for any EV is a pain in the ass when I blew out my ModelX onboard charging module on third party charging stations, not many people understand what it means when you actually run into the situation, having own charging capability give peace of mind and is the way to go, since I am looking for a perfect truck to tow my new airstream and I cannot afford to go bottom up in the middle of the road! Excited to see this product coming to market.
Seems no one in the comments understands energy management, if you know you have hills to climb and towing you put it in battery conservation mode using it only when extra torque required. Running around town Battery only. Nobody uses 600hp continuously my god there are some crazy comments.
I've been waiting for this exact setup! Definetely plan to buy it. IMO - This is the proper solution for Truck EVs for now. I only wanted a Generator as a backup but powertrain all electric. Kinda how a locomotive does it. I hated the previous attempts by having a small engine take over when the batteries were low or dead by other manufacturers. Maybe because they found it rather strange to simply have a generator onboard to power the motors and batteries LOL. Well, thats the proper way to go actually. At least for now.
Wow as a Powerboost/powerbeast owner this is an interesting concept for sure. I still prefer having an engine as the primary and electric as support/assist. When I fill it I have 620 range but with the twin turbos u know how that goes.
Can it hold charge while driving home from a supercharger and also charge at a standstill at 130kw to power a home microgrid? THAT would be epic. A timer or battery discharge percent like the silverado is all you would need. Or just have the truck start and stop once the battery is recharged. Im all in on the ramcharger if so.
SOLD, if i can afford one. Which, technically I would be able to, but it'll still be too rich for my blood. I can't swallow a $1000/month payment. I can keep my '06 ram cummins with 80k miles running for a lot less than that. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If this is real and price is competitive to the other trucks it will sell better than any other truck in the market. Ram has the best interiors hands down and u match it with performance and range! It’s over I am honestly speechless at this direction
Great design. I love the all-electric features of my Rivian R1T but the limited range, esp when towing, means I need yet another vehicle for road trips or other big drives. This vehicle seems like the perfect combo of all-electric but with the generator. I have no idea why the Ford F150 hybrid's battery is so tiny - they completely missed the boat.
Interesting problem with these vehicles is the fact that gas goes bad. If you're charging everyday that gasoline is going to turn into turpentine in your tank
I’ve been quite critical of Stellantis lately because I own a Ram 1500 and I felt a bit disappointed that they seemed to lag behind Ford and GM as far as innovation and EV’s. Boy, was I wrong. We’re going to get fully electric AND plug-in hybrid pickups. This a game-changer for sure.
Owning a 2018 Ram 1500 has been an exasperating experience. The first engine was replaced under warranty at 70K miles, followed by a transmission replacement at 85K. Disappointingly, the second engine failed again after 72K miles. Add to that over four months spent at the dealership for various issues, and it's evident that the Ram's reliability has dwindled. The truck's quality feels compromised by inferior parts. Think twice before investing in a Ram, unless you want to find yourself with a drivable shell missing its engine.
After depleting the batteries at the 195 mile range, the truck will be operating on the ICE engine generator. How efficient is that? This does address a lot of the EV concerns like towing, range, and cold weather. Other mfgs will follow.
@@mahidikarif2123since the vehicle is only propelled by and electric motor it is an EV. Just happens that the battery will be charged with gas which is not common of EVs with the exception of the BWM i3 with a range extender. This is the first vehicle in my opinion to really bridge the gap between ICE and EV.
It absolutely is a PHEV. Go look up the actual definition again. A plug-in hybrid only means that it has both the ability to charge from the grid and be propelled by an ICE. Absolutely nothing in the definition says that the ICE has to power the wheels via a mechanical geartrain.
Ford was discussing a generator that could be put in the bed of a f150 lightning, it was removable. I like the idea of not carrying the extra weight and you could rent one if you didn't want to buy it. If you only took a small handful of long trips per year. In any case, this thing is going to be >$115k....
This would be great on a Promaster Van. I’ve got a Chevy Volt, and this is the future right here with no compromises👍Chevy should’ve used the Voltec platform on many of their vehicles!
THIS...this is the right future path for cars, like the engines honda started putting recently-electric driven car with battery powered by gas engine-eccelration, comfort and responsivnes of EV and ease of use, range of ICE car.
Removing the transmission from the equation and just using a generator is the best thing possible. Especially with big rig trucks the transmission eats up a lot of energy
this is what the market actually wants, automakers need to start listening to what we want and stop telling us what they think we want, this is how locamotives work, they probably could go with a even small ICE engine then 3.6L if someone kno wthey will go a long road trip they could start the generator when leaving the house, a 2L inline4 would mak emore sense as a generator/range extendor
Wait a minute, 690 miles of range! If the truck gets 145 all electric miles and an additional 545 on 27 gals of gas for the V6 to charge the batteries on a 690 mile trip then the gas mileage on gas alone to charge the batteries is only 545/27= 20.18 mpg! Am I missing something here? If you count the whole 690 miles then it's still only 25.55 mpg. I don't see this as some great breakthrough for a PHEV truck. I've had an F150 2.7L ecoboost that averaged 23 mpg on a 700 mile trip! However if the electric has 145 range and you do most of your driving within that mileage then the occasional long trip would still be worth it..
