We get up close and personal with the upcoming Ram 1500 Ramcharger EREV chassis. This is the STLA frame that will support Ram’s range-extender electric pickup truck. There is a lot going on here. This is how Ram is planning to sell an electric pickup truck with up to 690 miles of total driving range. Let’s dig in.
The chassis you see here has air suspension, so this is likely one of the more fancy trim levels (Laramie, Limited, or Tungsten). Ram is also planning to offer the Ramcharger EREV in a base Tradesman trim. However, all of these details are still to come.
The chassis you see here is still under development, so some elements may change for the final production version that is coming in about a year or so.
As you can see here, there is a large gasoline engine that is sitting in the front of the vehicle. It will fit directly under the hood. It’s the 3.6L Pentastar V6 gas engine that has been around for a very long time. Stellantis has built and sold millions of these engines around the world. Notice, the engine basically does not have a front accessory drive belt system. It also does not have a traditional transmission behind it. This engine sole purpose is to generate electricity for the battery and/or to send electricity directly to the motor(s).
This chassis has two electric motors, one for the front and one for the rear. The initial electric power rating is 662 hp and 615 lb-ft of torque. The V6 generator is rated at about 174 horsepower.
The Ramcharger is also rated at a maximum payload rating of 2,625 lbs and a maximum trailer rating of 14,000 lbs. These specs are very impressive and nearly put this truck into the 3/4-ton HD territory.
After some inspection, this truck has a lot going on. The V6 generator has dual catalytic converters and a full-length exhaust system with several mufflers/resonators. There are several high voltage wires and coolant lines that run the entire length of the truck. This chassis does not show any radiators that would be there in the final truck.
The battery sits under the cab of the truck and the fuel tank is under the bed section. The truck has four-corner indepandendent suspension that should make it comfortable to drive. Out back, there is a beefy hitch that will handle pulling those heavy trailers.
This chassis does not show where the onboard power export outlets are. Export power is one benefit of electrified pickup trucks that would expand the vehicle’s capability (charge another vehicle, power a job site, power a camp site, provide backup power for a home, etc).
Let us know what you think? Is this type of a range-extended EV pickup a great idea, or is it simply too complicated?
We cannot wait to test the new Ramcharger in the real world.
