Ram's new electric pickup truck aims for battery range of 500 miles: WSJ

Detroit (Michigan) [US], April 6 : Stellantis' Ram is raising the bar for its Detroit competitors in the electric-truck race. The truck brand's coming electric pickup the Ram 1500 REV will offer a battery option that aims to deliver 500 miles in range, which is more than any other electric pickup on the market today, The Wall Street Journal reported.

According to data from EVBox that was available in December of 2022, the average electric vehicle has a range of 341 km (211 miles).

The range is also on par with what Tesla has projected for its coming Cybertruck, an electric vehicle that it intends to bring to market later this year.

WSJ said the Ram electric pickup, shown off at the New York auto show on Wednesday, is expected to go on sale in late 2024.

Ram also plans to offer the pickup with a standard 350-mile range battery and introduce a still-undisclosed variant at a later date, giving buyers choices in their switch to the new technology, said Ram brand chief Mike Koval.

Ram has trailed competitors in getting an electric pickup truck to market. Ford Motor released its Lightning F-150 last year, and General Motors' Chevy Silverado EV is expected to go on sale in the fall of this year, according to WSJ.

Koval, however, said Ram isn't trying to rush its customers into this technology, adding that it is more important that it suits their lives first.

"For electrification, being first actually might not be the best," Koval said, during the truck's unveiling.

Ram didn't release details on pricing for the truck. Automakers typically offer those closer to the on-sale date. The battery-range figures on the new Ram 1500 REV still need to be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to WSJ.

Few electric models currently on sale offer a 500-mile battery range. Among them is the Lucid Air, a premium sedan and the first model for EV startup Lucid Group, which delivers 516 miles of range on a single charge.

By comparison, Ford's F-150 Lightning pickup has battery options that deliver 230 miles and 320 miles of range, depending on the size selected.

The soon-to-arrive Chevy Silverado EV is expected to have a range of more than 400 miles, while Rivian Automotive's debut electric-truck model, called the R1T, offers a 350-mile range battery.

WSJ says the competition for electric pickups has been heating up, with traditional automakers and newer startups racing to capture customer interest in what has long been a significant battleground in the auto business. Pickups are among the most profitable offerings for car compes in the US, where buyers tend to favour bulkier models that have significant towing and hauling capability.

Range anxiety remains a big barrier for many customers considering a switch to an electric model.

The Wall Street Journal said the public-charging infrastructure is lacking and well behind what many industry analysts say is needed to support the influx of new electric models now hitting dealerships.

Automakers have also faced a number of setbacks in trying to quickly accelerate the production of electric pickups. According to WSJ, GM's factory output of its USD 100,000 Hummer electric pickup has been stuck at roughly a dozen vehicles a day for about a year now, and Ford had to pause production of its Lighting EV for five weeks earlier this year after a battery problem led to a vehicle fire and a small recall.

Ram's owner, Stellantis, has said the brand's first electric pickup is crucial to its effort to introduce more battery-powered products across its global lineup, WSJ said. The brand's pickup-truck models are important profit drivers for the parent company's North American unit and the overall bottom line.