When Ram launched the 1500 Revolution BEV yesterday, there was one glaring flaw. The conceptual truck was showcased exclusively electric despite earlier statements made by top officials about the availability of the range extender. As a reminder, Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. said nearly a year ago a pickup would get a petrol engine to allow the workhorse to travel farther than a pure electric ute.
As it turns out, an ICE expanding range is still being planned. During a roundtable interview at CES 2023 in Las Vegas, Ram’s parent company, Stellantis, through the voice of its CEO, Carlos Tavares, said that the petrol engine is planned to charge the battery. This is good to hear considering pure EVs don’t really excel in terms of efficiency when it comes to towing, which pickups tend to do more than other vehicle types.
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Separately, said Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr drives the electric-only truck version remains a top priority. He went on to mention another powertrain is being considered to help differentiate the 1500 from its two main rivals – the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Chevrolet Silverado EV. Koval mentions the 1500 BEV prototype will be launched in a few months before 2024 when sales of the series production model are scheduled to begin.
Meanwhile, Ram says the Revolution concept has been engineered with dual motors providing all-wheel drive. It sits on massive 24-inch wheels wrapped in 35-inch thick off-road tires and offers four-wheel steering along with a third-row jump seat. Other highlights include a pass-through to the frunk that creates enough space to store items up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) long, along with support for 350 kW charging and 28 inches of screen space.
While other key technical specifications are yet to be provided, we are aware of the 1500’s electric rides on the STLA Frame platform. Previously, Stellantis said its body-on-frame architecture would house large batteries (159 kWh to over 200 kWh) with a range of up to 500 miles (805 kilometers). Ram and Jeep models that will use this base will measure 212.5 to 232.3 inches (5,400 to 5,900 millimeters) in length.
Prior to the 2024 market launch, the production-ready Ram 1500 BEV will be officially launched in the coming months.
