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An updated version of the Ram Revolution concept vehicle is being teased barely a month before the all-electric pickup makes its formal debut at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The Stellantis truck brand is set to become one of the next to enter the EV pickup market, a production version of the Ram Revolution expected to go into production in 2024, based on comments made by brand executives at the Chicago Auto Show last February.
The automaker wants to get a leg up on earlier entrants, such as the GMC Hummer, Rivian R1T and Ford F-150 Lightning. It has said that the production truck will deliver as much as 500 miles of range, offer rapid charging and “advanced automation.”
Plenty of competition
It would come to market around the same time as some other key entrants, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV. Tesla also has said it will get its long-delayed Cybertruck into showrooms by late 2023 — though skeptics abound considering the automaker’s troubles meeting production targets.
The various manufacturers have been taking decidedly different approaches when it comes to the designs of their trucks. Ford’s Lightning is difficult to differentiate from more conventional versions of the best-selling F-150 line. The Cybertruck, at the other extreme, boasts a radical wedge shape for its stainless steel body.
Based on a video Ram has revealed on its Facebook page, the Ram Revolution falls somewhere in the middle, with a more sci-fi-style shape that, nonetheless, is recognizable immediately as a pickup.
Balancing muscle and aerodynamics
In classic concept form, it adopts features that are highly unlikely to actually make it into production — notably using cameras rather than traditional sideview mirrors.
But the overall design of the Ram Revolution is likely to bear a strong resemblance to the production pickup — much as will be the case with the Dodge Charger Daytona concept and that brand’s upcoming EV muscle car.
So, based on what we’re seeing here, that means a big Ram logo up front, framed by large LED light strips. Though there’ll be no engine under the hood, the concept displays its muscle with a classic hood power bulge. And it features an otherwise closed off grille since there’s no need to force air into an engine compartment.
Overall, the Revolution will be significantly more aerodynamic than the classic Ram 1500 pickup — a design strategy critical to maximizing range and performance.
Under the skin
One of the questions is whether the production EV will get a front trunk, or “frunk,” a strong selling point for current models like the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T. The latter model added even more cargo space with a cross-vehicle tunnel under the front of the bed. Sealed storage is a potential plus for electric trucks.
Specifics details haven’t been released about the Ram Revolution. But it’s expected to ride atop the STLA Frame architecture, one of several skateboard-like platforms the automaker is developing. This one is designed to service products that, in traditional form would be body-on-frame. That includes the familiar Ram 1500 pickup.
Power and range
Various sources have indicated Ram will offer several different powertrain options for the production EV pickup, one delivering as much as 855 horsepower. That would top both the Chevrolet Silverado, topping out at 754 hp, and the Ford Lightning, at a maximum 563 hp. But it would fall short of the top-line GMC Hummer, which makes more than 1,000 ponies.
Considering the fastest version of the Lightning launches from 0-60 in just over 4 seconds, the Ram EV might make that jump in somewhere around 3.5 seconds. As for range, the truck brand is believed to be developing at least two optional lithium-ion battery packs. One, at 159 kilowatt-hours, could deliver 400 miles per charge. (The Lightning tops out around 320.) A 200 kWh pack would push that to 500 miles.
We hope to hear more when the concept Ram Revolution debuts in Las Vegas on Jan. 5. A production model is targeted for 2024, brand officials said earlier this year.
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