2025 Ram 1500

[rmc523]

2025 Ram 1500 adds 'unlimited' range Ramcharger EV and Hurricane I6 power - Autoblog

 

The Ram 1500 has gone from being the newest (and nicest) pickup on the market to the oldest in the space of just a few short years. The Stellantis truck build is looking to leapfrog the competition yet again for the 2025 model year, bringing new turbocharged, six-cylinder engines in place of the old iron-block Hemis and introducing a range-extended electric model with a bladder-busting 690 miles of total theoretical range — and you never have to visit a charging station if you don't want to.

Put another way (and Ram did in its announcement, multiple times): the range on the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger is effectively unlimited. Thanks to its onboard generator (which looks like, sounds like and in fact is simply a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6), there's no such thing as a dead drive battery unless you run out of gas. In the words of Ram brand CEO Tim Kuniskis: "Range anxiety, gone."

 

Edited November 7, 2023 by rmc523

[Dlcorbett]

I like the., they look great.  The phev version is looking very competitive as a product, but its def gonna by $95k for the tungsten trim.

[silvrsvt]

I hate to see how much its going to weigh with both a V6 and a 92-kWh battery pack. Seems like an overly complex product that I'm sure that the EPA and CARB will find a way to make not count towards EV credits or something. 

[DeluxeStang]

I just don't see the point of this really. By the time this thing actually comes out, we're gonna be having EV trucks with 500-600 miles of range as is. I wouldn't be surprised if T3 is one of them. 

 

This seems like it would have been a game changer 10 years ago, but now, not so much. 

[tbone]

3 hours ago, DeluxeStang said:

I just don't see the point of this really. By the time this thing actually comes out, we're gonna be having EV trucks with 500-600 miles of range as is. I wouldn't be surprised if T3 is one of them. 

 

This seems like it would have been a game changer 10 years ago, but now, not so much. 

I’ll believe this when I see it.  IMO, this is a great product that covers all the bases for the transition to BEVs. It has good electric range and ICE for those areas that have poor charging infrastructure.  Kuniskis is right about eliminating range anxiety with this setup, and it doesn’t lack performance.  If the price is right, I think they will sell a ton of these.  

[rperez817]

12 hours ago, DeluxeStang said:

I just don't see the point of this really. By the time this thing actually comes out, we're gonna be having EV trucks with 500-600 miles of range as is. I wouldn't be surprised if T3 is one of them. 

 

This seems like it would have been a game changer 10 years ago, but now, not so much. 

 

Good points DeluxeStang. Regulatory compliance comes to mind, but silvrsvt's suggestion that government agencies may wise up and disallow 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger from qualifying for incentives intended for true zero-emissions vehicles is a real possibility.

 

As you mentioned, the technology used for Ramcharger may have been worthwhile a decade ago, but nowadays is effectively obsolete. And Stellantis' claim that "the range on the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger is effectively unlimited" is misleading, just like Toyota's infamous "Self-Charging Hybrid" moniker (which was banned in some European countries).

[fordmantpw]

It's a PHEV with a really large battery.  Basically the same concept as the Volt.  Which, I would think, is much simpler than a typical hybrid set up.

 

Having an electric vehicle now, the driving experience is second to none.  It's truly amazing, and gets a giggle every time I step on the accelerator.  This concept doesn't eliminate oil changes, or completely eliminate gas station stops, but it's a great alternative for trucks, especially for towing.

 

Wonder how this would work in a Super Duty.  A 2.3L I4 EB sitting up front to charge the battery when you run out of juice.  Would be interesting to see if it could generate enough electricity to supply the necessary power to pull 16k lbs of fifth wheel behind a Super Duty once the battery is empty.  Would be a perfect solution for me if it's up to the task.

 

 

[silvrsvt]

So a question I have is how long does it take the ICE to recharge the battery fully? 

[akirby]

The problem with that architecture is you lose energy converting ICE output to electricity rather than using the ICE to drive the wheels directly.  That’s why Volt MPG was so much lower than other hybrids when the battery was depleted and also why they had to add a direct connection at high speeds.

[CurtisH]

46 minutes ago, akirby said:

The problem with that architecture is you lose energy converting ICE output to electricity rather than using the ICE to drive the wheels directly.  That’s why Volt MPG was so much lower than other hybrids when the battery was depleted and also why they had to add a direct connection at high speeds.

To me, it seems like the MPG would be irrelevant most of the time.  It only becomes relevant when you tow long distances.  Otherwise, you wouldn’t be using the ICE.  So, someone that tows occasionally (or never) wouldn’t care about the slightly lower MPG because they are running on battery power most of the time.  If you tow all the time, this is probably still not the best option for you. 

[silvrsvt]

9 minutes ago, CurtisH said:

To me, it seems like the MPG would be irrelevant most of the time.  It only becomes relevant when you tow long distances.  Otherwise, you wouldn’t be using the ICE.  So, someone that tows occasionally (or never) wouldn’t care about the slightly lower MPG because they are running on battery power most of the time.  If you tow all the time, this is probably still not the best option for you. 

 

But that begs the question about how long the ICE needs to run if its never charged too....

[Deanh]

59 minutes ago, akirby said:

The problem with that architecture is you lose energy converting ICE output to electricity rather than using the ICE to drive the wheels directly.  That’s why Volt MPG was so much lower than other hybrids when the battery was depleted and also why they had to add a direct connection at high speeds.

good point...but what utilizes more energy...charging a battery with just the engines parasitic losses or adding in the whole enchilada...I like the concept, and as someone mentioned, its Volt like...and love the advertising moniker..."unlimited mileage"...wonderfully mis-leading....cant wait for a road test...

[akirby]

1 hour ago, CurtisH said:

To me, it seems like the MPG would be irrelevant most of the time.  It only becomes relevant when you tow long distances.  Otherwise, you wouldn’t be using the ICE.  So, someone that tows occasionally (or never) wouldn’t care about the slightly lower MPG because they are running on battery power most of the time.  If you tow all the time, this is probably still not the best option for you. 

It’s relevant if you drive long distances and don’t recharge often.  I was really just commenting on the technology though not so much this truck.

[CurtisH]

1 hour ago, akirby said:

It’s relevant if you drive long distances and don’t recharge often.  I was really just commenting on the technology though not so much this truck.

I would hope anyone who bought it would want to recharge it routinely,  but you never know.

 

I agree about the technology.

Edited November 8, 2023 by CurtisH