That is exactly the target market for this truck: people who mainly commute in them (and there are lots) but don't want to give up their occasional use truck or have a second (or third) vehicle. The people that buy this truck will spend 90% of their time on electric mode only. If you do the math on that you will see why they would be willing to pay extra to be able to do that.
If only it could have a rear locker, off-road tires and suspension, with an entry price below $60K. A man can dream. Sadly, this will likely be way out of price range for fiscally responsible middle class folks.
Great idea! I'm wondering why they need a big v6 to turn the generator. Wouldn't it have made more sense to put a naturally aspirated 4 banger to do the job? If the engine was tuned for low end torque it should be plenty stout enough to do the job and save fuel. Additionally, big weight savings over the front axle.
If I understood correctly he said the gas engine takes over when the batteries are exhausted for both powering the truck and recharging the batteries. A 4-cylinder isn't going to be able to pull a truck that heavy.
@@dirtbagliberalsnake5729 no, not in this economy and layoffs coast to coast. Macro economics need to be taken into account, not just micro economics. Also, R&D money spent developing this new truck, would not be recouped at a starting point of $50K US, CAD, or any other currency. New tech development costs lots of money.
@@terrarecon Thats fine, but then no one will buy it. The die hard Dodge people will be the early adopters, much like the Ford Lightning, but then your average consumer will NOT pay 80k for a truck like this. They will sit on the lot while Stellantis tries to figure out why they aren't selling.
A green paradise. I can just picture a hedgehog curling up near the battery cell, a finch nesting in the exhaust pipe, garden growing in the bed and a gentle hum of the v6 keeping everyone warm and cozy. One vote for the official vehicle of Greenpeace.
I have less range anxiety than grid anxiety. More people will drive electric vehicles. At some point, the limits of electric generation, transmission, and distribution capacity will be exceeded reached. That is my condern. Also, most of my driving is for trips under 40 miles. If car manufacturers want people to buy their electric cars, they are going to have to supplement their lines with PHEVs. If they build them, they will come. I am holding out for a full sized PHEV pickup.
What a novel idea. Instead of having an electric motor to support the ICE, use the ICE to support the electric motor. Great looking interior as well! I have a Ford Powerboost and this type of vehicle is making me want to trade it in.
I've been eagerly awaiting for someone to do this on a pickup👍 -BMW i3 REx did it for cars a decade ago (too early, maybe?). Edison Motors is planning it for Big Rigs.
BMW did this with the i3 and Chevy did this with the Volt. Just needed someone to take it to the next level! Honestly, the battery on this one seems larger than needed. Would be great if they would offer a 3/4 or 1/2 kWh size to lower the price. Most users won’t need the long battery-only range this big pack will provide.
@@donswier Edison is really exciting, smallest diesel generator possible small ish battery pack but using the benefits of each energy system to really get peak fuel economy exciting stuff
@@worldtrav72 Great idea. Seems like the battery pack size could easily be altered. Price & weight would drop while payload increases. We love how smooth & torquey our i3 REx is. Assume it would feel similar in this Ram.
Am I missing something here? They include a motor and 27 gal fuel tank to charge a battery to go 600+ miles. Nothing green about this. Makes as much sense as throwing a generator in the truck box of your EV. Oh wait. That’s what they did.
You are. It's a plug in hybrid, so you don't have to run the engine to charge the battery. The engine drives a generator, not the wheels, and the generator can power the electric motors and charge the batteries. Think of it as a series hybrid, like a diesel locomotive. You get (IIRC) 145mi range on electric alone. So for most people's driving, you can do your commute and a few short out of town trips without needing the engine. But if you are doing a long run or hauling a trailer, the engine is there to allow you to run indefinitely (the 600mi range refers to the electric plus one tank of fuel range. The actual range is limitless so long as you have the fuel). Like any EV or crew cab long box monster truck, this vehicle isn't for everyone. But if you want to own one vehicle and do a wide variety of driving/hauling and a lot of commuting, this is one of only a handful of vehicles that can do it efficiently. For most people, this vehicle would be used 90-95% of the time as a plug in EV. The rest will be long highway trips or hauling a trailer etc.
Wow! This is definitely the truck I'd trade my RAM Limited for. RAM has made the breakthrough found in hybrid technology to meet both towing and range. I'm sure Ford and Chevy will send out its competitors shortly after, but the RAM look is still amazing!
