Ram’s New Electric Pickup Aims for Battery Range of 500 Miles

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 Co.

released its Lightning F-150 last year, and

General Motors Co.

’s Chevy Silverado EV is expected to go on sale in the fall of this year. 

Mr. 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,” Mr. Koval said, during the truck’s unveiling.

Ram didn’t release details on pricing for the truck. Auto makers 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. 

Few electric models currently on sale offer a 500-mile battery range. Among them is the Lucid Air, a premium sedan and first model for EV startup

Lucid Group Inc.,

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 Inc.’s

debut electric-truck model, called the R1T, offers a 350-mile range battery. 

The competition for electric pickups has been heating up, with traditional auto makers 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 companies in the U.S., where buyers tend to favor 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 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. 

Auto makers have also faced a number of setbacks in trying to quickly accelerate production of electric pickups. GM’s factory output of its $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

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

Stellantis, which was formed in January 2021 through the merger of France’s PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, has said it wants EVs to account for 50% of its U.S. sales by 2030. Later this year Ram plans to introduce an electric van in the U.S., along with two other battery-powered models from its luxury Maserati brand. 

Write to Ryan Felton at [email protected]

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 Co.

released its Lightning F-150 last year, and

General Motors Co.

’s Chevy Silverado EV is expected to go on sale in the fall of this year. 

Mr. 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,” Mr. Koval said, during the truck’s unveiling.

Ram didn’t release details on pricing for the truck. Auto makers 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. 

Few electric models currently on sale offer a 500-mile battery range. Among them is the Lucid Air, a premium sedan and first model for EV startup

Lucid Group Inc.,

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 Inc.’s

debut electric-truck model, called the R1T, offers a 350-mile range battery. 

The competition for electric pickups has been heating up, with traditional auto makers 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 companies in the U.S., where buyers tend to favor 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 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. 

Auto makers have also faced a number of setbacks in trying to quickly accelerate production of electric pickups. GM’s factory output of its $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

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

Stellantis, which was formed in January 2021 through the merger of France’s PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, has said it wants EVs to account for 50% of its U.S. sales by 2030. Later this year Ram plans to introduce an electric van in the U.S., along with two other battery-powered models from its luxury Maserati brand. 

Write to Ryan Felton at [email protected]