Commercial vehicles are the backbone of society, quietly in the background racking up literal millions of miles as they ensure the things unseen remain running smoothly. They fight fires, shuttle around our police officers, drive linemen to downed power lines and more. They also make sure our packages, parcels and letters make it to our homes and businesses, shuttling delivery drivers in relative comfort as they stop and start frequently from door to door.
Ram Professional and its ProMaster van have been there, and you probably haven’t even noticed. It’s been painted blue to serve as an Amazon Prime delivery van. It’s been done up in white with red and blue stripes, replacing the aging Grumman LLV for the U.S. Postal Service. In those instances, the Ram ProMaster was merely intended as a stopgap, while both entities searched for electrified versions to serve as their main mascots.
For the USPS, the platypus-shaped OshKosh NGDV will serve as the new mail van. Amazon’s partnership with Rivian birthed the futuristic-looking EDV, now in service with the retailer.
For a while, it seemed like the Ram ProMaster’s days as a delivery van for two of the biggest delivery entities in the U.S. were numbered.
But not if Ram's parent company Stellantis has anything to say about it. I drove to Stellantis’ North American Headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan to see the Promaster EV. This is more than just an electrified version of a popular model—it debuts a new delivery-oriented step van body style meant to give electrified motoring to the people who want it most: fleet customers.
(Full Disclosure: I drove from Columbus, Ohio to Auburn Hills, Michigan to Stellantis’s North American HQ. Stellantis gave me lunch. It was a turkey club wrap, a Lemon Cookie and some and Cool Ranch Doritos.)
2024 Ram ProMaster EV
What is it?
Say what you will about Stellantis, but it’s great at mobilizing its existing model line to fill in any gaps in the market. When Fiat, Chrysler and Peugeot all got entangled, it didn’t take long for shared vehicles on PSA or FCA platforms to permeate through the whole lineup regardless of brand.
The Euro-only, (but possibly U.S.-bound) Jeep Avenger is essentially a Peugeot 208 with a seven-slat grille. Similarly, the Ram ProMaster van is just the U.S.-market version of the conglomerate’s second-largest commercial van, the Fiat Ducato. In Europe, what we call the ProMaster is sold by multiple different brands, including, oddly, Toyota.
There were alterations for the U.S. market, like swapping out the small four-cylinder engines and replacing manual transmissions with Stellants’s ubiquitous 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and automatic transmission. For 2024, the whole model line was updated with a freshened interior, and an electric model was introduced to the U.S. for the first time.
An electric version of the ProMaster’s European cousins had been around for a little while, but now all of the vehicles get a healthy bump in power and range, while the U.S. gets the whole kit and caboodle for the first time.
There’s a twist here. While the European models can get their e-Ducato or Toyota Proace EV in nearly any window or panel van form, Ram has somewhat limited its body choices for the Ram ProMaster EV. The only electric Promaster available in the U.S. at launch will be the EV-exclusive delivery van shape you see here, in 3500 guise. Two more standard cargo van styles will join the EV lineup in 2025.
According to Ram Professional’s product lead, this was intentional. Ram Professional is going through something of a renaissance, making more products and a buying experience that directly caters to its biggest commercial customers. The ProMaster itself is also an important van for Stellantis and the U.S.
The brand claims that when broken out for fleet consumers, about a third of all Commercial vans sold new in the US are ProMasters. Ram expects the commercial vehicle segment to hold true for at least the next five years, so it’s important to create new body shapes that directly meet the customer's needs. Enter the ProMaster EV and its new delivery shape, targeted at key customers.
What are the Specs of the Ram ProMaster EV?
All Ram ProMaster EVs are powered by the same 268 horsepower, electric motor with 302 lb-ft of torque, fed by a 110 kWh battery. At its core, the ProMaster is a converted ICE model, but the platform lends itself to easy conversion.
The new electric drive unit fits where the gas engine once was, and the 110 kWh battery hangs neatly under the van’s body. There are no ergonomic changes (like say, a raised interior floor) for the electric version, meaning ICE ProMaster owners would find the EV the same. Range estimates are still not quite confirmed, but Ram says it’ll do 162 miles in the city with half of its max payload onboard.
Performance is arguably irrelevant for a vehicle like this. The fleet and commercial buyers are interested in payload and cargo area, which is a big, big deal. The non-delivery cargo version can carry 3,020 pounds, but the delivery version drops that payload down to 2,785 pounds. The delivery van that Stellantis is launching the ProMaster EV with has 524 cubic feet of interior room.
These numbers can be hard to contextualize, so I’ll compare it to its direct competitor: the Rivian EDV Delivery 500. The ProMaster has less power, only 268 hp compared to the EDV’s 299 hp, but more torque. The two even have similar range numbers; Rivian says the EDV Delivery 500 will do 161 miles.
That’s one mile behind the ProMaster EV, and it’s not clear if Rivian’s number includes any payload. The EDV Delivery 500’s 2,734 payload is 49 pounds less than the Ram’s. The EDV Delivery 500’s 487 cubic feet of cargo room is a lot less than the Ram Van’s. The longer EDV Delivery 700 dwarfs the Ram EV, but that comes with a payload penalty. The EDV Delivery 700 has a relatively low max payload of 2,513 pounds.
What's it like to drive?
I cut my teeth driving big vans. The car I learned to drive in was my mom’s 2000 Ford Econoline conversion van. That van was slow and vague. Modern commercial vans have come so much further. I hadn’t driven an ICE ProMaster, but Ram had a couple on hand for comparison.
