The electric Ram 1500 could offer a range extender

RAM confirmed the introduction of a Van all electric in 2024. However, the manufacturer remains discreet about the technical characteristics of this pickup truck, which would be marketed more than a year after those of its main competitors, Ford and GM. Despite this silence, we learn that Ram plans to install a range extender in its future pickup truck.

This information comes to us from the media EV Pulse which specializes in news aimed at electric vehicles. In an interview, Mike Koval, CEO of the Ram Trucks Division at Stellantis, allegedly claimed that the Ram 1500 electric “Will surpass the capabilities of its competitors” with the addition of a range extender.

And he said no more than that.

But what we can infer from this announcement is that Ram will try to alleviate the range concerns coming from pickup truck buyers, especially when they’re used for hard work. Recall that a range extender – which is essentially a very small combustion engine used to operate a generator to recharge the battery – could allow the Ram 1500 electric to offer a longer range than its main competitors in situations of towing or of payload.

The range extender could even assist the electric motors to perform specific tasks, thus acting as a form of generator that would give the vehicle additional capabilities for various applications. This strategy could also be applied on the side of the manufacturer’s vans. Remember that an electric vehicle with a range extender does not operate like a hybrid vehicle, because the heat engine, which is used to operate the generator to recharge the battery, is not usually used to move the vehicle forward.

RPM continues to closely monitor the development of the next electric Ram 1500 and will share information with you as it becomes available.