RIP RAM BEV

[El Duderino]

I don't understand the appeal of this at all. EV trucks are great for people that don't do a lot of long distance driving. If that's your use case, you gain, low cost operation, a frunk, etc... There is a huge market for those that don't do long range driving but politics and poor marketing have not allowed people to understand the distinction of the two types of drivers (in other words, its not for everyone but it may be for you). There is equally a huge market of buyers that do a lot of long distance driving. So with this REV, you lose your frunk or a section of your bed for this heavy generator, regardless if you use it or not (a loss of efficiency). Your battery will be smaller to offset this weight, meaning you will go through its life cycles faster. You must now go to gas stations and do oil changes again. If you don't use your generator often, the fuel gets stale and the seals dry up. You also gain the complexities and expense of specialty repairs. Why in the world would you get something like this over a proven ICE f150 if you do a lot of long distance driving? All I see are problems waiting to happen for no extra benefit other than saying look at me I am saving the planet by hauling around a gas generator in my inefficient EV truck.

Everyone's use case is different. Everything you see as a disadvantage is an advantage to us out here in the middle where there is 1 DCFC for a 100 to 200 mile radius. Like echoed earlier, we got the electric bug. We just need a lot more range.

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[Jseis]

“Hey Ma, will 10 gallons be enough?”… “We‘re going hybrid east of the Steens”

Slim

(doable for outback traveling, I seriously considered this but I don’t need the generator for any other purpose).

 

[Altivec]

Everyone's use case is different. Everything you see as a disadvantage is an advantage to us out here in the middle where there is 1 DCFC for a 100 to 200 mile radius. Like echoed earlier, we got the electric bug. We just need a lot more range.

Yes everyone's use case is different. I even said in a post after that, for a very small minority. an EREV may be the right choice for them. What you mentioned as an example is not one of them. So you are saying that the infrastructure around you is not capable to support EV's but for some reason you need your propulsion motors to be using electrons instead of gas. Why? If you look at my profile, you'll see I have owned an ELR for over 10 years. ELR's are EREV's. I bought it because I thought it would be the best of both worlds and I wouldn't have to worry about range. In the beginning it was great but as I mentioned previously, problems start to develop fast. engine needs servicing due to its lack of use, and the battery wore out quick because every small trip you make is one battery cycle. Because it's a proprietary Frankenstein system, very few want to work on it, which means "long waits and very expensive servicing". I learned my lesson the hard way and will never buy an EREV again. I get it. some of us our set in our ways and don't like being told from some dude on the internet that we may be wrong. many of us, including myself, need to learn things the hard way. I've already learned my lesson, for others, go nuts... and enjoy.

 

[DavidYo]

I also have a phev and it is way more trouble than it is worth. I get a small bump in efficiency but I still have to monitor how long the gas has been in the tank and realistically now have all of the problems of an ICE vehicle and all the problems of an EV. Double the trouble. It just makes sense for the people that can use the current state of EVs to do so and those who cannot yet wait/advocate for the vehicles that they can use. Not being elitist just practical. I have owned or currently own all combinations and for me what makes the most sense is either pure EV or pure ICE. The tech is new and improving very quickly. Pure EV will take over soon in all but the most niche cases.

 

[RickKeen]

The point is to rent a generator (not buy a more expensive vehicle). I could use my truck, my setup, (my insurance) to tow my travel trailer to say, Florida, for a week.

Renting a generator to use my own vehicle would be much less expensive than renting an entire truck.

A 10 kW generator (largest they have) rental price at my neighborhood retail rental shop is $125 / day. About the same price as renting a whole truck.

10kW is on the small side of what is needed for a range extender - its not going to keep up with the 50kW - 80kW sustained draw when towing a travel trailer at highway speeds.

FYI, your insurance likely already covers rental vehicles for personal usage.

 

[chl]

100lbs???? Where did you get that info? From what I know of the truck, it's going to have a 3.6L Penstar V6. That engine alone is over 400lbs, then you have a 27 gallon gas tank, where the fuel alone weighs close to 200lbs. Then you have Oil, cooling, and all the extra components/wires required to convert mechanical energy to electricity. Maybe thermodynamics lied about being your friend too.

Yep.
Ridiculousness!

