Ram 1500 — Photo Source/Copyright: Stellantis Media
In February of 2022, Ram launched a new campaign called Ram Revolution. The pickup truck automaker is getting more and more involved with its fans as it shifts the lineup towards electric powertrains. Already successful, the all-electric Ram ProMaster Vans were purchased in mass amounts by Amazon. With a long-term agreement to use thousands of these vans on the road, it’s the exact kind of cushion Ram needs to take a risk and produce an all-electric pickup truck. Announced in 2021, the upcoming Ram 1500 battery-electric vehicle (BEV) pickup truck was teased with two pictures shown during the Stellantis Dare Forward 2030 virtual conference.
This year, Stellantis celebrated its one-year anniversary. The merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Groupe PSA became Stellantis in September 2020 and revealed the new Stellantis logo in November of 2020. A strong year followed, and although the two groups have been slow to make the change to an electrified lineup, off-road automaker Jeep was already building its lineup with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and the 4xe lineup. As we mentioned earlier, Ram has already seen major success with the electric ProMaster and its announcement late last year of the shift to electrified options in the lineups of several automotive brands, Ram and Jeep included. During the first half of 2023, the first all-electric SUV from Jeep is planned to be released, and the fully electric Ram 1500 pickup truck is planned to make its debut after that.
It is unclear if the recent teaser of the electric Ram 1500 means the release date has been moved, but it was previously thought that the 1500 would come out sometime in 2024, sharing the spotlight with its former parent automaker, Dodge. Indeed, the brand known for making muscle cars is making the commitment to adding EVs to its lineup while still keeping its same muscle car performance. Some may be wondering, why shift now?
The easiest answer is the carbon-dioxide emission restrictions set by the European Union. Most automakers go through Europe before going global, and when doing so, the EU rates vehicles based on their CO2 emissions. Aiming to drop to 95 grams per kilometer from 130 grams per kilometer by 2021, the EU became much stricter, and automakers with a focus on performance over eco-friendly options hurt the overall score for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in 2019. In fact, the automotive group had to work with its competitor, Tesla, and FCA brought their lineups together to get FCA to pass, but it cost a heft payout.
With that in mind, it is also very clear that the auto industry is making a shift towards alternative fuel vehicles. On the one hand, some may argue that Stellantis is behind, and may even come into the race for EVs when it’s too late. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares says otherwise and believes that because the automotive group is late to the game, the EVs and PHEVs currently being designed and produced can avoid the same mistakes other competitors have made and build upon their success through their own adaptations.
Are you looking forward to the upcoming all-electric Ram 1500? We sure are. You can follow along with us on Aventura Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram social media and join the discussion.
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Terry is an avid Nascar fan who grew up attending races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, just down the road from his hometown of China Grove, NC. Terry currently resides in Wellington and has been writing for 15 years. He also enjoys watching the Road Runner Looney Tunes cartoon with his two sons in his spare time.