I wondered that too. I'd be willing to bet that it's a matter of cost, risk, and time to market. The pentastar is well-proven off-the-shelf engine that is dead-simple (compared to the new turbo 4-bangers that stellantis is putting out these days) to integrate into the platform plus being naturally aspirated less care and feeding maintenance-wise is required plus the packaging is simpler with no need for the additional plumbing and cooling to support the turbo. And since the engine won't be physically connected to the driving wheels, it can be set to run in a very specific rpm range that optimizes the efficiency available in that design. So yeah...they probably could have squeezed out some more efficiency with another engine, but it would have cost more and been more risky for the project, most likely. Just a guess on my part, anyway.
The 3.6 Pentastar is their most reliable engine and at 130 kW it's seriously derated so it's likely optimized to run very efficiently at a slower RPM. They started doing Atkinson cycle with 3.6 in 2016 I believe. Plus it is still port injected, so that saves a substantial amount of cost VS going DI with better NVH.
@@garycox7508They don't have a naturally aspirated four cylinder that can do 130 kW, for reliability sake, I can totally understand why they stay away from their turbocharged versions. They've been very problematic. The 3.6 is reliable, very inexpensive to produce and because it's derated to 130 kW It can sit there all day towing at that load.
I hope the user has control over the battery buffer percentage. Low buffer for light duty EV operation. Large buffer for the towing, showing off, or what ever. Chevy could have done this 6 years ago using the Volt system. But they dropped the ball (no surprise there).
This is the kind of vehicle people actually need if they use trucks... but whether they will ever push this type of drive system (not necessarily all the add on technology) down to the standard ranges I don't know. These types of systems always start at the high end for obvious reasons, but we won't know how suitable and reliable they are for average users until you can order a standard 1500 hybrid with basically the same system.
Okay that’s cool and all but hear me out. 27 gallon tank and 690 miles of range is around 25mpg. The ford f-150 powerboost goes 750 miles on a 31 gal tank only it doesn’t need to plugin at all. Tell me what I’m missing here
The big deal here is that in average day to day driving you will use no gas at all. None. Only once you have drained the battery to a certain limit will the motor turn on. Thus, road trips, towing etc will use gas, the rest of the time you use none.
I wish we could come up with another name for solutions like this, I don't see this as a "plug in hybrid." It's a full electric vehicle, with an on board generator....
I like the innovative concept. I'd be curious what the range is for a full tank of gas and a drained battery. In practical situations, that's probably your real range since most people don't want to spend hours at charging stations.
While 25.5 mpg is not "impressive" it does have the tow capacity to pull 14,000 lbs. I don't know of any other 1500 full size truck that can pull that amount with 25.5 mpg. So it raises the bar
It makes perfect sense to have an onboard gasoline V6 to charge a battery on an EV truck when the idea is to go away from fossil fuels we simply can't survive without, doesn't it hee hee?
This is the kind of vehicle that EV hesitant buyers (myself included) are looking for. A truck that can do truck things while also having the benefits that come with EV performace and fuel savings
Took it this long to figure us out. lol
Maybe they will finally learn and listen more to what CUSTOMERS want vs their globalist overlords.
I, a EV hesitant buyer, would purchase one of these if I could afford one. This is the best application of EV to a pickup truck that’s actually useful so far.
This thing will be very expensive.
I drive an EV, but I can’t recommend them for everyone. This is a truck I could actually recommend for someone looking into electric power, although it’ll be really expensive. I hope they’ll use this model in an SUV.
@@brendanschriber3242Add in the stealership ADMs and this truck is dead on arrival.
Diesel locomotives work this way - electric generator runs in the efficient power curve, delivering power to electric motors. Smart.
Not necessarily, the generator on the ram will replenish the batteries, locomotives' generator powers motors directly. Still, it's a move in the right direction as far as I'm concerned.
This is what the big 3 should have done to begin with instead of just going all electric right from the start! Smart move RAM.
Yep, plenty of torque with the electric motors so just need enough of a generator to recharge for a heavy tow or very long trip.
Exactly! I am absolutely ditching Ford for this unless they come with their own.
@@calledout4437they already have the powerboost
Yep GM backed the wrong horse when they ditched their Voltec research. A Voltec Silverado and Colorado would be cleaning up right now, and they wouldn't hoard batteries so they can sell four of them for every one of those Silverado EVs.
Would like to see this with GMs 2.7 turbo. It's a light engine. And only need a 20 gal gas tank and a bit more battery.
Chevy Volt, no longer in production, was very similar to this concept. Not sure why they didnt develop it more, but Glad RAM came in to give it the proper attention it deserved.
The Volt was the best selling American hybrid of all time. The goal was no gas use, so that's why it was ditched I guess. Also more complicated and expensive to purchase fix or manufacture.
