Pickup wars: Dodge introduces Ram 1500 EV with 650 horsepower and 500 miles of range

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Shawn Knight

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What just happened? Dodge's new all-electric Ram 1500 pickup could give Ford and its battery-powered Lightning F-150 a run for its money. The Dodge Ram 1500 REV represents the first Ram EV and it's coming off the starting line with a bang. The truck will be offered in two all-electric configurations including a standard 168 kilowatt-hour battery pack with a targeted range of up to 350 miles on a single charge. The optional 229 kilowatt-hour pack will push the Ram's range up to an estimated 500 miles.

Both models will support 800-volt DC fast charging, which can deliver up to 110 miles of range in just 10 minutes.

The Ram 1500 BEV will be no slouch in the performance department, either. Dodge is targeting a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds thanks to its use of dual 250 kilowatt electric drive modules (EDMs). The EDM on the front axle will have an automatic wheel-end disconnect that allows the front wheels to spin freely in certain conditions, while the rear EDM will feature an electronic-locking rear differential.

Combined, the electric motors will generate 654 horsepower and 620 lb-ft. of torque. Off road, the Ram is capable of fording up to 24 inches of water. It can also tow up to 14,000 pounds and has a max payload capacity of 2,700 pounds.

The Ram 1500 REV will be offered in five trims: Big Horn / Lone Star, Laramie, Limited, Tradesman and Tungsten.

Dodge's latest doesn't look all that different cosmetically from its standard Ram line, which is a bit confusing considering it looks nothing like the concept that Dodge unveiled at CES just a few short months ago. Rather than push forward with a new and edgy design, it seems Dodge elected to play it safe and retrofit the existing platform with electric internals.

Dodge is now accepting reservations through its EV Insider + membership service. The $100 refundable membership fee secures your place in line to pre-order ahead of an anticipated Q4 2024 launch. No word yet on base pricing.

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Over at TFL truck, they've done some testing with these EVs.

There's an interesting issue. As these batteries get larger, to charge them you need impractical amounts of electricity.

For instance, the GM hummer EV, plugged into a level 2 fast charger, takes 2-3 DAYS to fully charge its enormous battery.

This ram EV, to hit 500 miles, is quoting an even larger battery at 229kWh.

Just do some math in your head, realize how insanely long that takes to charge, even on tesla superchargers. Now imagine when tens of millions of these things need to recharge on the same day.

Utterly impractical. Hydrogen cant come soon enough.
 
Over at TFL truck, they've done some testing with these EVs.

There's an interesting issue. As these batteries get larger, to charge them you need impractical amounts of electricity.

For instance, the GM hummer EV, plugged into a level 2 fast charger, takes 2-3 DAYS to fully charge its enormous battery.

This ram EV, to hit 500 miles, is quoting an even larger battery at 229kWh.

Just do some math in your head, realize how insanely long that takes to charge, even on tesla superchargers. Now imagine when tens of millions of these things need to recharge on the same day.

Utterly impractical. Hydrogen cant come soon enough.
While power generation isn't an issue, our grid can't support these things. Building more power plants is the easy part, rewiring millions of miles of our grid infrastructure is not. It is awfully short sighted that we would push these EVs without having support infrastructure.
 
American car is JUNK, you want a very good car by Reputation, buy Toyota or Honda!!
 
If there is money to be made, the grid infrastructure and/or other mitigation effects will be built out.
That's going to have to happen anyway. Take a cul-de-sac residential area. If everyone has an EV on that cul-de-sac, and everyone is charging at the same time, the existing E-distribution network where there is just one transformer for that cul-de-sac will not handle the load - as only one example.
While power generation isn't an issue, our grid can't support these things. Building more power plants is the easy part, rewiring millions of miles of our grid infrastructure is not. It is awfully short sighted that we would push these EVs without having support infrastructure.
Agreed. Its not generation that is necessarily the problem. Its distribution.

EDIT: As in the cul-de-sac example, it does not necessarily mean that the feed to the cul-de-sac would be unable to handle the load, however.
 
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500-miles of range sounds impressive, but how much of that range is predicated on the amount of load the vehicle has? E.g., is it still going to get 500-miles while towing 14,000-pounds?
 
Over at TFL truck, they've done some testing with these EVs.

There's an interesting issue. As these batteries get larger, to charge them you need impractical amounts of electricity.

For instance, the GM hummer EV, plugged into a level 2 fast charger, takes 2-3 DAYS to fully charge its enormous battery.

This ram EV, to hit 500 miles, is quoting an even larger battery at 229kWh.

Just do some math in your head, realize how insanely long that takes to charge, even on tesla superchargers. Now imagine when tens of millions of these things need to recharge on the same day.

