Electric Ram 1500 REV Looks a Lot Like the Gas Truck After All
The Ram 1500 Revolution Concept was wild in more ways than one, and the production truck is tame by comparison. That’s probably for the better.
When the Ram 1500 Revolution Concept debuted in January, we knew it wouldn't be the electric truck's final form. Radical features like third-row jumpseats seemed a little far-fetched unless Ram planned to go full-bore. The automaker promised that the production model would debut "in the coming months," and here we are in February with a good look at the real deal. Thing is, its design is a lot more like the gas-powered Ram 1500's than anyone probably expected.
That's OK because the resulting truck is arguably better-looking with tamer features. The concept's illuminated front fascia sticks around just as Stellantis Head of Design Ralph Gilles told us it would last month, but most everything aft of it is different. This includes the overall shape as the concept had a low-slung roof and an angular midsection where the bed met the cab. The production Ram 1500 REV instead mimics its internal combustion-powered stablemate's profile with a more traditional three-block layout.
It's not all the same, and anyone who gets more than a passing glance at the electric pickup will know it's something else. Not only is the front-end design specific to the REV, but the rear also has its own differentiating styling cues. Most notable are the taillights, which have angular brows that extend onto the tailgate; it's similar to the Ford F-150 Lightning in that way.
Really, the Ram 1500 REV's overall ethos is akin to the F-150 Lightning's. It takes what the ICE truck does well and aims to improve it with electrification rather than rewriting the script entirely. Chevrolet seems to have gone in another direction with the 2024 Silverado EV, which is a heck of a lot different from the ICE model with a midgate, 24-inch wheels, and angles everywhere. Reception of the Chevy was mixed as a result, with some praising it for that daring style and others dunking on it for the same reason.
Ram could've brought the Revolution concept's wildest features to production, but it would risk losing its core audience right off the bat. In a conversation at this past week's Chicago Auto Show, Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. told my coworker Jerry Perez, “You’ll quickly be able to see how much this concept was able to influence the actual production battery-electric vehicle. Now I will say, one of the beautiful things about a concept vehicle is you’re allowed to dream. You’re allowed to put things on it that may or may not make their way into production.” As it turns out, that statement carried a lot more weight than we knew.
We still don't know anything about the Ram 1500 REV's interior or powertrain as those details will come at a later date. Still, Ram insists it will beat the existing competition when it comes to range, charge time, payload capacity, and max towing. Those mighty promises remain words on a page until it actually reaches production sometime in 2024. Customers can pay $100 for a reservation in the meantime, starting right now.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