Chevy Volt would have been the future if it wasn't for Tesla and the legacy Autos trying to play catch up.
I have an Outlander PHEV and a Outlander is a midsize SUV and I get over 45 miles on a charge but can drive condifently across the country with the onboard gas engine.
The volts gas engine powered the car when it was out of battery, it didn't charge the battery like the ram does. The volt was/is shit and was only offered to up the overall MPG of the entire line up.
@@k.b.322 do you own one? I disagree, they're great.
I travelled from Georgia to British Columbia this summer to help in the completion of the Edison Motors heavy-duty vocational truck production prototype. This truck uses a 350kW Danfoss generator (currently powered by a Caterpillar C9 diesel) to charge the 265kWh battery pack that powers the e-axles. As a tandem drive, the truck delivers 800HP; putting 66,000 ft-lbs of torque to the ground through 3:1 planetary axles. It moved under its own power for the first time on September 2, 2023, and, while still undergoing integration configuration, it pulled its first load of 100,000 lbs on October 14, 2023.
*Range extended electric is the way to go!*
Been saying this since the beginning of EV’s, whoever figures out the best way for trucks is hybrid will dominate. Prius figured it out a long time ago. I like the idea of a hybrid V8 with the engine powering drivetrain but this is still the best option available as it is
...Good. Now when there is an accident, you get double the flaming goodness. Battery fire + gasoline = extra big disasters.
This is how locomotives work. Diesel generator that runs at constant RPMs, which powers batteries, which power the vehicle. Edison Motors built a logging truck with this tech that gets 1400hp. You get the benefits of cleaner burning fuel at constant RPMs, which is healthier for an engine, plus massive fuel efficiency. You also get all the benefits of electric motors. It's a win/win & by far the superior technology.
Aren’t the batteries just present for startup and controls? For instance, if the diesels shut down, can the locomotive still run?
We had a 1985 Ram Charger back in the day. Had it till 97. When we traded it in for a Ford f-150. We cried as we drove away from it.
I would cry today too if I knew I just replaced a 1985 Ram Charger for a 1997 Ford F-150.
Wow ram did exactly what I've been telling friends and family they should do. Unfortunately it's probably going to be too expensive.
Expensive for now....but I got a feeling lots of cars and trucks are gonna copy this. I can already see a V8 mustang doing this and getting 30 miles a gallon.
I’ve been waiting for the diesel locomotive auto for years as well. Surprised it took this long. Removing the transmission, transfer case and axles from the equation saves a load of weight, expense, and maintenance.
I wonder if it’s practicable to eliminate the heavy expensive battery, and use capacitors or hydraulics to get the power to the ground.
Actually it's reasonably priced... the tradesman edition starts at 60k new and the top trim level for the ramcharger is 95k called the tungsten edition obviously there are are trim levels in between those two
Thanks but where'd you get that info?@@cruzzindodge
@@cruzzindodgeit will not be reasonably priced it will be Mega expensive you're paying for a V6 and an electric battery😂
This takes the place as my no. 1 truck pick now
Fiskar had this idea years ago. Aint new, but it sure is welcome. This is the kind of vehicle that rides the perfect balance for those that use trucks like trucks, and for those that like that city efficiency.
Anyone noticed the 8 lug wheels now. It’s heavy and powerful with properly upgraded parts to handle it.
This is the only possible electrified pickup that would work in extreme cold climates. Pickups sometimes get left for days outside and then retuned to service again. A pure ev left away from a charger in the cold for multiple days would seemingly be useless until charged again to to cold saturation loss. This platform solves that equation, rendering the Ford lightning and Silverado ev and yes the cyber truck useless. Wow. Ram just snuck up behind those guys and snuffed them out.
I think everyone needs to understand that trucks now have all the features of the best selling luxury cars. Why would you pay $100k for a German sedan that cant tow or haul anything when you can pay $80k for a comparable interior while hauling 2k lbs and towing 10k lbs.
Simple. No one needs a truck. Only 25% of full size truck owners use it for towing. Which is part of the reason the big three is pricing them out of most peoples budget and pushing mid size trucks. Too many people are upside down on full size truck loans that dealers keep having to resell instead of selling new inventory. Oems lose money doing that. Also paying 80k for a truck is robbery.
better driving experience, better dealers, longer warranty... i own a trx but it's nowhere near the quality of my x5m. It's in a different level.
I love American trucks, but they are rubbish quality and slapped together like a hamburger at MCdonalds
Nobody wants to buy an 80k truck buddy. Look at the dealer lots right now.
@@PeteyPablo2770which one is more versatile and capable?
For those of us who work out of our trucks. The fact that I can drive to and from my job sites like a traditional truck, yet when I’m sitting I’m not constantly idling, I can just sit their silent with the AC still on for most of the day would be worth it for me….
