Ram has given us something entirely new. The Ram 1500 Ramcharger is a hybrid... sort of. It's a weird category of EV called an "EREV", short for "Extended Range Electric Vehicle". Essentially, this truck is driven by two electric motors and a 92 kWh battery pack... but then it adds a 3.6L V6 engine as an onboard gasoline generator. That V6 isn't connected to the wheels at all, it's purely there to charge the batteries. The result? A targeted 690 miles of total gas + electric driving range, with 150 miles pure electric range before the gasoline engine begins contributing. This truck also offers 663 hp with 615 lb-ft of torque, a towing capacity of 14,000 lbs (plus 2,625 payload) and a 0-60 time of just 4.4 seconds. That's a pretty stout package.
This makes the Ram 1500 Ramcharger one of the only EREVs on-sale today. It's closest "cousin" is the now-discontinued BMW i3, who used a similar setup of onboard gasoline generator to supplement its electric drivetrain.
The Ram's hybrid drivetrain makes it uniquely capable, offering plenty of around-town EV range, the flexibility of long-haul towing without the need for a public charger, and electrified capability such as bi-directional vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-home charging, allowing this truck to keep the lights on when the power goes out at home, or power that job site or tailgate party.
If you do find yourself at a public charger, this RAM will use a CCS plug to gain about 50 miles back in about 10 minutes at a peak charge speed of 145 kW.
If you're nerdy like us, you might look at this truck having a V6 engine, large 92kWh battery and two electric motors and think, "that sounds heavy". Ram hasn't told us the weight, but we suspect this to be a beast on the scales. There's also no word on price, but we suspect it'll ask a premium for all of that capability.
More to come on this one.