Utterly impractical. Hydrogen cant come soon enough.

I wonder what the larger battery on this truck will weigh. The battery on the Hummer is 3,000 pounds - 1.5ton of weight in the battery alone and the Hummer, when fully built is over 9,000 pounds!
vegeta-its-over9000.gif
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The electric version weighs almost twice that of the H3 model. That's just stupid if you ask me. I wouldn't be surprised if this truck comes in close to the electric Hummer in weight.
 
I wonder what the larger battery on this truck will weigh. The battery on the Hummer is 3,000 pounds - 1.5ton of weight in the battery alone and the Hummer, when fully built is over 9,000 pounds!
vegeta-its-over9000.gif
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The electric version weighs almost twice that of the H3 model. That's just stupid if you ask me. I wouldn't be surprised if this truck comes in close to the electric Hummer in weight.
Well the f-150 lightning, with its 135kwh pack, weighs in at just over 6000 lbs. If we assume the weight of batteries is consistent per kWh, I'd put the electric RAM at 7000-7500 lbs.

Or the weight of a crew cab long bed 1 ton 5th wheel rated heavy duty truck, like a F-350.
500-miles of range sounds impressive, but how much of that range is predicated on the amount of load the vehicle has? E.g., is it still going to get 500-miles while towing 14,000-pounds?
Nowhere close. The F-150 lightning, wiht the big battery, has a 330 mile range. IRL on the highway its actually about 290 miles. When towing, TFL tried it at I believe 7000 lbs and the result was about 115 miles of range.

That is, of course, going from 100% to 0%, which you are not supposed to do, and doesnt factor in the 30% range loss that is considered normal under warranty, or the 10-15% range loss from cold weather.

But EVs are the future, and they'll be here in 10 years Im told.
 
While EVs probably do make sense for some people, they are simply impractical for a lot of other people, particularly those in smaller cities with longer commutes and in rural America. The reports on the new EVs seem to be overly optimistic and ignore the impact of cold weather on batteries (not everyone lives in LA), poor towing range, lack of infrastructure, battery degradation over time, and the increased reliance on foreign sources for batteries (rare earths) and other crucial components.

Where I live in the Midwest an EV mandate would crush the working class, particularly those who rely on trucks to tow trailers and machinery (see https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/ford-f150-lightning-electric-truck-towing-test/).

Don’t get me wrong - I don’t have a problem with people buying EVs, but it should be a personal choice in the USA, not a government mandate.
 
While EVs probably do make sense for some people, they are simply impractical for a lot of other people, particularly those in smaller cities with longer commutes and in rural America. The reports on the new EVs seem to be overly optimistic and ignore the impact of cold weather on batteries (not everyone lives in LA), poor towing range, lack of infrastructure, battery degradation over time, and the increased reliance on foreign sources for batteries (rare earths) and other crucial components.

Where I live in the Midwest an EV mandate would crush the working class, particularly those who rely on trucks to tow trailers and machinery (see https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/ford-f150-lightning-electric-truck-towing-test/).

Don’t get me wrong - I don’t have a problem with people buying EVs, but it should be a personal choice in the USA, not a government mandate.
Thank you. Half the hostility for EVs comes from this desire to shove them down our throats and refusal to entertain any other possible answers.

Of course, now that insurance companies are refusing to insure EVs if they are parked in an attached garage or underground parking, for urban customers EVs are going to become a total non starter.

EVs make sense as a cheap city runaround, but not as an expensive do all vehicle, and certainly not in anything heavy. Biofuels are far more promising for such scenarios.
 
Well the f-150 lightning, with its 135kwh pack, weighs in at just over 6000 lbs. If we assume the weight of batteries is consistent per kWh, I'd put the electric RAM at 7000-7500 lbs.

Or the weight of a crew cab long bed 1 ton 5th wheel rated heavy duty truck, like a F-350.
Nowhere close. The F-150 lightning, wiht the big battery, has a 330 mile range. IRL on the highway its actually about 290 miles. When towing, TFL tried it at I believe 7000 lbs and the result was about 115 miles of range.
Interesting stats, and typical American (and yes, I'm a US Citizen and can say that) marketing BS. I mainly asked because I suspected that given it is made by a US manufacturer, there had to be a very heavy dose of BS in it.
That is, of course, going from 100% to 0%, which you are not supposed to do, and doesnt factor in the 30% range loss that is considered normal under warranty, or the 10-15% range loss from cold weather.

