2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger Tungsten Steel
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Detroit- star WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The automaker said on Wednesday it would further delay the launch of its all-electric Ram pickup truck from 2025 to 2026 as it faces slower-than-expected adoption of electric vehicles and competitors struggling to make money on electric trucks.
The company said the decision to delay the all-electric model will help prioritize an electric range-extended version of the truck called the Ramcharger, which uses a gas engine combined with electric vehicle technology.
“The decision to launch the Ramcharger first was driven by strong consumer interest, maintaining a competitive edge in technology and slowing industry demand for half-ton all-electric pickup trucks,” Ram said in a press release.
Stellantis said the Ramcharger will be open for customer orders in the first half of 2025, followed by the Ram 1500 REV in 2026.
The change in priorities is the first major shift announced since Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis returned earlier this month, after Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares Left the company for a management shake-up.
Kunisakis retired from Stellantis in May and returned to the automaker. He said earlier this month he expected changes at the troubled brand, which saw sales fall 24% in the third quarter of this year.
Dodge brand Stellantis CEO Tim Kuniskis introduces the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept all-electric muscle car during its global launch event during Dodge Week of Speed at the M1 Hall in Pontiac, Michigan on August 17, 2022.
Bill Pugliano | Getty Images
“I’m not coming off the bench to not come here and make calls, so stay tuned. More information is coming,” he said in a brief media appearance a day after returning to the company.
Kuniskis attributes the brand’s current sales woes to the slower-than-expected rollout of the redesigned Ram 1500 model and delays in its upcoming heavy-duty trucks.
“Things are getting better every day, but we still have a lot of work to do,” said Kuniskis, who calls the Ramcharger pickup the brand’s “Goldilocks truck” — equivalent to the right combination of power, range and features .
The Ramcharger is called an “extended range electric vehicle” or EREV. It can operate as a zero-emission electric vehicle until the battery is depleted and an onboard electric motor-generator powered by the 27-gallon, 3.6-liter V6 engine kicks in to power the vehicle.
Stellantis estimates the Ramcharger’s range to be up to 690 miles, including up to 145 miles of range when fully charged when powered by the 92-kilowatt-hour battery, eliminating the need for the range-extending power of a gas engine and 130-kilowatt generator.
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