Man, I have said for years they couldn't bring back the Rampage and Ramcharger model names because Dodge doesn't make trucks anymore, RAM does.

Enter the RAM Rampage and the RAM Ramcharger. The mad lads did it.

And if I were to buy a late model truck, I would want the option to pull a travel trailer across Montana, so I like the idea. It'll be out of my price range, though.

 

And if I were to buy a late model truck, I would want the option to pull a travel trailer across Montana

Of course there is the concept and then there is the actual vehicle. Will it actually do the job without some sort of issues/limitations?

 

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1141313_2025-ram-1500-ramcharger-channels-chevy-volt-tech

Ram announced the new lineup on Tuesday, confirming the Ramcharger model for the first time.

While the fully electric Ram REV will offer two battery pack sizes with 168 or 229 kwh, the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger will be a plug-in series hybrid with a 92-kwh battery that will supply up to 145 miles of range. From there, a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 will act as a generator to charge the battery and extend the range another 545 miles to 690 miles. Each motor is part of an electric drive unit that also includes the gearbox and power electronics. The engine can deliver 130 kw (174 hp) of continuous output or 190 kw (253 hp) of peak output, though Ram hasn't detailed how the engine will run (at what revs, how often, etc.) to charge the battery. The front motor can be disconnected for better efficiency.

The Ramcharger will ride on the new ladder-frame STLA Frame platform shared with the Ram REV, though it will be modified to fit the front engine. The battery will sit in the middle of the frame in front of a 27-gallon gas tank. The system will act much like the Chevrolet Volt from more than a decade ago, but it will never give the engine a direct connection to the wheels, so the battery will always supply the power.

 

Very interesting. Perhaps GM will rethink discontinuing PHEV's from its lineup.

I think PHEV's have a good role to play as transitional vehicles, especially for those who tow heavy trailers, travel very long distances, or used in rural areas. Plus they help educate drivers on living with an EV without worrying whether they will actually not work for them.

 

2025 is looking to be a very interesting year with models from several different makers. That's when I plan to be in the market again for a truck. Thanks for the post, this is one more to keep an eye on.

 

I am waiting for Volt Gen3! Bring it!

 

It's available in China, just called the Buick Velite 6 PHEV...

 

According to this, there's no mechanical connection between the ICE and wheels, a la BMW i3 REX. Supposedly a big hit to overall efficiency.

That being said, depending on where they come in on price they may have a hit on their hands.

Then again we should have had EREV trucks on the market ten years ago. GM really pooched the screw not putting 2x strength Voltec in a compact or half ton truck.

 

Seems to me the vehicle may experience the same series hybrid limitation the Gen 1 Volt did... not enough power-generating capacity remaining in the default "extended range" battery buffer to meet demand in high power demand driving conditions (e.g., driving up steep roads), leading to Propulsion Power Reduced episodes. The Gen 1's remedy was to provide Mountain Mode to increase the buffer from the default ~20%-22% of full battery capacity to ~45% SOC.

From the linked article:
Mountainous Towing
Headed for the mountains? Select Tow mode, and the charge-sustaining set-aside percentage is increased to 35 percent, up from the normal 16 percent. The V-6 engine and generator set will come online earlier, and the generator will run closer to peak output more of the time. Between that and the enlarged Tow mode battery reserve, Ram says the Ramcharger should be more than able to tackle the kind of long, steep grades found in the mountain West.

..."should be more than able to" ...of course, what the Gen 1 Volt experience showed us is that over time, capacity is lost not only by the battery, but also by the default extended range battery buffer. Over time, the "high power demand" driving conditions that trigger a PPR episode when driving with a fully depleted battery become more and more frequent... The shrinking buffer is more readily drained to the point that triggers the PPRs, and individual battery cells become more unbalanced at low charge levels, and as time goes by that could make it necessary to shift into "tow" mode (reducing the "all-electric" range) even when conditions are less "mountainous."

...and if there’s a "tow" mode, how much owner demand would be needed to equip it with a "hold" mode to enable the long-haul towing through lots of elevation changes to be done with lots of power-generating capacity in the battery, with "normal" mode then available for use in the more ev-efficient driving conditions?

 

That being said, depending on where they come in on price they may have a hit on their hands.

That's the part which is key. If the price is reasonable, then there's a strong probability I'll be buying one. The gas engine takes care of any range concerns when towing, while gaining the torque and regenerative braking which is so good for that application. For normal day to day use, the EV range is perfect.

While a mechanical connection to the gas engine may be less efficient, it should also be a much simpler way to implement it. I have no issues taking the efficiency hit.

Lastly, I hope they have a "generator mode" function like the F150 hybrid does. In the F150, the engine cycles on and off as needed, powering the on-board 7.2 kW outlets. That lets you power your house or a camper indefinitely as long as you have gas.