"Meet the 2026 Ram 1500 Ramcharger REEV pickup

The 2026 Ram 1500 Ramcharger includes a 3.6 L V-6 engine, a 27-gallon gas tank, and dual electric motors, one on each axle ..."

https://electrek.co/2025/02/25/ram-touts-new-ramcharger-reev-as-ultimate-electric-pickup/

 

[chl]

at 60 mph the lightning running down the hwy without a trailer uses about 30kwh per hour.
A separate charging system could supply 30kW and the truck would drive until you run out of gas for the back up generator.
If we say the truck with a trailer is using double the energy - 60kWh per hour, then the choice is larger genny, or limited range extension:

If we keep the 30kW generator as above, the genny can start as soon as the truck starts running pulling the trailer, the truck has 131kWh full charge and the gen-set adds another 30kWh each hour, but the truck+trailer use 60kWh (say) per hour.

After the first 60 miles, the truck used 60kWh, but the gen set added 30, so your 131-60+30 = 101kWh.
After 120 miles, the truck used 120kWh but the gen set added 60, so your 131-120+60 =71kWh left.
Effectively the truck is using 60 but gaining 30 each hour, and the result is like driving without a trailer. ie net 30 kWh per hour. Total range of the truck + trailer with 30kW genny is 262 miles.

A generator that can charge the truck while you drive doesn't have to supply the full load of the truck to be a range extender.

https://electrek.co/2025/02/25/ram-touts-new-ramcharger-reev-as-ultimate-electric-pickup/

"...Combined with a massive 92 kWh battery, the pickup can drive up to 690 miles, or what Kuniskis calls an “unlimited” range.

Powered solely by electric power, Ram says the pickup has a driving range of around 145 miles. After the battery runs out of juice, the gas engine kicks on to extend its range..."

It's like buying 2 trucks, and EV and an ICE truck...no thanks.

 

[Altivec]

Has anyone ever changed your mind?

You told me I was wrong. See above.

and you told me I am wrong... Welcome to the internet. That's called a difference of opinion, not elitism.

I am a very practical person. Absolutely, others have changed my mind. In this case, my 11 year experience with an EREV trumps how some dude on the Internet imagines it will be like. So no, nobody is going to change my mind on this one unless they can prove that all the problems I have encountered got resolved. That means reviews of this RAM, 10 years after it comes out. By that time new EV batteries will be out and, I won't care anyways. All I can do, is come back here 10 years from now and say you were right.

Your comment of calling members here "pure EV elitists" is just outlandish. Heck, we are talking about having outlets to plug a gas generator in as a solution or suggest sticking with ICE vehicles if you do a lot of long distance driving. How is that "pure EV" elitism?

 

[chl]

I think Chrysler/Stellantis is way behind the curve.

In a few years, new battery technology (Sodium ION for example) will make the range and charging time issues of EVs practically moot....unfortunately of US consumers, it will likely be China that produces it and because of protectionism, we in the US will be left out.

 

[Altivec]

I think Chrysler/Stellantis is way behind the curve.

In a few years, new battery technology (Sodium ION for example) will make the range and charging time issues of EVs practically moot....unfortunately of US consumers, it will likely be China that produces it and because of protectionism, we in the US will be left out.

I agree with you 100%. Only worse. I don't think it's only Stelantis. Ford was on the right course with the lightning, but they needed to stay the course and improve it year after year. Farley, unfortunately is flip flopping like a fish when it comes to EV's. He did a 180 with his comments about the lightning a little over a year ago which makes me believe Ford too is going to try the EREV thing. I just hope he is smart enough to keep the lightning a BEV and keep moving forward with it.

As you said, you can't be short sighted in these things. New battery tech is being worked on all around the world. Breakthroughs will happen and it's just around the corner. If you are wasting billions developing and building factories on an EREV, and then a cheap battery that gets 800 miles and charges in 15 minutes comes out, you are going to be left holding the bag and spending years trying to switch over. China gets this. The USA, not so much.

 

[On the Road with Ralph]

Why in the world would you get something like this over a proven ICE f150 if you do a lot of long distance driving?

