This Ram pickup is ready to go the distance.
The Ram 1500 Ramcharger is the brand’s first plug-in hybrid pickup and will be sold alongside the all-electric Ram 1500 REV starting late next year as a longer-range electrified option.
The Ramcharger revives the classic Dodge SUV name on a crew cab electric pickup that’s equipped with a generator powered by a 174 hp 3.6-liter V6.
The gasoline motor can be used to extend the range of the Ramcharger when its 92-kWh battery is drained and add extra power as needed.
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The fuel can be refilled much quicker than the time it takes to stop for a charging session, but Ram says the truck has a “class-shattering” range of 690 miles on a full 27-gallon tank and battery.
The V6 is installed in a series hybrid configuration with no mechanical connection to the wheels, which are powered by an electric motor at each axle that combine for 663 horsepower and 614 lb-ft of torque.
Engineers told Car and Driver that the battery pack has a useable capacity of 70.8 kWh and a range of 145 miles on its own, but the V6 kicks in when the state of charge reaches a certain level to provide power in a “charge sustaining” mode. This is a typical way series hybrids operate. When full power is required, the motors also tap what’s left in the battery pack for an added boost to maximum power.
Ram says the Ramcharger can accelerate to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, tow 14,000 pounds and carry a payload of 2,625 pounds.
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“Range anxiety, gone. Charge times, gone. All you got left is power,” Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis said.
It does have 145 kW DC fast charging capability, however, which can fill up the battery with 50 miles-worth of electricity in 10 minutes.
The Ramcharger can also provide up to 7.2 kilowatts of power to electrical equipment through a panel of outlets in the bed and is compatible with bi-directional systems that allow it be used for home backup power during blackouts.
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Pricing will be announced closer to when deliveries begin near the end of 2024, but the Ram 1500 Ramcharger will be offered in several trims, including as a Tradesman work truck and top-of-the-line Tungsten luxury pickup.