Bluey

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This is awesome news.... wished it was more immediate but it's good to know they didn't just tease the Revolution concept for nothing.



Special Ram 1500 REV Electric Pickup Truck Features Will Come Eventually
Alisa Priddle Apr 6, 2023

2024-Ram-1550-REV-34.jpg


The 2025 Ram 1500 REV fullsize electric pickup truck is not even on sale yet, but work is already underway on the next-generation truck. Between the updates planned over the lifecycle of the first-gen REV and the sheetmetal changes envisioned for the second generation, Stellantis executives say most of the cool features from what we saw on the Ram Revolution concept vehicle, which were lacking on the final production form, will make it to production.

Ralph Gilles, chief design officer, calls the Revolution concept that was unveiled at CES in January a manifesto and roadmap of the direction the Ram brand is headed. It starts with design elements like the tuning fork design of the front end and distinctive headlights and taillights. He bristles at the suggestion the production truck was toned down, saying many of the features from the concept will be realized in the "near long-term."

His boss, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, backs this up. The first shot at an electric pickup needed to appeal to Ram's wide customer base and the plan is to bring buyers along as the automaker transitions to an electric future. The initial focus was on strong performance figures: 654-hp, more than 500 miles of range, quick charging, 14,000-pound towing capacity, 2,700 pounds of payload, all to help calm any perceived fears about going electric.

Is Tavares worried that by the time his truck comes out, the competition will match or exceed his numbers? "Possibly," he says. "But we are not going to stop working." His own numbers could go up by the time the truck goes on sale in late 2024.

And the innovative aspects of the concept are very much part of the product plan, Tavares says. "Everything that you have seen on the CES concept car will come at different steps of the lifecycle management or for the next generation, depending on the feature," he tells MotorTrend while attending the New York International Auto Show, where the REV was formally unveiled.


Buying Time for Next-Gen REV

Gilles says by taking the popular current Ram and making it electric, "that allows us to peacefully work on the next-gen at our own pace." And in the interim Ram is showing the concept around the country, gathering data on what people like and want.

The advanced chassis, on the new STLA Frame architecture, is heavy lifting and expensive—but now it is done. The chassis can handle new and more adventurous top hats in the future to accommodate features like a midgate, pass-through, and track system. Such features would make for a more expensive truck, so that must be factored in, as well.

A lot of the tech can be realized with the first-gen truck, says Ram brand CEO Mike Koval Jr.; Stellantis has patented a few things so they can be added in the future. Technically, about 98 percent of the cool stuff on the concept can be put into a production truck, Koval says, and not all of it has to wait for the next generation.
His team is putting together a roadmap of what can be taken from the concept and be applied over the lifecycle of the first electric truck. There are elements that will be layered in over the next few years. Much of it will be technical—features that require sheetmetal and other physical changes will be easier to incorporate in an all-new model. "It's gonna be a lot of fun introducing some of the stuff," the Ram boss says.

Ram will start building the REV in the fourth quarter of 2024 and will soon announce where it will be assembled. The truck will launch with one battery size but both the standard and long-range battery will be available by the end of the first model year, Koval says.

Initial reservations opened after the SuperBowl commercial but closed after a few days because the first year's production was all spoken for. Koval says they have found a way to increase capacity and Ram has resumed taking orders. He would not say how many they have to date or how many they can accept before closing it again. He does not want people to be on a waiting list for years.

In the interim, an electric Ram ProMaster begins production later this year and will be the first EV for the U.S. And after that there will be a pair of Jeeps: the Recon and Wagoneer S, as well as the Dodge Charger Daytona EV muscle car, and the Ram. And hydrogen is used in commercial vans in Europe and will also be in future heavy-duty Ram pickups, Tavares teased.
 
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