- Stellantis is delaying its fully electric pickup truck, the Ram 1500 REV, to 2026.
- The Ramcharger, an extended-range EV, will now launch first.
- Stellantis cited "slowing industry demand for half-ton BEV pickups."
Ram parent company Stellantis on Wednesday said it will delay the brand's first fully electric pickup truck, the 1500 REV, to 2026 from its previously announced launch date of early 2025.
But there's good news for fans of the brand's upcoming extended-range EV pickup, the Ramcharger. That innovative model, essentially an EV with a gas generator that boosts range, isn't going anywhere. Stellantis says orders will open up for customers in the first half of 2025.
Slowing growth in the EV market has pushed scores of automakers to pull back their EV investments and delay new products. Stellantis said the decision was partially motivated by "slowing industry demand for half-ton BEV pickups."
And in that way, the move makes sense. Ford—and, let's be honest, everybody else—thought the electric F-150 Lightning would be a way bigger hit than it has been. General Motors has launched three EV pickups in the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV and GMC Hummer EV. So Ram's truck will have a lot of rivals in a market that just isn't developing as the industry expected it to.
Part of the problem there is that electric trucks need huge batteries to deliver any kind of range, and that makes them way more expensive than their gas counterparts. Plus, towing anything deals a huge blow to range. The Ramcharger seeks to solve some of those issues. It has a 92-kilowatt-hour battery, plus an engine that feeds it extra juice and doesn't power the wheels. The idea is that on longer trips or under heavy loads, the Ramcharger can do more than a standard EV can.
And other companies are following Ram's lead here. Stellantis is planning extended-range Jeeps, while Hyundai has some EREVs up its sleeve too.
Contact the author: tim.levin@insideevs.com
