The Ram 1500 Ramcharger will be a hybrid like a diesel locomotive

CNN
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Stellantis’ new Ramcharger pickup truck, which is expected to go on sale late next year, will be an “electric” truck, the company says. But in reality, the car will be a hybrid, with a gasoline engine under the hood, the company announced on Tuesday.

It will be sold alongside the Ram REV, the company’s all-electric truck, which is expected to go on sale around the same time.

Tim Kuniskis, president of Stellantis’ Ram truck brand, insisted during a press conference that the Ram 1500 Charger is not a hybrid. The main difference, he said, is that the Ramcharger’s 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine is not connected in any way to the truck’s wheels. It is connected only to a generator that can charge the batteries and, in some cases, send power to the electric motors, which then power the wheels.

However, this setup is known as a “series hybrid,” to distinguish it from the more common “parallel hybrid” in which the gas engine can directly drive the wheels, as in a Toyota Prius. The Chevrolet Volt, produced until 2019, was mostly a series hybrid, as well as the Fisker Karma, and several diesel-electric locomotives.

With fully charged batteries, the Ram Charger can travel up to 145 miles without having to rely on gasoline. This is much more than most hybrid cars currently on the market. Most cars can only go 30 or 40 miles on a full charge before needing to use gasoline.

With a fully charged battery pack and a full tank of gas, the Ramcharger should drive a total of about 690 miles before needing to recharge or refill, according to Stellantis. In terms of overall range, this is similar to smaller, lighter hybrids like the Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Camry.

The Ram truck can also use DC fast chargers to quickly recharge its batteries. Most hybrid cars can’t use fast chargers, which can add 100 miles of driving range in just minutes.

Ram previously revealed an electric-only truck, the Ram REV, which will also go on sale late next year. This truck will be able to travel up to 500 miles on a full charge but does not have the Ram Charger’s gasoline engine.

Kuniskis said the company sells both the Ram REV and Ramcharger so it can have another product it can sell to people who want to buy an electric pickup truck, but are still concerned about range anxiety.

“There are many advantages to a battery electric vehicle. But there are some things that slow people down. If I can say that the things that slow you down are charging time, range anxiety, and infrastructure, then you don’t have to worry about that,” he said.

Ram’s hybrid and electric truck will enter the market long after competitors go on sale. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said he wants to use the delay to Ram’s advantage because he will be able to see what consumers think of other electric trucks. Ford and General Motors have electric trucks for sale It has recently been downsizedor Delaying increase and production. Electric vehicles were generally Selling at huge discounts in recent months, suggesting that consumers may be upset by the relatively high prices of these early battery-powered trucks.

While Stellantis hasn’t announced pricing for either electric truck, Kuniskis hinted that Ramcharger prices may be lower than those of the Ram REV since the extended-range truck has a smaller battery pack. Batteries are the most expensive part of an electric car.

The Ramcharger is powered by two electric motors, one powering the front wheels and the other the rear, giving the truck all-wheel drive. Combined, the two engines can produce up to 663 horsepower and 615 pound-feet of torque, a measure of pulling power. That equates to 268 hp and 172 lb-ft more than the gasoline-powered V8-powered Ram pickup.

Because the Ramcharger’s gas engine is not mechanically connected to the wheels, and there is no transmission or driveshafts running under the passenger compartment, the Ramcharger has the same flat interior floor as the Ram REV. This allows more space inside For convenience and extra storage. Most gas trucks have a hump in the floor to make room for those mechanical components.