But EVs are the future, and they'll be here in 10 years Im told.
I understand your skepticism given bling products and marketing like this one, however, battery technology is nowhere near where it will be in 10-years, IMO. It's improving as we speak and there are new technologies, including Aluminum, instead of Lithium, based batteries that are in pilot production phases. Even though I've posted this link many times to TS, I'll post it again. https://graphenemg.com/energy-storage-solutions/aluminum-ion-battery/ As I see it, battery technology is changing at least as quickly as CPU/GPU technology.

For me, I'm not throwing in the towel as I think we have a long way to go and we are already well down the road to viable and usable EVs.
 
While EVs probably do make sense for some people, they are simply impractical for a lot of other people, particularly those in smaller cities with longer commutes and in rural America. The reports on the new EVs seem to be overly optimistic and ignore the impact of cold weather on batteries (not everyone lives in LA), poor towing range, lack of infrastructure, battery degradation over time, and the increased reliance on foreign sources for batteries (rare earths) and other crucial components.

Where I live in the Midwest an EV mandate would crush the working class, particularly those who rely on trucks to tow trailers and machinery (see https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/ford-f150-lightning-electric-truck-towing-test/).

Don’t get me wrong - I don’t have a problem with people buying EVs, but it should be a personal choice in the USA, not a government mandate.

That's just awful with the F-150 and it's towing capabilities. What a waste of batteries for a truck.
 
The thing that gets me about people who are against EVs is that they can't just keep their opinion to themselves. You hate EVs? You don't ever want to buy an EV? That's 100% fine, it's a free country. But why do people have to go all over the internet and regurgitate the same talking points about why EVs are bad?

Rome wasn't built in a day. How long did it take for ICE vehicles to really catch on once they became popular? Decades. That's how long it's going to take for EVs too. We're not going to switch overnight from ICE vehicles to EVs. I know you wall want something that's better than your gas guzzler and you want it cheap and you want it now. Sorry that's now how technology works. We have to start somewhere. Some people will have to bite the bullet and be guinea pigs and spend extra on early versions.

Your *** is 300+ lbs and you have a giant trailer you need to constantly haul from trailer park to trailer park? Yeah, an EV is not for you. Keep clinging to your precious gas guzzling monsters for as long as you can. Eventually it'll be $20/gallon of gas, we'll see how you feel then. That's where we're headed. Currently we're burning through 100 million barrels of oil a day. Yes, you read that right, 100 million. Do the math. That's 36.5 BILLION barrels a year, assuming consumption is not going up, which it is. How long do you think our oil reserves will last? I know everyone wants to think that fossil fuels are unlimited and we can just keep finding new places to dig and destroy, but these resources are finite.
 
The thing that gets me about people who are against EVs is that they can't just keep their opinion to themselves. You hate EVs? You don't ever want to buy an EV? That's 100% fine, it's a free country. But why do people have to go all over the internet and regurgitate the same talking points about why EVs are bad?

Rome wasn't built in a day. How long did it take for ICE vehicles to really catch on once they became popular? Decades. That's how long it's going to take for EVs too. We're not going to switch overnight from ICE vehicles to EVs. I know you wall want something that's better than your gas guzzler and you want it cheap and you want it now. Sorry that's now how technology works. We have to start somewhere. Some people will have to bite the bullet and be guinea pigs and spend extra on early versions.

Your *** is 300+ lbs and you have a giant trailer you need to constantly haul from trailer park to trailer park? Yeah, an EV is not for you. Keep clinging to your precious gas guzzling monsters for as long as you can. Eventually it'll be $20/gallon of gas, we'll see how you feel then. That's where we're headed. Currently we're burning through 100 million barrels of oil a day. Yes, you read that right, 100 million. Do the math. That's 36.5 BILLION barrels a year, assuming consumption is not going up, which it is. How long do you think our oil reserves will last? I know everyone wants to think that fossil fuels are unlimited and we can just keep finding new places to dig and destroy, but these resources are finite.
Hippocratic much? Upset about those that complain, only to complain about them. Why don't you tell us how you really feel, but this time do it without being insulting, maybe you might be taken more seriously.
 
Bla bla bla...FIVE HUNDRED MILE RANGE *



*Your mileage may vary. 500 mile ranges based on traveling on a flat road, during the day
without using the AC, heat, megawatt stereo, no passengers and no load or towing a trailer.
 
Yes, because people love riding on top of a hydrogen bomb. You call these big batteries impractical, but sorry to break it to you, hydrogen is far, far more impractical and far more dangerous than lithium batteries.
That's not how hydrogen bombs work.

And hey, hate to break it to ya, but everyone today drives vehicles with gallons of explosive refined oil in them RIGHT NOW. The shock, the horror!

