Here’s the tweet that announced the concept’s reveal:
Details: https://t.co/W3kv9rtdlG pic.twitter.com/eUaQKTwY4Q — Stellantis North America (@StellantisNA) November 1, 2022 In case you can’t really make out what’s going on in that picture, here it is, enlarged and brightened a bit:
Okay, it’s the side of a truck, quite swoopy, and with a few notable differences from Stellantis’ earlier tease, which showed a different light signature and looked more like a designer’s rendering:
Ram is coming a bit late to the game for EV trucks, with Ford’s F-150 Lightning already for sale, and the Rivian already on the market as well, along with Hummer, Silverado EV, and Sierra EVs from GM, and Tesla of course has their Cybertruck, which they say will start production at the end of 2023, but, really, who knows.
The Ram will very likely be built on the body-on-frame version of the Stellantis STLA platform, which is very much like most body-on-frame EV platforms, with a battery pack on the floor in the middle and drive units at each axle. If they even try a little in the packaging department, they should be able to get a good size front cargo area and perhaps even some surprise cubbies for tools or whatever, too, just like pretty much everyone else. What I’m curious about is how might Ram make their trucks different or more appealing than the competitors that are likely already out there. Power? Charging? Range? Packaging? Towing? Cargo capacity? Styling? It’s hard to imagine Stellantis pulling off any miracles on any of these crucial points, but who knows? So, what do we think of this? Are people excited for CES to see this, or will it be another essentially the same EV pickup truck? What are we even hoping for, anymore, with out EV pickups? Who are we? Do we matter? Will the Ram truck be able to fill the aching holes in our soul? I’m curious to hear your thoughts! I can’t wait. I would be satisfied if Stellantis produces enough Rams so average buyers could kick their tires. Every other EV truck is unobtanium. I’m not an EV skeptic, but buying one now is a futile exercise. Also, gasoline isn’t going to go anywhere anytime soon. Certainly not in the timeframes governments are deluding themselves with. So the endgame is more “Exactly like now, but the ratios of things will change a little?” (I’m daily driving an electric pickup right now. It’s fantastic, and I can absolutely guarantee you that it’s not ready to replace the vast majority of pickups on the market and never will because it’s battery only. That reality will beat every mandate.) But if the trailer is small I’d rather minivan and trailer for most things that go in the bed. A fridge for example is easier loading with a Dolly. Better ergonomics for wood, or Mulch, or whatever. Payload for towing with a minivan and loading a Light duty bed is about identical. Now towing, that is truck things that BEVs don’t make sense for. Heavy Duty payloads also don’t make much sense but those vehicles also don’t make sense for BEVs at this time. What was my point? Not sure, just wanted to minivan fanboy and say for 90% of actual truck use they are better trucks. The other 10% I acknowledge above. “Yes there is some”. Seriously though, I see these as the way to introduce EV to the average American. Take a well known vehicle, make it EV to prove the concept, others follow. Just don’t let Hoovie make a video as Alex Jones will pick it up and make a case out of it. Hoovie did say it just his findings on one particular circumstance. As a commuter, dump runner, home improvement store vehicle, I can see this for 90% of what is truck is used for. I mean, what are the fundamental purpose elements of a pickup truck? A pickup bed and towing capacity (along with safety tools / crashworthiness among all modern designs), right? Could we package those elements in a form that isn’t peacocking as a friggin’ MRAP? Kill the massive blunt front ends and move the overall package lower to the ground so you don’t need to be Shaq to see over the hood. Lower frontal area and a more streamlined shape will be helpful for aero and range (and the use of a less colossal battery for reasons of weight and sustainable production). I’unno. I’m not an automotive engineer and I’m sure as hell not a product planner. Baroque machismo seems to sell well in today’s mediascape of [thing you should be scared of] so I dunno if a lower to the ground “streamliner” design would do well. There is a joke here… RAM + CES + Computers…. I liked it better when it stood on its own. I see SO MANY people hauling a big load of absolutely nothing around town all day every day because they want to make Lowe’s run twice a month; why not do those trips without burning any gas? But hey, if it makes you feel better, I’ve also got a little roadster. It’s fun enough to let me focus on other needs for a second vehicle. Side note: it appears to still have a cliff for a face…which seems unnecessary. Their trucks will have the ‘Ram’ brand on it. The others won’t. That’s how it will be different. Though I suspect they’ll figure out a few other ways to be different. Now having said that, having a greater variety of BEVs from different companies is something that excites me in general. We need more BEV choices. And Ram/Stellantis absolutely need to do this ASAP to stay relevant
