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The Ram 1500 Ramcharger is an electric pick-up with a V6 petrol engine on board to charge the battery pack – and deliver 1100km of estimated total driving range.
The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger ‘range-extender’ electric pick-up has been unveiled in the US – but plans for an Australian launch are yet to be disclosed.
Reviving the name of a ute-based SUV sold by Dodge in the 1970s, the new Ramcharger is designed to blend the flexibility and quick refills of a petrol pick-up – with the driving experience and performance of an electric car.
The wheels are powered by two electric motors – but the battery pack can be recharged with a plug, like a normal electric car, or using a V6 petrol engine under the bonnet which serves as a generator.
Plans for an Australian launch for the Ram 1500 Ramcharger are yet to be confirmed.
It is due in US showrooms in 2025 – after the electric Ram 1500 REV in late 2024, and the petrol version of the updated Ram 1500 line-up, unveiled this week ahead of a US launch early next year.
For more details on the updated Ram 1500 line-up – including its new look, updated interior and upgraded safety – click here to read our full story.
The new Ramcharger is powered by dual electric motors with 494kW and 834Nm, fed by a 92kWh battery pack – good for 0-60mph (97km/h) in a claimed 4.4 seconds, matching the electric Ram 1500 REV.
It is augmented by a 3.6-litre petrol V6 which acts solely as a generator to recharge the battery – as there is no mechanical connection between it and the wheels – to enable a 1110km total driving range.
The engine converts its mechanical power to electrical power for the battery through a 130kW generator unit.
This would not be enough to deliver full power to the electric motors (250kW front, 238kW rear) alone – suggesting there will need to be some charge left in the battery if drivers want to extract the vehicle’s full performance.
“The electrical power [generated by the V6] can be used to charge the battery when the battery is depleted or if the driver wants to preserve the battery power,” Ram says in its media release.
Ram says it is targeting a 6350kg braked towing capacity, and a 1191kg maximum payload. The Ramcharger can be recharged at up to 145kW DC, to add 80km worth of driving range to the battery in 10 minutes.
Other features on board include vehicle-to-vehicle charging, the ability to power your home in a black-out, and a power plug in the tray which can provide up to 7.2kW to external electrical devices.
The Ram 1500 Ramcharger is underpinned by the ‘STLA Frame’ architecture used by the electric model – rather than the older frame of the petrol version – so it can better accomodate the electric motors and batteries.
It uses multi-link independent rear suspension – with air suspension technology – as standard.
The Ramcharger shares design cues with the REV electric pick-up, including the full-width tail-light design – but the core bodywork, doors and other key panels appear to be carried over from the petrol Ram 1500 to tie the model range together.
Inside, changes compared to regular models include a modified gear selector with electric mode buttons, a one-pedal drive mode, power symbol on the ‘engine start’ button, and electric-car screens in the infotainment system.
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