Ram Starts A Revolution As It Prepares To Go Electric

Let’s face, prior to merging with PSA last year to become Stellantis, the company formerly known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was not enthusiastic about electric vehicles. The only EV it sold in North America was a fun to drive but woefully short range Fiat 500e. The company and the automotive world have shifted gears dramatically in the past year and swarm of battery powered vehicles are coming to Stellantis dealerships including an all-electric Ram 1500 and Stellantis wants to get customers ready for the Revolution. 

Pickup trucks are the best selling vehicles in the U.S. market and given all of the attention that Tesla, Rivian, General Motors and Ford have gotten for their electric truck announcements, it’s no surprise that Ram might be feeling a bit left out of the conversation. That’s why it’s launching the Ram Revolution with a website at RamRevolution.com two years before the new truck goes on sale. 

At this point we know almost nothing about what Ram is doing aside from the fact that it is developing a dedicated electric platform for trucks that will presumably also be used for full-size SUVs like Jeep Wagoneer. The new website will presumably gradually tease out some of those details starting with the first two images that have been released. 

Odds are the EV will continue to be truck shaped rather than a rolling door stop but whether it retains the traditional architecture of a separate cab and bed or goes unibody like the new Chevrolet Silverado EV is a mystery. Since the Ram EV will be the last of the domestic brand trucks to hit the market, it seems likely that Ram may be a bit more adventurous in its design. 

The site will give the brand a place to at least nominally get feedback from customers about what they want in an electric truck, although realistically most of those decisions have probably already been locked in at this point. The brand also plans to host the Ram Real Talk Tour at events around the country to solicit some of that feedback. Some items that may still be open for discussion are just how much range the electric truck will actually need. The Ford F-150 Lightning will top out around 300 miles while Chevrolet is promising over 400 miles from the Silverado.

The full-size pickup won’t be the first battery powered Ram to hit the market though. That honor will fall to the Promaster EV van. Based on the Fiat Ducato which has been available in electric form in Europe since mid-2019, the Promaster arrives in 2023 while the pickup gets here the following year. We live in interesting times as the whole automotive industry shifts from internal combustion to electrification but it’s still very early and things will undoubtedly continue to evolve for many years to come so its probably a good thing that Ram is looking for input.