Update 11-25-2024: Stellantis recently announced that the Ramcharger won't go on sale until the first half of 2025. That means we should see it in dealerships anytime from January through June of next year. That's a bit later than previously expected.
The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger is the world’s first series-hybrid pickup truck. While that might sound a bit pompous, it may also be the best solution to the biggest problem faced by drivers of all-electric pickups: the dramatic decrease in range when towing or hauling anything close to the vehicle’s limits.
A towing test made Stellantis engineers go down the gasoline-electric route for the Ramcharger. "We took one of our competitor's trucks and loaded it up to their towing rate,” said Joe Tolkacz, Ramcharger propulsion system chief engineer. “Then we took it [from Stellantis headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich., just north of Detroit] to Flint and back [about 76 miles] and we didn't make it. We had to stop and charge. We said we really need to do something to extend the capability."
That experience gave birth to the 2025 Ramcharger. But what is the Ramcharger and what sets it apart from other electric trucks? Let's find out.
What Powers The Ramcharger?
In the case of the 2024 Ramcharger, a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine sits under the hood and its sole purpose is to spin a 130-kilowatt electric generator. The gas-burning engine is not connected to the wheels in any way, leaving the job of providing motivation to a pair of electric motors that get their juice from a 92-kilowatt-hour battery pack nestled between the chassis rails.
With a drivetrain configuration similar to the discontinued BMW i3 Range Extender and Chevrolet Volt, Ram’s new work truck combines two electric motors (one at the front and one at the rear), a battery pack, and a gas-powered generator.
The front electric drive module (EDM), as Ram calls it, delivers 250 kilowatts (335 horsepower) and the rear one adds an extra 238 kW (319 hp) to the mix for a combined output of 663 hp and 615 pound-feet of torque, enabling a zero to 60 miles per hour sprint in 4.4 seconds.
Gallery: 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger
How Much Range Does The Ramcharger Have?
The total estimated range of the Ramcharger is 690 miles, a figure that considers both a fully charged battery and a full gas tank.
On battery power alone, the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger–which is not the same as the upcoming all-electric Ram 1500 REV–can drive up to 141 miles, according to Stellantis. Furthermore, the fuel tank can hold 27 gallons of gasoline, which is more than what the 26-gallon tank of the 2024 Ram 1500 Crew Cab can hold.
The fact that refueling with gasoline is much faster than fast-charging a high-voltage battery may convince buyers to consider the Ramcharger over a full-on EV truck. "We saw a lot of advantages. It was very tied to the use model for pickups. We think our customers are looking for a no-compromise truck. They like the idea of electric, and so this fit really well with that," Tolkacz said.
How Will The Engine Operate To Charge The Battery?
The somewhat chaotic engine revving characteristic of regular hybrid vehicles is no issue in the Ramcharger. "One of the criticisms of hybrids is that you'll see engine speed flares and things like that," Tolkacz said. "We developed a strategy so that when the driver tips in on the [accelerator] pedal, the engine operation is intuitive. You'll see very typical operation. We have to balance that with efficiency, so it won't be exactly like a diesel or a conventional gasoline engine, but it will be intuitive."
It will be interesting to see how Stellantis managed to tone down the droning sound of the engine when it needs to replenish the battery.
In most other extended-range electric vehicles, the combustion engine can sometimes start out of the blue and rev up to 3,000 rpm or even higher because it needs to provide electricity to the high-voltage battery. This may happen even when waiting for a traffic light to go green, which is anything but calming.
Is The Ramcharger Fast? Can It Tow A Lot? What's Its Payload Rating?
All things considered—and we still don’t know how much the Ramcharger weighs—the plug-in hybrid truck is no slouch, accelerating from zero to 60 miles per hour in just 4.4 seconds. That’s as quick as a V8-powered Bentley Bentayga ultra-luxury SUV.
Built on the new STLA Frame body-on-frame architecture that was designed specifically for full-size EVs, the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger can tow up to 14,000 pounds with a class 5 hitch and has a best-in-class maximum payload capacity of 2,625 lbs, Stellantis says.
By comparison, the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, which is all-electric, can tow up to 10,000 lbs and haul up to 1,458 lbs in the bed, while the 200+ kWh battery pack offers a range of up to 450 miles. Meanwhile, the Ford F-150 Lightning, which is also full-electric, can tow up to 10,000 lbs and has a maximum payload capacity of 2,235 lbs, while the 131-kWh extended-range battery offers up to 320 miles of range.
How Much Will The Ramcharger Cost?
We don’t know how much the Ramcharger will cost, but if priced correctly, it might be a game changer in the world of pickups and not just in the environmentally friendly category.
Estimates suggest a starting price of around $80,000, which may sound a bit high, but most of the other pure electric trucks on the market aren't cheap either.
When Will The Ramcharger Be Available To Buy?
Stellantis didn’t provide a concrete date when it will be available for sale. Instead, the official release mentions that the gasoline-powered versions of the 2025 Ram hit dealerships in the first quarter of 2024. The all-electric Ram 1500 REV will come in the fourth quarter of 2024 and the Ramcharger EREV will follow, likely in early 2025.
