Like the Ford F-150 Lightning and the upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV, future Ram electric trucks won’t be limited to just a few models.
There could be a variety of all-electric Ram trucks, including a work truck model and a high-performance off-road TRX version, according to Ram CEO Mike Koval in an interview ahead of Thursday’s unveiling of the Ram 1500 Revolution Concept at CES.
“I really believe we can walk and chew gum,” Kowal said. “This is in addition to our existing product portfolio, which I expect when we enter the market from 2024, the lineup will be very similar to today’s lineup in terms of construction.”
“We’re going to have something for everyone, from the entry level or what we call the Tradesmen, which is definitely work oriented, all the way up to our Longhorn and Limited Premium models, to the TRX king of mountain trails,” he said . “And the EDM (electric drive module) that we design for that is covered by higher performance applications, so I think you’ll see a very similar go-to-market strategy.”
Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept
We asked Koval why the concept is so close to a full-size gas Ram model, and why it’s not a smaller midsize truck. With light-duty full-size trucks accounting for more than 60 percent of the brand’s sales, it’s natural to position the EV as “the evolution of body-on-frame full-size trucks — our bread and butter,” he said.
“I completely understand that the biggest white space opportunity for our brand globally is midsize pickups,” he added. “Right now, we don’t have anything to announce today, but we’re looking at everything and it’s our job to flesh out all these different options, we’re assured.”
Koval also wouldn’t confirm whether there are other all-electric Ram models in the works. For example, a truck on the STLA Large platform will underpin the upcoming Dodge electric muscle car, or a Suburban-like SUV on the Ram 1500 Revolution’s STLA Frame architecture.
“I think that’s the beauty of our announced architecture strategy and its flexibility,” Koval said. “In my opinion, the options are limitless, and anything we can do to improve our business model globally, not just in North America, we will certainly consider.”
Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept
The Ram concept is “our visionary roadmap for taking the brand into the future,” Koval said. “Everything our customers and fans see about the future of the brand will be the progeny of this concept car and what we unveil at CES.”
One of the future Ram models could also be a plug-in hybrid truck that can excel in the real world while towing—one of the many advantages Ram hopes to achieve with electric trucks in the near future.