The ProMaster EV Delivery is based on the 3500, super high roof gas version. So, it’s long and tall. However, unlike the 3500 versions of models like the Ford Transit—which are rear-wheel drive and can even be equipped with a dually rear axle—the ProMaster is front-wheel drive. It has the same 225-width tires as the standard van. Add in the kind of cramped driving position where the steering wheel is pointed upward, and the ProMaster’s handling, comfort and road-holding aren’t its strongest assets in gas form. Hold that steering wheel tight, because an empty ProMaster will get blown around, especially at freeway speeds.
The electric version continues on with its front-wheel-drive layout, but the low-mounted battery and updated suspension do improve the standard 3500 van’s not-so-good road holding. I hesitate to call the van sure-footed, but the electric van is much more comfortable than its gas-powered equivalent.
The motor feels adequate. It’ll quickly, smoothly and quietly pull the ProMaster EV to 60 MPH unladen, but I do wonder how much the acceleration will be affected by a full payload. Is this enough power for all the weight it will carry? It’s got more power and torque than a gas-powered ProMaster, but it’s also got an extra 2,000 pounds to schlep around.
What’s Good?
The ProMaster’s bus-like driving position might not be the most ideal for long-haul driving. Yet, when coupled with the big windshield and side windows, it’s striking how good the visibility is in the ProMaster. You’re sitting at the very front corner of the vehicle, almost akin to a forward-control van; it’s so easy to see around the van at all times. It’s a maneuverable van, far easier to drive than the Ford Transit, Ford Econoline and Chevy Express vans I’ve driven in recent memory.
The update for 2024 added a lot of tech features that make the van nice for what it is. Stellantis’s very good U Connect 5 system, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, is also here. There’s wireless charging, too. All worked very well in the short 30 minutes or so I had with the van.
Also, the ProMaster EV’s payload and cargo-carrying capability are genuinely impressive. This is not a new van, nor it is a ground EV design, but on paper, it seems to match, or better in some ways new designs from fancy start-ups. It doesn’t have the 4,820 maximum payload of the gas-powered ProMaster, but it can go toe-to-toe with its direct EV van rivals.
What’s Not So Good?
As I said earlier, driving dynamics just aren’t this van’s strong suit. The big, low-mounted battery and tricks like standard crosswind assist do help a lot. Still, it’s a slab-sided, front-wheel-drive commercial van.
Second, the driving position is just not ideal. This has been a complaint about the ProMaster since its inception, but the complaint still is very valid. The driver’s seat doesn’t go back very far, cramming the driver against the upward-facing steering column. I was fine at 5’9”, but I know anyone marginally taller than me would not have a great time.
How Is It As An EV?
I only got a relatively short time with the ProMaster EV, in a roughly 10-mile loop around Stellantis’s Auburn Hills, Michigan campus. The vehicle’s trip computer said it was averaging about 2.2 miles per kWh. That’s not bad for a big van. I expect that to sink quite a bit when the vehicle is loaded up.
Interestingly, the ProMaster will have selectable one-pedal driving, but it wasn’t available on the pre-production models we were able to test. Fleet managers will also be able to remotely lock or control the vehicle’s regeneration settings.
The van’s DC fast charging characteristics are also customizable. Fleet buyers will be able to option their Promaster EV with max charging speeds of 50, 85, 125 or 150 kW, depending on their needs.
Dave Sowers, the Director of Commercial Vehicle Product Marketing, insists that commercial customers generally don’t want to pay for more capability than they need, so they’re meeting that need with adjustable fast charging speeds. Sowers predicts that the delivery van’s charging habits will likely be mostly AC-based Level 2 events, anyway.
Early Verdict
The Rivian EDV is such a slick van, it’s effectively the rolling mascot of Amazon Prime, a glimpse into the future. Certainly, all electrified vans will look as cool as this, right?
The Ram ProMaster EV says “Uh, maybe not.”
It matches or betters the Rivian van in many key metrics, just without the futuristic looks. Even the pricing is similar. Ram says the ProMaster EV Delivery is $77,995 plus a $1,995 destination fee. However, to get it in delivery-ready spec, a buyer will need to option the $9,000 delivery van kit that adds stuff like the bulkhead, jumpseat and shelving units, bringing the price up to $88,990.
The EDV Delivery 500 is a little more expensive than the unoptioned Ram at $83,000. Rivian declined to say how much it would cost to outfit the EDV in a similar fashion, but let’s guesstimate that it would cost roughly the same as Ram’s van. Both would be upfits, done in-house.
The Ford e-Transit and Mercedes-Benz eSprinter both are cheaper and immediately available in low-roof form, but neither offer the delivery van body versatility of the Ram or Rivian.
Also, the Ram van has an ace up its sleeve—the dealer network. Whereas the EDV will need to be kitted out or serviced by a small number of Rivian dealers or service centers around the country, the Ram can theoretically be sold and serviced by any Ram dealer that sells commercial vans. That’s a big, big deal for a contractor or fleet customer who may want an EV van but doesn’t live near a Rivian service center.
The Rivian may drive a little better and look a little cooler than the Ram ProMaster EV, but to most fleet customers that stuff does not matter. It's all about how much financial sense it makes. As long as the car isn’t maiming its drivers, they won’t care all that much.
For van buyers, the Ram EV might make way more sense than you’d think.
Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com