Funny how the moment something isnt an EV, all these issues suddenly matter, but when it's EVs, things like fires are perfectly A-OK.
The thing that gets me about people who are against EVs is that they can't just keep their opinion to themselves. You hate EVs? You don't ever want to buy an EV? That's 100% fine, it's a free country. But why do people have to go all over the internet and regurgitate the same talking points about why EVs are bad?

Rome wasn't built in a day. How long did it take for ICE vehicles to really catch on once they became popular? Decades. That's how long it's going to take for EVs too. We're not going to switch overnight from ICE vehicles to EVs. I know you wall want something that's better than your gas guzzler and you want it cheap and you want it now. Sorry that's now how technology works. We have to start somewhere. Some people will have to bite the bullet and be guinea pigs and spend extra on early versions.

Your *** is 300+ lbs and you have a giant trailer you need to constantly haul from trailer park to trailer park? Yeah, an EV is not for you. Keep clinging to your precious gas guzzling monsters for as long as you can. Eventually it'll be $20/gallon of gas, we'll see how you feel then. That's where we're headed. Currently we're burning through 100 million barrels of oil a day. Yes, you read that right, 100 million. Do the math. That's 36.5 BILLION barrels a year, assuming consumption is not going up, which it is. How long do you think our oil reserves will last? I know everyone wants to think that fossil fuels are unlimited and we can just keep finding new places to dig and destroy, but these resources are finite.
Hey, pro tip: chill out. Acting like an arse isnt going to convince anyone of your ideals.

Do you know why people are against EVs right now? Because they dont work well if you are anything but a suburban resident of california. Anywhere else, they have major problems. The government (and people like you) are perfectly happy to shove these things down our throats with no answer for all the situations where EVs dont work.

The reason these points get regurgitates is that people like you refuse to listen, and instead scream at everyone who doesnt live the same way you do. There are very real concerns about grid capacity, charging infrastructure, high maintenance cost, battery sourcing, ece that are not being answered, and people in charge are simply ignoring. The average person does not want to be responsible for cleaning up the government's stupidity.

Hope this helps you become a more agreeable person.
 
The design is cool. I like it. Now they just have to solve the power supply problem. My suggestion is (and always was) to legalize low-temperature fusion and put those little generators inside of each car.
 
The thing that gets me about people who are against EVs is that they can't just keep their opinion to themselves. You hate EVs? You don't ever want to buy an EV? That's 100% fine, it's a free country. But why do people have to go all over the internet and regurgitate the same talking points about why EVs are bad?

Rome wasn't built in a day. How long did it take for ICE vehicles to really catch on once they became popular? Decades. That's how long it's going to take for EVs too. We're not going to switch overnight from ICE vehicles to EVs. I know you wall want something that's better than your gas guzzler and you want it cheap and you want it now. Sorry that's now how technology works. We have to start somewhere. Some people will have to bite the bullet and be guinea pigs and spend extra on early versions.

Your *** is 300+ lbs and you have a giant trailer you need to constantly haul from trailer park to trailer park? Yeah, an EV is not for you. Keep clinging to your precious gas guzzling monsters for as long as you can. Eventually it'll be $20/gallon of gas, we'll see how you feel then. That's where we're headed. Currently we're burning through 100 million barrels of oil a day. Yes, you read that right, 100 million. Do the math. That's 36.5 BILLION barrels a year, assuming consumption is not going up, which it is. How long do you think our oil reserves will last? I know everyone wants to think that fossil fuels are unlimited and we can just keep finding new places to dig and destroy, but these resources are finite.

The moment the word "EV" is seen on this website (elsewhere too), it triggers massive knee-jerk answers from the usual crowd.

As if the EV robs them of their manhood, which may or may not exist to begin with..

 
Some internet searching.
1) 2022 RAM 1500 (4 door) curb weight comes in around 5,200 lbs.
2) 2025 Ram 1500 REV (4 door) curb weight expected to be around 7,500 lbs. ==> 45% increase in weight and is as much as a 3500 dully diesel with 4 doors (7,536 lbs).

Now imagine that truck going 0-60 in 4.4 sec. Impressive for sure, but I assume that after one time your 500 mile range is now about 100 miles. Now imagine a 7500lbs bulldozer driving through your neighborhood with that kind of acceleration. Keep your kids and pets off the street.

I like EVs, but the sheer weight needed to give them adequate range seems counter productive and unsafe to me. I know battery tech will get better, but yikes.


 
American cars Junk? I would never have said that. They have pretty much always been innovative and had plenty of style. The problem I see is that they were largely neglecting safety, decent brakes, and handling. Fine for long straight driving but if anything or anyone ventures out in front they better be quick to get out of the way. Adding masses of extra weight in batteries only gives the brakes a much more difficult job. Not to mention the extra challenge to decent responsive handling.
 
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