Recall heaven
And if they used a diesel engine rather than a gasoline, you would lose zero performance and be twice as efficient.
The vindication of the philosophy behind my BMW i3. This sounds like the same setup…but on steroids! I like not having to worry about a transmission (or differentials). Just simple electric motors and the on-board engine recharges the battery on the go.
Combo hybrid is the way to go, waiting for the price! Hope Toyota &Ford also put out one to compete, relying solely on charging station for any EV is a pain in the ass when I blew out my ModelX onboard charging module on third party charging stations, not many people understand what it means when you actually run into the situation, having own charging capability give peace of mind and is the way to go, since I am looking for a perfect truck to tow my new airstream and I cannot afford to go bottom up in the middle of the road! Excited to see this product coming to market.
So basically it's a Chevy volt as a pick up
HYRBIDS ARE THE FUTURE!!
Excellent video Jeff. Really excited about this new truck and what it means for the future. Would be incredible to see RAM move this setup into vans.
It’s basically a train that you can plug in before you go
Great description.
Can't believe GM didn't market this locomotive concept.
Kudos to Ram!
Seems no one in the comments understands energy management, if you know you have hills to climb and towing you put it in battery conservation mode using it only when extra torque required. Running around town Battery only. Nobody uses 600hp continuously my god there are some crazy comments.
They dont understand that it is battery day to day and gas/electric on long trips. Best of both worlds.
Yes, the vintage trail dusters are really cool, and only now starting to get the credit they deserve.
I need to find one! I love the lesser known versions of more well-known vehicles.
This is exactly what I was looking for.
This is awesome. This is what everyone should've done.
I've been waiting for this exact setup! Definetely plan to buy it. IMO - This is the proper solution for Truck EVs for now. I only wanted a Generator as a backup but powertrain all electric. Kinda how a locomotive does it. I hated the previous attempts by having a small engine take over when the batteries were low or dead by other manufacturers.
Maybe because they found it rather strange to simply have a generator onboard to power the motors and batteries LOL. Well, thats the proper way to go actually. At least for now.
Stellantis s been killing it with its vehicles
This thing is badass!
I really like the concept, however, it would be about 5yrs before I'd consider a purchase. I see quite a few bugs to be worked out.
What would those be? I'm just curious.
Plug in Hybrids....Finally!
Wow as a Powerboost/powerbeast owner this is an interesting concept for sure. I still prefer having an engine as the primary and electric as support/assist. When I fill it I have 620 range but with the twin turbos u know how that goes.
This is a handsome truck. That front fascia looks amazing.
I'll wait until the revolution styling is applied to the ramcharger, then it is game on
Can it hold charge while driving home from a supercharger and also charge at a standstill at 130kw to power a home microgrid? THAT would be epic. A timer or battery discharge percent like the silverado is all you would need. Or just have the truck start and stop once the battery is recharged. Im all in on the ramcharger if so.
SOLD, if i can afford one. Which, technically I would be able to, but it'll still be too rich for my blood. I can't swallow a $1000/month payment. I can keep my '06 ram cummins with 80k miles running for a lot less than that. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
80k miles is still new on a Cummins 😂
Have fun with constant maintenance of the ICE, but the big bills 10 years from now that come with EVs 🤡
@@Holt0216this truck still has an ICE, it just doesn’t connect to the drivetrain, but will require the same maintenance as an ICE only vehicle.
@@pnwdweler4100 read my comment again…
If this is real and price is competitive to the other trucks it will sell better than any other truck in the market. Ram has the best interiors hands down and u match it with performance and range!
It’s over I am honestly speechless at this direction
Great design. I love the all-electric features of my Rivian R1T but the limited range, esp when towing, means I need yet another vehicle for road trips or other big drives. This vehicle seems like the perfect combo of all-electric but with the generator. I have no idea why the Ford F150 hybrid's battery is so tiny - they completely missed the boat.
Interesting problem with these vehicles is the fact that gas goes bad. If you're charging everyday that gasoline is going to turn into turpentine in your tank
@@GabachoDSanchezI'd just add some gas stabilizer before I fill up.
I’ve been quite critical of Stellantis lately because I own a Ram 1500 and I felt a bit disappointed that they seemed to lag behind Ford and GM as far as innovation and EV’s. Boy, was I wrong. We’re going to get fully electric AND plug-in hybrid pickups. This a game-changer for sure.
Owning a 2018 Ram 1500 has been an exasperating experience. The first engine was replaced under warranty at 70K miles, followed by a transmission replacement at 85K. Disappointingly, the second engine failed again after 72K miles. Add to that over four months spent at the dealership for various issues, and it's evident that the Ram's reliability has dwindled. The truck's quality feels compromised by inferior parts. Think twice before investing in a Ram, unless you want to find yourself with a drivable shell missing its engine.