 

With a range extender that can produce less than half the power that the RAM charger uses at it's peak, I would imagine that it will tow as well as the BMW i3 drove uphill or against a headwind on its range extender. Also surprised at the lower than its competitors, 7.2kw onboard power inverter.

 

If you're using more than 130 kW continuous you're likely exceeding the limit of a half-ton.
My 80's Dodge D150 with a 318 V8 makes about 112 kW peak and it pulls trailers just fine, but not at 80 miles an hour.

 

It's available in China, just called the Buick Velite 6 PHEV...

60 km EV range only.

While a mechanical connection to the gas engine may be less efficient, it should also be a much simpler way to implement it. I have no issues taking the efficiency hit.

I'm with you on this one. The only thing I really hate about the 2 Volts I've had is the engine revving like crazy when I'm leaving from a stop light, going up a hill doing 60 km/h, etc. Connect the engine to the wheels as I believe Toyota does it (??) and let the engine act like a normal ICE.

Alternatively, instead of turning the ICE on and off, just let it consistently idle in the background once I deplete my battery. I'd much rather have an idling engine charge my battery than an on/off revving one.

 

I'd much rather have an idling engine charge my battery than an on/off revving one.

The idle is the most inefficient mode for an ICE. Unlike an electric motor an ICE usually has the highest torque and efficiency above 3000 rpm.

 

This truck is a true parallel hybrid, the ICE never powers the wheels. It differs From the Gen 1 Volt by having its traction motor(s) mounted on the axles instead of being housed in a central transmission. This means the truck will not be able to optimize efficiency by a) using MGA to make MGB (traction motor) operate at the most efficient speed, and b) it cannot make full use of all the torque available when the computer selects a electrical power output from the Range Extender (REX). Thats the infamous mode where the Voltec clutches is a mechanical path between the ICE and the output shaft.

Can it really tow 14,000 lbs in REX mode? I think so. Electric trucks tested so far have EPA energy consumption of around 2 miles/kWh. So at 70 mph the REX only need to produce 35 kw of power. One of the web sites tested the Silverado WT pulling a substantial load, I think 10,000 pounds on the Eisenhower pass. I don’t remember the exact number but I think consumption under those conditions was something less than 1 mile/kWh. If it was .75 mile/kWh the REX would have to produce 93 kw at 70 mph. The Ramcharger REX includes a 130 kw generator powered by a 300 hp V6. Assuming 90% generator efficiency, the ICE would have to produce 143 kw or 192 hp under those conditions. As such, I think the 14,000 lb claim is credible. You might notice this level of power is far less than the 663 hp (495 kw) that the two motors are capable of producing. That’s because the REX only produces the average amount of power. Power for peak operations require the battery to work in conjunction with the REX. So even though there’s a large 91 kWh battery, I think a significant amount will be held back for high load operations. This is similar to the Volt. Since urban conditions differ from mountain or high load conditions I think a Tow/Haul mode will be offered, again similar to the Volt’s mountain mode. It only a guess but I predict 1/3 of the battery will be held in reserve for Tow/Haul mode which will make the all electric range of a heavily loaded truck with efficiency of .75 mile/kwh only around 45 miles. On the other hand, running empty (2miles/kWh) in Urban mode with a smaller battery reserve, say 15 kWh, works out to a very useful range of 150 miles.

 

This truck is a true parallel hybrid, the ICE never powers the wheels.

That's the definition of a serial hybrid, not parallel.

 

If it is like the volt, when the battery is low, the generator will supply the electric motors. The battery does not always supply them.

 

Dug into this a little. Seems very impressive.

a) "Ram says the 2025 Ramcharger will have seven drive modes, but only six were shared with us. These are comprised of: Charge‑Depleting Mode, Battery Hold, Electric Mode, eAWD, eSport, and Eco Mode. This gives the driver versatility in how to use, store and manage battery use. We anticipate that the surprise seventh mode will be a party-trick extreme-performance setting, like Hummer EV’s fast-accelerating ‘WTF Mode’."

b) excellent interview with one of their engineers
Starting: 1:09:00
2025 Ram 1500 & Ramcharger DEEP DIVE with the Chief Engineers! via TFLtalk

 

"... We anticipate that the surprise seventh mode will be a party-trick extreme-performance setting, like Hummer EV’s fast-accelerating ‘WTF Mode’."

The Blazer version of that is called "Wide Open Watts".

 

Because you live at a drag strip, you just have to have jet fighter speed in your pickup truck, lol.

 

Its a year later and now Ford is jumping in with an extended range truck (truck version of a Volt). I'm telling you, the Voltec drivetrain was genius. Too bad GM abandoned it.

https://insideevs.com/news/749596/ford-erev-suvs-super-duty-truck-2027/