Ram Killed Its 500-Mile Electric Pickup And May Bring Back Hemi V8 Engines
There are big changes afoot with Ram’s big trucks.
Late last year the automaker decided to delay the introduction of the all-electric Ram 1500 REV to prioritize the launch of the Ram 1500 Ramcharger, which is hybrid range-extended electric vehicle with a V6 generator to augment its battery pack on long trips.
Now the automaker as canceled a planned 500-mile version of the Ram 1500 REV entirely and will only come to market with a 350-mile trim, Mopar Insiders first reported.
“This decision was related to the recent move that created an opportunity to lead with Ramcharger technology,” the automaker told the outlet.
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Suppliers have been told to stop working on anything specifically related to the 500-mile model, but other folks involved in Ram truck production have been told something very different. An industry source has informed The Autopian that an email has been sent out regarding the “5.7L Hemi Reintroduction for 2026MY.”
Ram famously discontinued the V8 engine options for the Ram 1500 when it was updated for 2025, which hasn’t sat all that well with all of its fans. Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis, who was involved with eliminating V8s from the Dodge and Ram lineups to help Stellantis meet fleet emissions standards, recently called the move “anti-American.” The engines were replaced by more powerful turbocharged inline-six-cylinder motors, but not everyone has been convinced that they are superior.
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“Americans love freedom of choice more than anything,” Kuniskis told Road & Track. “When you take away their freedom of choice and tell them ‘you must take this,’ they revolt. Whether it makes sense or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s anti-American, you’ve taken my flag away, f*** you.”
GM still offers two V8 engines in the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 while Ford has a 5.0-liter V8 for the F-150, even though the majority of its trucks are now sold with turbocharged V6s.
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Sales of the Ram 1500 have dropped significantly in recent years, in part because the budget Ram 1500 Classic was also discontinued last year.
The updated Ram 1500 uses the same body as the 2024 model that was available with V8s, so they will still fit, but significant reengineering and recertification processes would be required to reintegrate it with the vehicle.
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