2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ram open to releasing electric pickup if buyers ask for one

Ram hasn't announced plans to launch an electric pickup yet, but it confirmed it's keeping a close eye on the burgeoning segment in case it needs to jump in. At least half a dozen electric pickups are scheduled to enter production during the first half of the 2020s, including models from Ram's rivals and from start-ups. "The reason we haven't spoken much about electric pickup trucks is not because we view that market as non-existent. We've always had a slightly different view of timing and adoption rates, particularly in North America in terms of full electrification. We are very committed to our electrification strategy — most of which we have revealed," Mike Manley, the head of Ram parent Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), told The Detroit News. There is not a single electric truck available new in the United States in 2020, but the segment is expected to balloon in the coming years. Tesla and start-up Rivian both introduced close-to-production concepts that remain over a year away from entering production. Ford will make an electric derivative of the 14th-generation F-150, while General Motors will send both Chevrolet and GMC marching into the segment; the latter will resurrect the Hummer name. On paper, it looks like Ram is behind. In reality, it's still too early to tell if the demand is there. What remains to be seen is whether carmakers can turn social-media likes and eye-catching headlines into profitable sales, or if the electric pickup will become the proverbial brown, turbodiesel, and stick-shifted station wagon of the 2020s — a vehicle everyone loves the idea of but that no one wants to spend a dime on. Pickups have ruled America's sales chart for decades, but electric cars remain a small niche at best; they represented a 1.6% share of the market in 2019. Ram is essentially waiting to find out if installing one of America's least popular propulsion technologies in the nation's favorite body style by a long shot will resonate with buyers. "We haven't revealed everything. But, obviously pickup trucks are a key franchise for us, and we're not going to sit on the sidelines if there is a danger that our position gets diluted going forward," Manley stressed. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Chrysler appoints new heads of Alfa Romeo and Ram

Chrysler has announced to two key appointments to its senior leadership, both of them taking immediate effect. First up is Reid Bigland, who has been named head of the Alfa Romeo brand for North America. Bigland has served until now as head of the Ram Truck brand, a portfolio he now hands over to Robert Hegbloom, who had served until now as its director.
As a result of the appointments, both Bigland and Hegbloom will take up seats on Chrysler's NAFTA Leadership Team, and Bigland will also join the Fiat Chrysler Group Executive Council - the highest decision-making body in the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles empire.
As per Sergio Marchionne's leadership style, Bigland will continue to serve in two major capacities, maintaining his role as president and CEO of Chrysler Canada. Other senior executives who hold multiple key portfolios include Harald Wester (who serves as the group's Chief Technology Officer and also overseas Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Abarth), Olivier Francois (group Chief Marketing Officer and head of the Fiat brand) and Michael Manley (head of the Asia-Pacific region and the Jeep brand).

Ram extends Black Package to Heavy Duty trucks

If you liked the Black Express package Ram offers on its 1500 light-duty pickup but need the added capability of a Heavy Duty model, we've got good news for you.
This week at the Atlanta International Auto Show, the Ram truck brand is rolling out the Black package for the Ram HD 2500 and 3500 SRW. It features a sinister-looking exterior with 20-inch alloys, fog lamps, grille, front and rear bumpers and badges all blacked out. All the body-side badging has also been removed, unless you go for Cummins power, in which case you still get a chrome diesel badge on the side.
In correspondence with Autoblog, Ram spokesman Nick Cappa explained that the popularity of the Black edition light-duty truck was the impetus for the Heavy Duty edition you see here. "Ram has a reputation for going further on design and custom-looks from the factory," explained Cappa, pointing towards the Express, Sport and Longhorn editions. "This type of forward design-thinking led us to extend the aggressive appearance to the HD trucks, which in the past has been a bit more subtle."