RIP RAM BEV

[WXman]

The cancellation of RAM EV is bad for EVs in general. I believe it is the result of negative political pressure that has been present for anything that doesn’t use fossil fuel. I personally was a MOPAR supporter and finally gave up waiting and bought my 23 Lightning to replace my 2007 RAM 2500 and 2012 Town and Country. I couldn’t use a 3/4 ton as a daily driver but the Lightning can do 90 percent of both the RAM and van.

P.S. I bought a 22MME the year before. My very first Ford!

So you don't think it has anything to do with business?

The companies that are doing well (Ford, others) are bleeding money on EVs. If Stellantis, which was literally on the brink of bankruptcy, had gone forward with launching an EV pickup truck it would have put the nail in their coffin.

At this point people need to quit lamenting Ram's smart business and start praying that Ford keeps the Lightning program going. They've got a lot of business case not to themselves.

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[Joe Dablock]

you are absolutely correct, and Stellantis is in the worst case financially.and was afraid to risk any more cash. But the same pressures I mentioned earlier are affecting all Manufacturers. It will be a sad day if Ford were to pull the plug on the MME or Lightning.

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

i firmly believe the battery tech is 'just around the corner' and any major auto maker that doesn't have an EV plateform already to put the new battery tech in, will be so far behind they will never catch up.
Remember, N.America is not leading in EV development and adoption, we are following behind.

 

[RickLightning]

I don't believe EVs are a political decision for most.

 

[RLXXI]

I don't believe EVs are a political decision for most.

Yeah I'm not buying that either. I know i certainly didn't. Didn't buy it to try to save the planet either.

Bought it because as a career mechanic, I'm sick and tired of all the ice maintenance. It's also been a dream of mine as a kid playing with slot cars and rc thinking how cool it would be to be inside driving it and here we are.

 

[WXman]

Yep, I'm the POLAR OPPOSITE of the group that normally would buy an electric vehicle. I had other reasons for this lease, zero of which were political.

 

[Joe Dablock]

EVs are not political, but money minded people fearing lost profits in fossil fuels have made it political. That said, I know people who won’t even look at or ride in an EV, and I have to wonder why? (I think they are afraid they will like it.) Makes no sense to me.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

I think the narrative is that EV's are political, so then people in general think they are. It's kind of ending as more and more EV's are cruising around and I'll even see some "right wing" stickers on EV trucks once in awhile. I know people who know me at first was surprised, but then I let them drive it.

 

[Joe Dablock]

When I am confront with a diehard EV hater, I put my hand on their shoulder, smile, and say, “before you die you will own an EV and you know what, you are going to like it”. The smile is important.

This should not be political, but they have made it so.

P.S. I was also one of the first people in the neighborhood 20 years ago to get solar panels. Today it is about 30%.

 

[jwrezz]

My truck is 3 weeks old tomorrow. My friends know I'm pretty much a libertarian, but hate the political divide especially in recent weeks. I'm also an active volunteer fire fighter with lots of paid/professional fire fighters and EMTs in our dept. You can imagine the mostly dislike of EVs with their fear of fires. I let a few of them drive me around in my days old truck and the smiles on their faces, and even the instant 180 attitude in one, made me a happy camper. Oh, and I purchased mine with 30% charge because the dealer only had a level 1 charger. I used my generator for that first major charge just because it was the most juice I could pull at the time! I don't think there are only two types of pickup drivers and we all have our own needs and use cases. If you need the generator, and you have a portable one to toss in the bed, more power to you.

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

Warning - TLDR post follows...

I live in a place with frequent winter power outages, with my home and business on side by side properties. When the lights went out with paid staff standing around - something had to change.
Solar-battery-back-up to the rescue - at first just enough to keep the lights and heat on and charge some cordless tools. Then a few years ago, a big spring storm hit, roads closed, staff couldn't make it in, utility down - I mean Down laying on the Road. 4-days without utility in Winter conditions.
Pulled some cords and powered our house next door from the shop: Well pump on, heat circulating, lights on in the kitchen "do you want a nice hot cup of tea dear" Neighbours come over "wow you're set up over here"
Green-Light to expand the solar-battery system...then I see the Lightning Launch hype in 2021, and the first trucks show up ...marked up above MSRP ! crap. I am not paying above MSRP.
Had to wait a few years.

Then the perfect storm hits the EV auto business, people spend too much at christmas generally so January is often a good time to buy a 'last model year but new' I got my 2024 XLT in January 2025 and paid far below MSRP. I showed up a week after new-years and ask to test drive the 5-litre F-150, poke around the 250's a bit. They see my 2500 Ram parked in front. "What about those electric ones" I say - "they any good or what" - pretending I didn't think much of the Lightning was the perfect way to get the best price on it.

I plan to drive it until the new battery tech makes these trucks look quaint, and then the 98kWh battery can join the rest of my Energy Storage System in the shop for 20-years after that powering our property.
The truck isn't political (I'm a business owner in a rural part of the country) it is essential - power it nearly for free, in summer (I have solar) and 2.8 cents/kWh overnight charging during winter. It's by far the best truck in snow I ever had, outpulls my old 2500 in city trailer work and can power a worksite with no noise at all - perfect.

33,000 km (21,000 miles) in 8-months, and not one oil change required. Whats not to like?

Heck I had a meeting yesterday with a new client at a green-field site, and they were so impressed as I pulled up - "wow look, our contractor drives a Lightning!
Then I popped the frunk and made coffee for everyone while we discussed the schedule...some things really are priceless.

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