After depleting the batteries at the 195 mile range, the truck will be operating on the ICE engine generator. How efficient is that? This does address a lot of the EV concerns like towing, range, and cold weather. Other mfgs will follow.
If towing use battery conservation mode keep extra torque for when needed.
This is not a PHEV as stated in the first minute. It is an EV with a range extender. The gas engine is not connected to the drivetrain.
Edited
No, the gas engine is not connected to the drivetrain. The gas engine only recharges the battery.
Yup. That’s what i meant to write. I didn’t see that my comment incorrectly autocorrected lol. There was supposed to be a “not” where It is.
@@mahidikarif2123since the vehicle is only propelled by and electric motor it is an EV. Just happens that the battery will be charged with gas which is not common of EVs with the exception of the BWM i3 with a range extender.
This is the first vehicle in my opinion to really bridge the gap between ICE and EV.
It absolutely is a PHEV. Go look up the actual definition again. A plug-in hybrid only means that it has both the ability to charge from the grid and be propelled by an ICE.
Absolutely nothing in the definition says that the ICE has to power the wheels via a mechanical geartrain.
@@otm646somebody better go tell Stellantis haha they said it was an EV
If it was a diesel (completely unnecessary) it could have been marketed as a diesel electric train for the working man.
Slam dunk.
Ford was discussing a generator that could be put in the bed of a f150 lightning, it was removable. I like the idea of not carrying the extra weight and you could rent one if you didn't want to buy it. If you only took a small handful of long trips per year. In any case, this thing is going to be >$115k....
a removable generator would be the best of both worlds
This would be great on a Promaster Van. I’ve got a Chevy Volt, and this is the future right here with no compromises👍Chevy should’ve used the Voltec platform on many of their vehicles!
THIS...this is the right future path for cars, like the engines honda started putting recently-electric driven car with battery powered by gas engine-eccelration, comfort and responsivnes of EV and ease of use, range of ICE car.
Removing the transmission from the equation and just using a generator is the best thing possible. Especially with big rig trucks the transmission eats up a lot of energy
The carbon footprint on this thing is over 9000!!!!!
this is what the market actually wants, automakers need to start listening to what we want and stop telling us what they think we want, this is how locamotives work, they probably could go with a even small ICE engine then 3.6L if someone kno wthey will go a long road trip they could start the generator when leaving the house, a 2L inline4 would mak emore sense as a generator/range extendor
Wait a minute, 690 miles of range! If the truck gets 145 all electric miles and an additional 545 on 27 gals of gas for the V6 to charge the batteries on a 690 mile trip then the gas mileage on gas alone to charge the batteries is only 545/27= 20.18 mpg! Am I missing something here? If you count the whole 690 miles then it's still only 25.55 mpg. I don't see this as some great breakthrough for a PHEV truck. I've had an F150 2.7L ecoboost that averaged 23 mpg on a 700 mile trip! However if the electric has 145 range and you do most of your driving within that mileage then the occasional long trip would still be worth it..
That is exactly the target market for this truck: people who mainly commute in them (and there are lots) but don't want to give up their occasional use truck or have a second (or third) vehicle. The people that buy this truck will spend 90% of their time on electric mode only. If you do the math on that you will see why they would be willing to pay extra to be able to do that.
If only it could have a rear locker, off-road tires and suspension, with an entry price below $60K. A man can dream. Sadly, this will likely be way out of price range for fiscally responsible middle class folks.
Great idea! I'm wondering why they need a big v6 to turn the generator. Wouldn't it have made more sense to put a naturally aspirated 4 banger to do the job? If the engine was tuned for low end torque it should be plenty stout enough to do the job and save fuel. Additionally, big weight savings over the front axle.
If I understood correctly he said the gas engine takes over when the batteries are exhausted for both powering the truck and recharging the batteries. A 4-cylinder isn't going to be able to pull a truck that heavy.
@@rogersmith7808 No, the engine is NOT hooked up to a transmission. It is a generator.
@@scpower I watched it again. You are correct.
Wow wow wow i like this i want one.
Ram why so many speakers? I'd be perfectly fine with like 18 or 19 😂
Needs 7 more. lol. The McIntosh in the grand wagoneer is crazy!!! What a well worth the investment. It’s nice to be able to jam and it sounds good.
That McIntosh sound system IS pretty awesome
@@AutoTrader rams will now have Klipsch speakers. I wonder how that will sound. The McIntosh was fantastic
Just like a Train!
It will likely be starting around 80K.
Needs to start at 50k CDN, take the hit, they will sell a shit ton
@@dirtbagliberalsnake5729 no, not in this economy and layoffs coast to coast. Macro economics need to be taken into account, not just micro economics. Also, R&D money spent developing this new truck, would not be recouped at a starting point of $50K US, CAD, or any other currency. New tech development costs lots of money.
