With the pending arrival of the 2025 Ram 1500 REV electrical truck, becoming a member of the market alongside the Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado EV, GMC Silverado EV, and Rivian R1T, there will probably be no scarcity of totally electrical full-size truck choices.
However is there a future for compact or mid-size electrical vans, within the type of a small electrical pickup, within the U.S.?
A spread of manufacturers—together with Nissan, Kia, GM, and Volkswagen—have contemplated this out loud, both by asserting it’s a risk or by exhibiting an idea. A Toyota electrical pickup has been confirmed, however it hasn’t revealed its measurement—or if it’s the long-desired Toyota Tacoma EV—but. And there is likely to be a pickup variant of the extra reasonably priced Rivian R2 lineup.
All of those manufacturers have fallen in need of truly confirming such a smaller electrical truck particularly for the U.S. When Inexperienced Automobile Stories mentioned the chance with Ram Model CEO Mike Koval Jr. final week on the New York auto present, that seemed to be the place Ram is with the concept.
Koval confirmed that Ram shared a mid-size, all-electric pickup idea at its latest supplier conference. The idea is reportedly concerning the measurement of the present Ford Ranger—or the place the Dodge Dakota left off when it was discontinued in 2011.
“I had 6,000 of my best friends in the arenas, and I was looking for the thumbs up or the thumbs down,” he stated. “And they would have to tell you but I think it’s overwhelmingly positive.”
Ram 1500 Revolution BEV idea
After all, Inexperienced Automobile Stories requested if there is likely to be a range-extended XR model of this mid-size truck, as was introduced for the Ram 1500 REV, and whether or not the mid-size truck may look extra just like the Ram Revolution idea if it had been to be produced. However Koval wouldn’t but budge on both subject.
“It’s too early,” he stated. “It’s not completely defined yet because this was just a concept.”
Koval adopted this with a touch, suggesting that if such a truck had been a world mannequin, then the product is likely to be extra viable. Whereas 95% of Ram quantity has traditionally been in North America, Koval defined that South America, components of the Center East (Gulf states), and Australia have all turn into essential markets for the model.
“More and more, I am looking at our business as a global business,” Koval stated. “So I’m looking at all opportunities, whether it’s compact pickup, mid-size, and where I can sell them and what they need to have—metric-ton, rear-wheel drive.”
Nonetheless as regards to the mid-size truck, Koval summed: “Might I’ve an ICE and a BEV, as a result of I want ICE in South America? Yeah, it’s potential, and it’s all again to STLA Body and the pliability that’s in there. We might do it.“
2011 Dodge Dakota
So… what about Ram compact pickups?
When Inexperienced Automobile Stories pivoted the query to easy compact vans—with a stage of electrification, particularly, Koval shifted gears to cost considerations.
“We have some awesome stuff in South America, we have some compact pickups, but these things are never easy—compliance, safety, homologation,” he stated. “And profitability is the question right now.”
“If I could bring a compact, a Ram version of a compact pickup, I’d do it today. I see an opportunity there for sure,” he summed.
2025 Ram 1500 REV
An impending EV worth warfare
After which, what do you do when there’s a mess of electric-truck entries, and an EV worth warfare?
“That’s the elephant in the room,” Koval stated, with an exhale. “And the answer to that question, the way you keep that scale and equilibrium today is by keeping cost out.”
“I’m already dealing with downward pressure on my ICE portfolio today: Inflation’s up, interest rates are through the roof, gas prices are back up. I feel that now,” he stated. “Everyone knows how expensive electrification is, but at the end of the day if we’re not making EVs, pickup trucks included, that are accessible to the mainstream, then I’m not sure what the hell we’re doing.”
Koval sees the prices leveling off over time, with some applied sciences like solid-state battery cells serving to. “Some of the raw material stuff is coming down, it’s not all doom and gloom, but we’ve got a long way to go,” he stated.
2025 Ram 1500 REV
Electrifying heavy-duty vans!
With the compact and mid-size vans at an concept stage, what’s subsequent?
“Heavy-duty trucks present an entirely different set of challenges. We’re looking at a lot of fuel-cell type technologies, which would make a lot of sense in that space.”
In keeping with Koval, that would additionally doubtlessly soar off the STLA Body {hardware}, though the problem can be within the tanks.
“We have nothing to announce today, but fuel cell could be an interesting option for the use case—yes, towing and hauling big, big loads,” he stated. “Ram just delivered its first hydrogen fuel-cell vans in Europe at the end of last year, so we have that subject-matter expertise.”
2022 Ram ProMaster
Ram ProMaster electrical van demand is powerful
Ram doesn’t even have a battery electrical mannequin in its lineup, presently. The primary is a model of the ProMaster, arriving later this fall.
As Koval defined, the fleet market has been open-minded concerning the risk and locked onto the full price of possession and route predictability—to the extent that electric-van demand is pushing the capability of the Saltillo, Mexico, plant.
“The demand is insane…I don’t know what I’m gonna do with that,” he stated.
2025 Ram 1500 REV
Pickups will probably be a giant a part of EV gross sales, too
Whereas Koval made clear that the model is planning to make the Ram 1500 REV obtainable in a base Tradesman construct that gained’t be fleet-only, he emphasised that the electrical truck gained’t be a restricted providing.
Ram would not disclose official numbers, however it recommended affordability needs to be part of this. It sees electrical vans as at the least 1 / 4 of its combine by then—a heavy raise for a model that revolves round towing, hauling, and work.
“We know that truck intenders are more open now to the idea, and we have a very, very bullish forecast for our EV mix through the end of the decade.”
