Is the Ram 1500 REV Truly an Electric Pickup Truck?

One of the most hotly anticipated reveals heading to the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show is the new Ram 1500 REV which is also a controversial new truck.

This new Ram truck should be the direct competitor for the Ford F-150 Lighting, GMC Sierra 1500 EV, and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 EV. Of course, as new electric trucks head to the market, they will join this group of half-ton electric trucks vying for consumer attention and sales dominance. That said, there might be something about the Ram that doesn’t make it the truck you think it should be.

What does REV mean?

Until we see the new Ram truck revealed in Las Vegas, everything is pure speculation. Ram filed a trademark for the Ram Revolution name and used this name as a marketing campaign, but could it be the name of the new electric truck? It could be, but rumors tell us the name might be shortened to Ram 1500 REV. Of course, that REV could mean something entirely different. As with several other EV models, it could be an acronym for what this new truck offers, which gives us a hint at something that seems a bit foul.

REV Isn’t for REVolution

If the REV letters at the end of the name aren’t for REVolution, what could they mean? We know that battery electric vehicles use the acronym BEV to describe them, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles use PHEV. This means the REV might be for range extended vehicle. If this is the case, we might not see the exciting new electric pickup truck that we expect to find, but instead, find a truck that has something none of the other fully-electric trucks bring to the market. This could be the flag on the play in the truck world that makes other automakers grumble and groan about this new Ram truck.

Does the REV name mean a gas engine?

For the new Ram 1500 REV, it’s possible the Ram truck could have a small gasoline engine to offer extended driving ranges for long-distance drives. This setup was mildly successful in the BMW i3 but severely limits what that small Beemer could do. Does it make sense for a full-size truck to have a small range extended? It could because this item might mean the difference between reaching the charging station and not, but it does take away from the expected fully-electric platform expected.

As mentioned, this information is pure speculation, and the new Ram might be a full EV, but if REV stands for range-extended vehicle, a small gas engine would likely be present.

Changes made that hint at an EV

Although we only have a few electric pickup trucks so far, all of them have something in common. All EV trucks ditch the solid rear axle layout in favor of an independent rear suspension with coil springs. This change makes room for the automaker to place more batteries in the floor, giving these trucks more driving range, which is extremely important to truck owners.

The new Ram 1500 REV also changes from a solid axle to a live rear suspension. The only proof we have of this was when a testing mule for the new Ram electric truck lineup was spotted on the road.

Will the new Ram truck use a single body style?

Truck body styles are shrinking. They aren’t shrinking in size, trucks are larger than ever before, but they are shrinking in numbers. Although most gas-powered trucks still offer three body styles at the base trims, as you climb the trims, only one body style stands out. When you look down the market to the midsize trucks, most are being offered with only one body style as each move to its next generation. Automakers find that more consumers than ever before prefer the crew cab body style and offer this body for every truck.

The competitors of the Ram 1500 REV all come in one body and bed style. Could the Ram truck do the same thing? The prototype that was spotted out on the roads used the long-wheelbase version of the current Ram with a longer Crew Cab and the 6-foot 4-inch bed. This is the hint we need to tell us it’s possible this truck will show up with a similar crew cab build as the other electric trucks in the market.

What if the new Ram is a fully-electric truck?

The new Ram 1500 electric truck rides on the STLA Frame platform, which ensures this truck continues to bring the body-on-frame build necessary to be a great work truck. This platform is better for towing and hauling than trucks built with unibody construction platforms. This could put the Ram electric pickup in the lead regarding capability, but that’s yet to be proven on any road.

Stellantis expects the battery tech and platform to give this truck up to 500 miles of driving range. If true, this driving range would be superior to the other electric trucks offered in the market today. The 200 kWh battery pack and fast charging capability mean this truck could charge at a rate of 20 miles per minute when plugged into a Level 3 DC Fast-Charging station.

If this pickup is a fully-electric truck, it could easily be the most complete model offered by the Detroit Big Three, but it’s also the last electric truck to hit the market.

CES just got more interesting

We already knew Ram planned to offer us a full look at their new truck at CES 2023. What we didn’t know what the possible controversy of a range extender, which could end up being nothing more than rumors. Will the new Ram 1500 REV be a truck with a small gas engine to offer some range-extending capabilities, or will it be a true EV and offer 500 miles of driving from the electric platform? The answers are coming soon, with CES 2023 right around the corner. This new Ram truck will put the rumors to bed and give us the information we’ve been waiting for when it’s revealed at this show in Las Vegas.