Ram shows off a new electric pickup to rival Ford, the Rivian

Ram Trucks showed off its upcoming electric truck Thursday at the CES technology show, as the automaker plans its entry into the nascent segment next year to compete with rivals in Detroit as well as Rivian And maybe Tesla.

the stellants The truck brand revealed the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept ahead of a production model expected to be unveiled in the coming months. While the truck shares a name with Ram’s current full-size pickup, it’s a new vehicle from the ground up that features the company’s new custom electrical engineering.

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Its exterior styling is noticeably “RAM” with illuminated badges and new lighting patterns, but the car’s interior features a more modern, clean, and tech-centric design than current Ram pickups. The interior features few physical buttons, with a 28-inch touchscreen that houses most of the controls, and a glass roof.

Stellantis executives haven’t revealed how similar next year’s production model will be to the concept car. They referred to the concept car as a roadmap for the brand’s future products.

“This is a vision or a glimpse into the future of Ram trucks,” Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. told CNBC. “Honestly, from my point of view, as president of the brand, it’s a roadmap for what customers can expect from Ram in the future.”

Stellantis has not released range or performance specifications for the concept vehicle. I detailed a list of possible features such as a “shadow mode” where the vehicle can follow the driver at a safe distance; an in-car AI personal assistant; and a retractable steering wheel for self-driving capabilities.

The electric Ram truck is expected to enter an increasingly crowded segment of electric pickup trucks that already includes GMC Hummer EVAnd the stronghold F-150 Lightning, Lordstown Endurance And the Smaller Rivian R1T. Other products expected by next year include the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, and the long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck.

Koval said that Ram is not worried about being late in this part.

“When we come to market for 2024, it will be at the intersection when the demand, the market and the infrastructure are ready,” he said. “We don’t think for a moment that we’re late, so to speak. We think we’ll hit the market at exactly the right time.”

It appears Stellantis has no plans to end production of its gas- or diesel-powered trucks anytime soon. Koval said adoption of electric vehicles won’t happen overnight, and it’s already been slower than some had expected.

To date, the most successful electric truck has been Ford’s F-150 Lightning. The Rivian R1T and $110,000 Hummer EV have both been slow to ramp up production, while the Lordstown company is just beginning deliveries of the vehicles to commercial customers.

The design of the Ram electric concept pickup looks more like a lifestyle than a traditional work truck, but executives said the production vehicle serves both purposes.

Koval featured a middle door, which could be opened to attach the bed to the cabin, and a bed extender that allowed owners to haul an 18-foot log into the vehicle.

Stellants chief design officer Ralph Giles described the overall design of the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept as “brutal,” a combination of “brutal” and “beautiful.”

“The TRX (a performance version of the Ram 1500) has that in spades,” Giles told CNBC. “It’s tough as nails but somehow it’s still beautiful and eye-catching. We wanted this truck to have the same presence but aim for the future.”