Some have said it will include the Tradesmen trim. Hopefully start at $50K
@@terrarecon Stellantis said that this powertrain will be available in the base Tradesman trim.
@@terrarecon Thats fine, but then no one will buy it. The die hard Dodge people will be the early adopters, much like the Ford Lightning, but then your average consumer will NOT pay 80k for a truck like this. They will sit on the lot while Stellantis tries to figure out why they aren't selling.
A green paradise. I can just picture a hedgehog curling up near the battery cell, a finch nesting in the exhaust pipe, garden growing in the bed and a gentle hum of the v6 keeping everyone warm and cozy.
One vote for the official vehicle of Greenpeace.
Hopefully it can grow plantlife in an enclosed cavity underneath the bed like the Rivian can.
So again, 100 year old proven solutions are still the best way to go.
Yes, sure to be determined, lets see how this holds up then we can praise or chastise .
I have less range anxiety than grid anxiety. More people will drive electric vehicles. At some point, the limits of electric generation, transmission, and distribution capacity will be exceeded reached. That is my condern.
Also, most of my driving is for trips under 40 miles.
If car manufacturers want people to buy their electric cars, they are going to have to supplement their lines with PHEVs. If they build them, they will come. I am holding out for a full sized PHEV pickup.
I love how automakers mocked fors EcoBoost but they now it's 2023 and they had to replace V8 with 6 cylinders lol!
This is all these electric trucks ever needed to be. I wish Ford would figure this out with the Lightning.
What a novel idea. Instead of having an electric motor to support the ICE, use the ICE to support the electric motor. Great looking interior as well! I have a Ford Powerboost and this type of vehicle is making me want to trade it in.
I've been eagerly awaiting for someone to do this on a pickup👍
-BMW i3 REx did it for cars a decade ago (too early, maybe?).
Edison Motors is planning it for Big Rigs.
BMW did this with the i3 and Chevy did this with the Volt. Just needed someone to take it to the next level! Honestly, the battery on this one seems larger than needed. Would be great if they would offer a 3/4 or 1/2 kWh size to lower the price. Most users won’t need the long battery-only range this big pack will provide.
@@donswierI’m still driving my i3. Not too early, but definitely ahead of the pack.
@@donswier Edison is really exciting, smallest diesel generator possible small ish battery pack but using the benefits of each energy system to really get peak fuel economy exciting stuff
@@worldtrav72 Great idea. Seems like the battery pack size could easily be altered. Price & weight would drop while payload increases. We love how smooth & torquey our i3 REx is. Assume it would feel similar in this Ram.
Am I missing something here? They include a motor and 27 gal fuel tank to charge a battery to go 600+ miles. Nothing green about this. Makes as much sense as throwing a generator in the truck box of your EV. Oh wait. That’s what they did.
You are. It's a plug in hybrid, so you don't have to run the engine to charge the battery. The engine drives a generator, not the wheels, and the generator can power the electric motors and charge the batteries. Think of it as a series hybrid, like a diesel locomotive. You get (IIRC) 145mi range on electric alone. So for most people's driving, you can do your commute and a few short out of town trips without needing the engine. But if you are doing a long run or hauling a trailer, the engine is there to allow you to run indefinitely (the 600mi range refers to the electric plus one tank of fuel range. The actual range is limitless so long as you have the fuel).
Like any EV or crew cab long box monster truck, this vehicle isn't for everyone. But if you want to own one vehicle and do a wide variety of driving/hauling and a lot of commuting, this is one of only a handful of vehicles that can do it efficiently.
For most people, this vehicle would be used 90-95% of the time as a plug in EV. The rest will be long highway trips or hauling a trailer etc.
Wow! This is definitely the truck I'd trade my RAM Limited for. RAM has made the breakthrough found in hybrid technology to meet both towing and range. I'm sure Ford and Chevy will send out its competitors shortly after, but the RAM look is still amazing!
I REALLY want one!!
Surprised the engine isn't smaller and more efficient. Why do I need a V6 just to occasionally charge the battery?
I wondered that too. I'd be willing to bet that it's a matter of cost, risk, and time to market. The pentastar is well-proven off-the-shelf engine that is dead-simple (compared to the new turbo 4-bangers that stellantis is putting out these days) to integrate into the platform plus being naturally aspirated less care and feeding maintenance-wise is required plus the packaging is simpler with no need for the additional plumbing and cooling to support the turbo. And since the engine won't be physically connected to the driving wheels, it can be set to run in a very specific rpm range that optimizes the efficiency available in that design. So yeah...they probably could have squeezed out some more efficiency with another engine, but it would have cost more and been more risky for the project, most likely. Just a guess on my part, anyway.
I understand it is for towing
The 3.6 Pentastar is their most reliable engine and at 130 kW it's seriously derated so it's likely optimized to run very efficiently at a slower RPM.
