Bravo, this is a fantastic idea. They also are killing the Hemi V8s in the other RAM 1500 trims for 2025 but that's a different story.

https://www.motor1.com/news/694976/r...ange-extender/

"The Ram 1500 REV won’t be the brand’s only electric pickup truck in the lineup. Today, the automaker introduces the 2025 1500 Ramcharger, “the ultimate electric truck.” It has a 3.6-liter V6 engine powering an on-board generator designed to eliminate any concerns about range anxiety.

The Ramcharger isn’t a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The 3.6-liter engine has no mechanical connection to the wheels, as it charges the on-board generator that replenishes the 95-kilowatt-hour battery. Ram is targeting a total range of up to 690 miles between the battery and the charging system, with a 27-gallon fuel tank feeding the V6."

 

Makes absolutely ZERO sense to me

 

Theoretically makes sense. Towing with an EV still sucks with the range hit and lack of pull through spaces for charging. Engine choice is a headscratcher though

 

Cool, a Prius truck.

 

What would make more sense is electric assist trailers. One of my coworkers who camps a lot with his Model Y is thinking of getting one

https://www.motortrend.com/news/airs...train-trailer/

Or better yet, just keep the Hemi for those who want one or have heavy duty towing needs

 

Lots of details yet to come, but this could be the best of both worlds or it could just as easily be the worst of both worlds. For certain use cases it's a good solution, but for most my current inclination is towards the latter. Not quite the right way to look at it, but it's basically a 25.5 mpg truck. The others out there are all getting 70 plus mpge. You may as well look at a hybrid truck, chances are you'd save a lot on the purchase price.

 

180mi of EV-only range is significant though. That will take care of your out of town needs just fine. When it the range extender is in use, you're getting what wil likely be low 20's mpgs in a much more powerful package than any other PHEV.

Why?

It is curious they chose the Pentastar V6 instead of the 2.0t. My only guess there is that the V6 best meets the durability standards a pickup needs.

 

If it gets 160 180 miles of EV only range than it makes a little more sense, but only when it comes to towing, IMO of course. The choice of a V6 is a bit of head scratcher

 

It's essentially a PHEV, I think 180mi range is plenty. I agree the corporate V6 is an interesting choice but it's proven it's ability as a workhorse motor already in the base model 1500. Hopefully we get some insight into that as they have a corporate 2.0t in the stable.

 

But that would require buying new trailers on top of a new vehicle. I've got a decent amount of farms and horse stables where I am so folks are towing horse trailers, hay trailers, etc.

 

Reports are the electric only range is 145 miles combined. The battery sizes mentioned also appear to be total, not accessible. The accessible capacity appears to be reasonably low at just under 71 kWh (reportedly 90 kWh gross, so they are going with a much larger than normal inaccessible buffer).

 

Lol

Ram copies Toyota’s BS with ridiculous PR campaign for new Ramcharger 1500

https://electrek.co/2023/11/07/ram-c...mcharger-1500/

 

so you do leave the engine running all night to charge it?

 

It probably turns on and off like a hybrid

 

Ha! It does plug in actually. It's just like a Chevy Volt except the engine never directly drives the wheels, which the Volt would do in certain circumstances.