Ram Trucks’ first electric pickup might be set to answer those wondering about its capabilities.
The Stellantis brand planned to unveil its concept version, formally the Ram 1500 Revolution Battery-electric Vehicle concept, on Thursday at CES in Las Vegas and said the truck would be built on a platform that it has said can manage up to 500 miles on a charge.
The vehicle is to be based on the “STLA Frame” platform, the largest of four electric vehicle platforms that Stellantis, the company that also owns Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat, has announced to date.
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The information about the platform came in a release ahead of the truck’s unveiling at what was formerly known as the Consumer Electronic Show, a massive tech expo that attracts media coverage beyond the traditional auto press. The unveiling had originally been slated for last year’s LA Auto Show.
It’s not clear what the production version of the truck, slated for 2024, will manage, but Ram brand CEO Mike Koval Jr. is not backing away from his earlier assessment that the Ram EV pickup would give its main competitors, presumably the Ford F-150 Lightning and electric Chevrolet Silverado, more than a run for their money.
“At Ram, we’ve redefined what pickup trucks can be and will do so again by pushing past what competitors are offering by delivering the best electric pickups on the market,” he said in the release, which promised that the Ram 1500 BEV would be the leader in areas customers care about most – range, towing, payload and charge time.
Details on the production version are yet to come.
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The concept truck features four-wheel steering with a body-on-frame design and adjustable air suspension to enable three different modes – ingress/egress, aero and off-road, the release said, noting that the truck “can add up to 100 miles of range in approximately 10 minutes with 800-volt DC fast charging at up to 350 kW.”
The truck’s exterior design was described as “strikingly ‘brutiful’ – brutal yet beautiful,” featuring what appears to be a fairly aerodynamic and sleek look for a pickup. A large “R-A-M” badge sits at the center of what would be the grille in the midst of a “fully animated LED ‘tuning fork’ design,” according to images and the release.
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The doors open saloon style without a B-pillar to showcase a “cavernous occupant space” and a longer cabin, and because it’s an EV, this concept will come with a frunk. Other space and seating features include third-row jump seats and a midgate with powered glass to enable a pass-through into the frunk that can handle something that’s 18 feet long with the tailgate closed, the release said, noting that the center console is removable and its armrests can be used as workstations.