They started doing Atkinson cycle with 3.6 in 2016 I believe. Plus it is still port injected, so that saves a substantial amount of cost VS going DI with better NVH.
@@garycox7508They don't have a naturally aspirated four cylinder that can do 130 kW, for reliability sake, I can totally understand why they stay away from their turbocharged versions. They've been very problematic.
The 3.6 is reliable, very inexpensive to produce and because it's derated to 130 kW It can sit there all day towing at that load.
@@otm646 i agree completely
This looks awesome
This should be the Standard for all Trucks then all the Car go full EVs
Total range? Also, I hope it uses the NACS charging standard!
Ill consider the next gen version of this. I wont be a beta tester especially when its Stellantis electronics that Im dealing with.
😂 😂 😂
I have been longing for an ev/hybrid option in a 3/4 or 1 ton. That instant torque and hp for towing would be fantastic!!!!
This in not a hybrid!!
I hope the user has control over the battery buffer percentage. Low buffer for light duty EV operation. Large buffer for the towing, showing off, or what ever.
Chevy could have done this 6 years ago using the Volt system. But they dropped the ball (no surprise there).
Need to do this to the Durango as well.
This is the kind of vehicle people actually need if they use trucks... but whether they will ever push this type of drive system (not necessarily all the add on technology) down to the standard ranges I don't know. These types of systems always start at the high end for obvious reasons, but we won't know how suitable and reliable they are for average users until you can order a standard 1500 hybrid with basically the same system.
Okay that’s cool and all but hear me out. 27 gallon tank and 690 miles of range is around 25mpg. The ford f-150 powerboost goes 750 miles on a 31 gal tank only it doesn’t need to plugin at all. Tell me what I’m missing here
This has more than 600 horsepower.
24 mpg and gas only. Should electric be necessary Ford doesn't work
The big deal here is that in average day to day driving you will use no gas at all. None. Only once you have drained the battery to a certain limit will the motor turn on. Thus, road trips, towing etc will use gas, the rest of the time you use none.
@@scpower good point, that will be cool if it all pans out that way.
@@NINE-PACK I am still thinking Ram Rev for me. Love a frunk.
Im in the market for a new truck. Leaning towards a ram but i wasnt looking at a 25. More like a 23/24. That ramcharger looks interesting to me.
That front end seems like a billboard for Ram. It shoukd be toned down a bit and look more old school.
I wish we could come up with another name for solutions like this, I don't see this as a "plug in hybrid." It's a full electric vehicle, with an on board generator....
A lot of these are going to sell fast I bet. It's a shame others are not doing this.
Yes!!!
GM is king of introducing tech and not seeing it though. The Volt pioneered this over a decade ago and not one GM vehicle has this powertrain today
Yes yes yes… build them and they will sell!!!
Just like a diesel electric trains
Hybrid engines is the best option going forward
I like the innovative concept. I'd be curious what the range is for a full tank of gas and a drained battery. In practical situations, that's probably your real range since most people don't want to spend hours at charging stations.
What you’re describing is only road trip, vacation type scenarios. You’ll leave daily with a full charge.
@@beck204 yes, exactly. Wife and I haul the camper cross country a lot. Just wondering what i could get in that scenario.
@@Trotwood45Yep, I wonder what the efficiency is in that scenario. I guess it depends more on the efficiency of the generator than anything else.
I don't believe you have to charge at all considering it is a hybrid, the engine will charge the battery
Still want a cybertruck
Can I power my house for a few days instead of investing in a home generator for a hurricane outage ?
It would not be as effective as the other pure battery platforms for that mission
Yep ,it's the "TRUCK" like in the beginning, the DODGE brand came out with innovations before the competition.👌
Hybrids are the best.
Finally a EV truck worth buying. I’ll take this over and Denali Ultimate any day. Guess GMC just lost an customer 😂
This is actually really cool
If the tank capacity is 27 gallons and the range is 690 miles, then we would have 25.5 mpg. If it's like that, it is not impressive.
While 25.5 mpg is not "impressive" it does have the tow capacity to pull 14,000 lbs. I don't know of any other 1500 full size truck that can pull that amount with 25.5 mpg. So it raises the bar
This is the way to go!!!
Full electric sucks!!!
And here is why.:
To much compromising.
That's why the sales on EVs are going down.
👐RAMCHARGERS👐
I'm surprised Toyota didn't go this route with the Tundra. The Hybrid system in the Tundra is terrible imo.
Basically its a locomotor turn into a pickup
A v6 generator only dodge would think that it's a good idea...
Imagine this plus the Trx hellcat engine
It makes perfect sense to have an onboard gasoline V6 to charge a battery on an EV truck when the idea is to go away from fossil fuels we simply can't survive without, doesn't it hee hee?