Ram officially announced the Ram 1500 REV, its first all-electric pickup truck, today, and the company claims that it is starting a revolution despite being late to electrification.
We already knew that Ram 1500 REV would be the name of the brand’s first electric pickup thanks to a trademark filing last year, but now the company has made it official with a press release today:
Ram Truck brand confirmed today that its first battery-electric pickup truck will be known as the Ram 1500 REV. The announcement of the all-new Ram 1500 REV as the name of the brand’s first electric pickup truck marks the latest step in Ram’s electrification journey to bring the industry’s best electrified options to market.
The Ram 1500 REV is expected to be the production version of the Ram revolution unveiled last month.
With the announcement today, Ram said that production will start next year and that more details will be released on Sunday, which happens to be Super Bowl day.
Ram wrote in the press release:
Production of the all-new Ram 1500 REV will begin next year. More information will be available Sunday, Feb. 12, and the vehicle will be formally revealed to the public in the coming months.
It appears likely that Ram will join many other automakers in advertising their electrification efforts with prime time Super Bowl ads.
Mike Koval Jr., Ram brand CEO, commented on the announcement today.
He believes that Ram is starting a “revolution” with its electrification effort:
At Ram, we started a revolution last year as we invited consumers along on the beginning of our electrification journey, gathering their feedback on exactly what they are looking for in an electric pickup truck. We look forward to delivering our first EV pickup – the all-new Ram 1500 REV – to those consumers next year. We are confident the Ram 1500 REV will push past the competition, offering what will be the leading combination of attributes customers care about the most: range, payload, towing and charge time.
That’s despite the fact that it is Ram’s first all-electric vehicle and that every major player in the pickup truck market in the United States is planning to release an electric product before the Ram 1500 REV makes it to market.
Electrek’s Take
I know that it’s a play on the name of the concept, but it appears that they are serious about it.
Top comment by kineticarl
With current battery technology, it seems like the only way to make these horribly inefficient vehicles overcome the unyielding energy demand involved in pushing their hulking frames and payload through the air and over mountains is to throw enormous batteries into them, say 3 times larger (200 kWh, $35,000) than a typical passenger vehicle. That seems like a gross misappropriation of resources, especially knowing these trucks will most likely be used to their true potential for an exceedingly small portion of their lifetime. I know that's not how free markets and capitalism work, but still these EV trucks and by extension large SUVs will suffer the same gratuitous overconsumptive shortcomings of their ICE-powered brethren. But hey, no direct emissions.
That shows quite a lack of self-awareness in my opinion.
Ram, and Stellantis, are certainly not leading in the electric revolution. By the time this thing hits the market, Ford is already going to be close to releasing the second generation of the F150 Lightning and there are going to be three or four other electric pickup trucks available from other major brands.
Now, it doesn’t mean that Ram will be completely left behind, but it basically needs to hit it out of the park on its first try, which is not easy.
I am extremely skeptical, but maybe we get a surprise on Sunday with specs and pricing that will indeed “push past the competition.” Personally, I doubt it.
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