With many manufacturers now sensibly pivoting to hybrids after years of nattering about going all-in on EVs, it is not unreasonable to suggest Stellantis has made a solid choice in focusing efforts on the upcoming Ramcharger EREV (extended-range electric vehicle) instead of its all-electric cousin. And, yes, the planned official name of this beast is actually the Ram 1500 Ramcharger. There stands yet another vote for folding the brand back into the Dodge family, but I digress.
No matter its name, the specification on this hybrid pickup truck seems impressive. Top brass are targeting 647 horsepower and 610 lb-ft of torque, which are hefty numbers—but it’s how that power is managed that makes the Ramcharger so unique.
Under the hood is a 3.6L Pentastar V6 gasoline-powered engine, a mill presently available in numerous trims of the Ram 1500, and that has been around since Adam was an oakum picker. That’s not a slur; when talking about pickup trucks, a solid and dependable engine fed by a 102-litre fuel tank is not a bad thing. This mill, however, never directly powers the wheels. That job is taken up by a generator, front/rear electric motors, and a 92-kWh battery. The gas engine is simply called upon to refill that battery when it is depleted, and bank power for when needed.
This is unique in the world of hybridization, giving the Ramcharger an ability to act like an EV (instant torque, et al) while banishing any thoughts of range anxiety. It also arguably extracts more energy from each litre of gasoline – fuel used in this case to generate electricity instead of pushing wheels over a resistive surface – though those calculations are fuzzier. In other words, the Pentastar V6’s sole lot in life is to support the 92-kWh battery’s draw rate of power and stay ahead of power demands. Ram calls this “charge-sustaining” mode.
Another quirk? Most EVs have a so-called “net” kWh rating on their battery, generally a few digits south of the headline rating. This is built in as a buffer for longevity. The new Ramcharger has a battery net rating of 70 kWh, a notable 22 kWh less than its max. Why? Towing, of course. Ram wants to make sure there’s enough juice left in the battery at all times to support the gasser under heavy loads, which is up to 6,350 kg (14,000 lbs) when properly equipped.
“Even if you run the generator at full power, you’re somewhat limited on what you can pull out of the battery,” said Joe Tolkacz, a Lead Engineer. “We purposely backstopped the charge-sustaining threshold to be higher and stay out of a lower power region.”
The so-called “power region” he speaks of is the inherent limitation of hybrids that use their gasoline-powered engine to run a generator instead of the wheels. When the battery’s juice runs dry, most EREVs are hamstrung to however many horses can be hove out by the gasser. This is Ram’s way to make sure that doesn’t happen, and that drivers always have access to the combined might of a gas-plus-electric 647 horsepower. We look forward to testing this when the truck appears.
Owners of this body-on-frame truck can also fill the battery from a DC fast-charger, since the truck can hoover up electrons to the tune of 175 kW, quicker than previously stated. It will ship with a CCS port, not a Tesla-style NACS, though that port will be bi-directional.
This means the truck can heave out electricity in creative ways, such as running a welder or powering a home in an outage. Those feats will likely require supplementary equipment, of course. But the 120V household-style outlets are said to be good for 4.8 kW, more than enough to fuel the demands of camping accessories or tools and household appliances.
Speaking of, spox on a call this week wouldn’t (or couldn’t) talk about price, nor a precise arrival date. We speculate its sticker will likely compete with or exceed spendy trims of the gasoline-powered Ram 1500.
However, it needs to be said one of the most expensive components of an EV truck, its battery, is tempered in the Ramcharger by the presence of its Pentastar V6, an engine whose tooling has long been paid for, and examples of which Ram likely has lying around like discarded Skittles in the break room. A 92-kWh battery is far less expensive to produce than the 205-kWh honker used by Chevy in its Silverado EV.
It’s been nearly one-and-a-half years since the Ramcharger was first shown, though today’s details inch it much closer to production. Nevertheless, these new specs suggest the Ramcharger will deliver on numerous selling points key to pickup buyers, potentially making it the most important truck this year.
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