We knew the Ram 1500 was going electric with the Ram 1500 REV. We also knew Ram was planning to add a range extender version. Well, Ram has just debuted that — with the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger.
It’s a bit more extensive than we anticipated, falling somewhere between a plug-in hybrid and a full-on electric truck. It could be the brilliant bridge that unites the ICE and electric truck communities with the best of both worlds. It could be too weird for either pole to get behind. Either way, it will be interesting.
Here's what you need to know about the new Ram 1500 Ramcharger.
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The 1500 Ramcharger is not a hybrid, according to Ram
Stellantis
Ram won't use the "h-word" to describe the 1500 Ramcharger. The company views it as a body-on-frame BEV truck that happens to have a gasoline generator — not a hybrid.
Suffice it to say, Ram may be stretching the definition of "not" here, but only by a little. Unlike a traditional PHEV, the gas engine has no direct connection to the wheels. It only charges the battery which then powers the electric motors.
So what does power the Ram 1500 Ramcharger?
Stellantis
The Ram 1500 Ramcharger packs a 92-kWh electric battery that powers dual electric motors for all-wheel-drive. For comparison, that’s significantly smaller than the battery packs in the Ram 1500 REV, which will use a massive 168-kWh pack for the standard range model and a 229-kWh pack for the long range one.
Ram then provides the 1500 Ramcharger with a 130 kW generator to charge the battery. The generator is a modified version of Stellantis’s ubiquitous 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. A similar system (probably with a different engine) should make its way to the electric Jeep Wrangler when it goes electric.
How powerful is the Ram 1500 Ramcharger?
Stellantis
The 1500 Ramcharger specs sound fairly wild. The Ram 1500 Ramcharger is more powerful than any ICE truck, with 663 horsepower and 615 lb-ft of torque. It can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, tow up to 14,000 pounds and accommodate a 2,625-pound payload. And like the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Ramcharger will be capable of “vehicle to everything” charging.
How much range does the 1500 Ramcharger have?
Stellantis
A lot. The Ramcharger can travel up to 145 miles on battery power. And it can travel up to 690 miles with a full battery and a full 27-gallon tank of gas to run the generator. The Ramcharger does not quite have the fast charging speed of the Ram 1500 REV, But it can still add about 50 miles of range in 10 minutes with 145-kW fast charging.
What trims does the 1500 Ramcharger come in?
Stellantis
We don’t know yet. Ram has not confirmed the trim lineup for the Ram 1500 Ramcharger yet. But the media photo site had the truck rendered in Tradesman, Big Horn, Laramie, Limited and Tungsten trims. So that’s probably a good starting point.
When will the Ram 1500 Ramcharger arrive?
Stellantis
Ram says its BEV trucks — which include the 1500 Ramcharger — will arrive before the end of the 2024 calendar year.
How much will the Ram 1500 Ramcharger cost?
Stellantis
Ram has not announced pricing for the Ram 1500 Ramcharger. In theory, battery technology is the major expense driving up EVs. The Ramcharger having a much smaller battery pack than the 1500 REV could make it significantly cheaper. But Ram has not confirmed that to be the case.
