Ram officials said its first-ever all-electric pickup, the Rev, would make its debut in a Super Bowl commercial and even offered up pictures ahead of time. However, what you see during the Sunday showdown won’t be what the company plans to produce long-term.
TheDetroitBureau.com has learned the conservative-looking model the brand plans to initially release at some point in 2024, is going to get a substantial makeover very early in its timeline. Ultimately, the look will gravitate toward the Ram 1500 Revolution concept shown at the Consumer Electronics Show last month, a company insider told TheDetroitBureau.com.
Mike Koval, senior vice president and head of the Ram brand, confirmed the company would be moving forward with the Ram 1500 REV during the Chicago Auto Show last week, but other than revealing the name, he didn’t offer too much more.
What’s coming?
Ram officials hinted then the truck could deliver between 400 and 500 miles of range, though it appears the higher number would come with the use of a range extender. Many thought the name, Rev, was a nod to the use of a range extender — a notion that brand chief Koval flatly denied to TheDetroitBureau.com last week.
The truck would be battery-electric only for the first year of production, which is expected to be the summer of 2024. A range extender would likely come the following year.
The push to add miles to surpass the current electric pickups, while using proven technology on hand, is what gave credence to the need for a range extender, at least in the minds of Ram planners. Koval said “research tells us that (potential truck buyers) are more open to the prospect of electrification than ever before. But they are not willing to compromise.”
He added there is a mix of requirements electric trucks need to meet, including towing and payload capacity as well as range and charging speed.
This range extender is different from a hybrid in that an onboard internal combustion engine would be solely used to generate electricity, which would be used to run the electric motors and recharge the batteries, depending upon how the truck is being used at that moment.
Want a Revolution?
The Ram Revolution adopts a design language the automaker describes as “brutiful,” a rather awkward way of saying both “brutal” and “beautiful.” The distinctive styling introduces some useful features, including the ability to carry objects as much as 18 feet in length with the tailgate closed.
It also introduces a variety of high-tech features, including “Shadow Mode,” where the truck can be moved by following a short distance behind its driver walking ahead. The Revolution has no B-pillar, offering easier access to the cabin. More stuff fits in the cabin courtesy of a 5-inch increase in the length of the wheelbase compared to a conventional Ram 1500 pickup. That extras space allows for third row jump seat in the cabin.
Like the production pickup set to debut in 2024, the Ram Revolution is based on the new STLA Large architecture developed by parent Stellantis. It’s a skateboard-like platform mounting batteries and motors below the load floor.
The front end, with its solid grille big RAM badge and “tuning fork” lightbars, blends that brutishness with a high-tech feel. The low, sweeping all-glass roof and sloping tailgate add an almost sports car-like feel, the concept seeming to be in constant motion.
With no engine compartment, Ram Revolution gets a massive frunk, or front trunk. It’s power operated, as are the charge port, the flush door handles, rear steps, an active diffuser and tailgate.
There are tow hooks up front that pivot to reduce wind drag, an extendable cargo bed, as well as an opening midgate between the bed and cabin. Add a pass-through from cabin to frunk and lumber and other cargo up to 18 feet in length can be carried while keeping the tailgate closed.
Top technology
Along with the Shadow Mode feature, it gets Level 3+ autonomy which would permit a driver to go hands free and do things like read texts or watch videos — though they’d still need to be ready to take control quickly in an emergency.
Motorists can set and select a number of different Cabin Modes that automatically adjust interior lighting, audio settings, seat positions and more.
And much of what a driver might want to do can be controlled using plain English commands thanks to an Amazon Alexa-style voice assistant. It can even listen when a driver is outside the truck, say, to roll up the vehicle’s windows and lock the door.
Paul A. Eisenstein contributed to this report.