The Ram Revolution insider program has launched, teasing vehicle concept images and connecting designers and engineers directly with consumers to gather input on their upcoming battery-electric (BEV) trucks. Mike Koval Jr., CEO of Ram, shares, “Our new Ram Revolution campaign will allow us to engage with consumers in a close and personal way, so we can gather meaningful feedback, understand their wants and needs and address their concerns – ultimately allowing us to deliver the best electric pickup truck on the market with the Ram 1500 BEV.”
While details of the upcoming vehicle are scant, we do know a little bit about what to expect for the vehicle line moving forward. The Ram 1500 battery-electric vehicle (BEV) pickup is just around the corner and will be available sometime in 2024. The Ram Revolution website shows two early concept images that give a glimpse of what is in the works. The concept work was done with customer input and is intended to inspire the upcoming Ram 1500 design.
Following this first vehicle, the manufacturer is planning on releasing several more BEVs the following year, providing electric options for the majority of its vehicle segments by 2025. Ram plans to have electrified options for all its segments by 2030.
Considering the lack of vehicle specifics, this seems like a good opportunity to break out the Windex and clean off the old crystal ball. Here are three things we might see in the upcoming Ram EVs:
An Over-the-Top Performance Option
These days it’s pretty hard to think about Dodge or Ram and not think Hellcat, Trackhawk, or TRX. With multiple 700+ horsepower vehicles in their stable, it’s difficult to imagine that the coming Ram BEVs are not going to have a pretty stunning performance option. Tesla’s Cybertruck already has a 3-motor configuration that promises to do 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds. My money is on Ram releasing a TRX version of their pickup that edges that out. Do overlanders have any need for a sub-2.9s 0-60 pickup truck? Nope. Do we want one? Hell yeah. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing YouTube videos of rooftop tent-festooned trucks blowing by Lamborghini Aventadors at the drag strip.
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An Impressive Design
While they might need to be forgiven for the 70s and 80s, Ram designers have had a consistent history of great aesthetics, going back at least to the 30s. With Ralph Gilles continuing to lead design at the newly merged Stellantis Group, we can expect to see more of the design direction that has made the Ram pickup so popular over the last decade. While the early concept artwork teases a sleek, softer-edged design, my money is on some of the heavier lines of the TRX or Power Wagon sneaking back in. Expect a lust-worthy truck to emerge from the design process.
It Might Still Run on Gas
Well, sort of. One of the big stumbling blocks to EV adoption has long been range anxiety and that will be amplified in the truck market. With so many pickup trucks being used for commercial purposes, an hour-long stop at an EV charger to get to the next job site probably isn’t going to be popular. In an interview with EV Pulse, Ram CEO Mike Koval has teased a bed-mounted “range extender” that is likely to be a gasoline or diesel-powered generator to recharge the BEV. While this will be meme fodder for quite some time, it’ll likely solve the range problem until EV charging technology evolves. Don’t throw out your Scepter cans yet.
What are your predictions for Ram’s electric future? What is your advice for their upcoming vehicles? Let us know on Overland Expo’s social media.