As someone who has taken his SR Lightning on 14 road trips (and about to leave on #15) of more than 1500 miles each, I think this take is comically absurd. I do an insane amount of long distance driving and the Lightning fits my use case perfectly. It is a joy to drive.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I agree with you 100%. Only worse. I don't think it's only Stelantis. Ford was on the right course with the lightning, but they needed to stay the course and improve it year after year. Farley, unfortunately is flip flopping like a fish when it comes to EV's. He did a 180 with his comments about the lightning a little over a year ago which makes me believe Ford too is going to try the EREV thing. I just hope he is smart enough to keep the lightning a BEV and keep moving forward with it.

As you said, you can't be short sighted in these things. New battery tech is being worked on all around the world. Breakthroughs will happen and it's just around the corner. If you are wasting billions developing and building factories on an EREV, and then a cheap battery that gets 800 miles and charges in 15 minutes comes out, you are going to be left holding the bag and spending years trying to switch over. China gets this. The USA, not so much.

Exactly this. The retreat US manufacturers are engaging in is wasteful and short-sighted. The protectionism they're enjoying is going to hurt them in the long run. As the rest of the world moves away from gassy vehicles, US manufacturing will have a smaller and smaller market. And they will fall further and further behind. But since they won't have to compete with superior products, they will be able to convince their captive customers everything is fine.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

As someone who has taken his SR Lightning on 14 road trips (and about to leave on #15) of more than 1500 miles each, I think this take is comically absurd. I do an insane amount of long distance driving and the Lightning fits my use case perfectly. It is a joy to drive.

We've driven 75k miles in our EVs, mostly road trips of 1200+ miles each. Everything about our EVe has been superior to the gassy vehicles we've left being. At this point, nobody could pay me to go back to gas, whether it was a hybrid or all gas.

 

[Altivec]

As someone who has taken his SR Lightning on 14 road trips (and about to leave on #15) of more than 1500 miles each, I think this take is comically absurd. I do an insane amount of long distance driving and the Lightning fits my use case perfectly. It is a joy to drive.

Everyone has their own unique use case. I agree with you 100%. For me the extra stop here and there for the few long distance trips I make is well worth the benefits I gain from having an EV. That comment was directed to those that don't feel that way. That for their use case, current BEV's aren't good enough but think that an EREV is going to make it all great. My point was, if you are okay with using gas anyways, and you don't have the patience to stop at charge stations because maybe you use your truck for work and travel long distances 3 times a week, you are better off sticking with an ICE truck. EREV's will just give you more expenses, inefficiencies, and problems. Besides that, you will now be stopping at both charge stations and gas stations.

So to be clear. I've had ice, erev and bev vehicles. From now on out, I personally will be going BEV only. But I also understand there are people that use their trucks differently than me and I wouldn't recommend a BEV to them. For 95% of the cases, I would either recommend a BEV or ICE. I would only recommend an EREV in very specific use cases and even then, I would end with, good luck.

 

[On the Road with Ralph]

Everyone has their own unique use case. I agree with you 100%. For me the extra stop here and there for the few long distance trips I make is well worth the benefits I gain from having an EV. That comment was directed to those that don't feel that way.

Since your response was positive and constructive, let me amplify mine:

I drive long distances mostly for purpose, not vacations. I carry A LOT of expensive, battery-powered gear with me - computers, cameras, drone, power tools, etc. - and the frunk is a godsend. I can store my stuff securely, out of sight, in a space where I can also plug in the chargers. I could not do any of that with a gas powered truck.

I need a truck bed because I often carry stuff between destinations, or when I am at a destination, and the bed is invaluable for that. I couldn't make an SUV work, regardless of powertrain.

I don't often carry people, but I take full advantage of the huge rear seating area for things like clothing and files.

As for range, I am fond of saying that it is NOT determined by the battery, but by my bladder. The EV charging situation on virtually all major travel routes has improved to the point where there are usually multiple choices for charging when I reach my physiological limit. Combining a rest stop (or a meal) with charging a vehicle makes for efficient travel. And I have intentionally crossed several charging deserts (both real and metaphorical) without difficulty or stress.

There is one more use case that my Lightning performs brilliantly: As a mobile platform for my astronomical expeditions. It can take me, a fellow observer, all the ridiculous equipment and powers it when we get there. Here is a shot from my set-up for the 2024 total solar eclipse:

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