Ram Trucks might be a little late to the party, but it made it.
The Detroit-based automaker unveiled its first electric truck concept, the 1500 Revolution, at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show. Despite its delay, the EV is packed with new features and gadgets that should help it stand out in an increasingly crowded field.
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We knew the revolution of 1500 or something like that was coming. Ram, which used to be a Dodge line before being spun off as its own brand, has not hidden the fact that it is working on an electric version of the 1500. That doesn’t make the prototype Ram that was brought to Las Vegas any less impressive. Should the production model stay true to concept, the Ram EV will be as forward-thinking as the Rivian, the Ford F-150 Lightning, or even the much-hyped and perpetually delayed Tesla Cybertruck.
Being a concept only, details on the 1500 Revolution’s powertrain are sparse at this point. What we do know, according to multiple outlets, is that the pickup will be built on parent company Stellantis’ body-on-frame EV platform and will have two motors, one on each axle, giving it all-wheel drive. While no performance numbers were given, we’d expect it to at least match the top-of-the-line F-150 Lightning, the Platinum, which can produce 563 hp, 775 ft-lbs of torque and towing power up to 10,000 pounds. There was no word on range either, but we’d expect it to be between 250 and 300 miles, if not more. Also missing was the combustion-based range extender that was briefly talked about last year.
The prototype shown at CES doesn’t look radically different from the current 1500, although it’s definitely slimmer and more modern. It stretches 18 feet from bumper to bumper and has one of the largest cabs we’ve seen on an electric pickup, and that includes the gargantuan GMC Hummer EV. It also features a very distinctive LED light package that includes a large illuminated Ram logo between the headlights where the grille would be on a gas-powered truck. Its cargo bed has an extra row of seats with jump seats, a power center door and a walk-through compartment, allowing you to carry cargo as long as the entire vehicle. The pickup rides on a set of 24-inch wheels wrapped in 36-inch tires.
The two-row cab of the truck looks absolutely gigantic. Like its other battery-powered competitors, it has its fair share of screens, including a 28-inch dual-display touchscreen infotainment system that sits on the center stack. Dual screens are cool, of course, but what’s even better is that the bottom half can be detached and used as a tablet. You can also use the system to trigger Level 3 autonomous driving (during which the rectangular steering wheel retracts) and shadow mode, which allows the truck to follow its driver while he’s on foot. The cabin also features an electrically chromatic glass roof made up of individual panels that can be adjusted separately, suicide doors and a removable center console should you need even more space.
Of course, it’s not clear if the 1500 Revolution is a near-production vehicle or just a tech demonstration. However, we do know that Ram will be releasing a battery-powered 1500 in the next few years, and if it has even half the features teased in the concept, it’ll be one to watch.
Click here for more photos of the Ram 1500 Evolution electrical concept.
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