No ICE Range Extender for Electric Ram 1500 Revolution Concept After All
The electric truck concept is missing its onboard power generator that was supposedly promised early last year. So where is it?
Early last year, Ram's CEO seemingly confirmed that the first electric pickup truck the automaker sells will have a combustion engine range extender for onboard battery charging. Now that the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept is here, though, it has no such motor on board. That's partially because Ram has to build its reputation as a company that makes EVs, and in turn, the Revolution concept needs to emphasize its electric power first and foremost.
"Let's say this: This is a battery-electric concept. Our priority is a battery-electric vehicle," said Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. in an interview with The Drive.
"For now, for today, the conversation is about Ram Revolution which is a full BEV," he continued. "And of course, the unveiling of our actual production BEV, which is in the not-too-distant future. Certainly beyond that, I don't want to speculate on that for competitive reasons. That's the exciting part about this business and it's going to be a fun year."
So far, we only know the basics about the Ram Revolution's makeup. It'll be based on the body-on-frame STLA Frame platform, with its battery pack located inside the frame rails like the Ford F-150 Lighting. Also like the Lightning, it'll have standard independent rear suspension. This takes the coil spring setup we've long seen on the gas Ram 1500 a step further.
Koval wouldn't rule out an ICE range extender down the line, but going by the way he speaks of it, it doesn't sound like the RXEV will be the first model out the door.
"We are looking at multiple solutions," Koval said of electrification. "We do not want to be a follower. Our plan at Ram is to do things differently; to blaze our own trail. We've heard our customers and they've told us they don't want us to compromise on core attributes, including range. So when we bring our suite of electrified solutions to market for 2024, we think that's going to help differentiate us."
This iteration of the Ram Revolution won't be the last, as Koval promises we will see a road-ready version as soon as "a couple of months" from now. Maybe that's when we'll get our first look at the range-extended truck—if Ram doesn't have other surprises in store, like a TRX EV. (Jeez, easy with the screeching there, bud.)
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