2023 Ram 1500 Laramie 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.

Ram CEO rules out Hellcat pickup for now [w/poll]

If you've been waiting for Chrysler to shoehorn its new Hellcat engine into the Ram 1500 pickup, you may be waiting a while. Our compatriots at Car and Driver spoke to Ram CEO Bob Hegbloom about the prospect of a Hellcat pickup, and his answer was less than promising: "At this time, I would say no."
That doesn't mean it'll never happen, but does suggest that such a project is not currently in the cards. Which is a bit of a shame, considering how the last Mopar muscle truck turned out. The Dodge Ram SRT-10 was powered by essentially the same V10 engine as the Viper, channeled (in the short-cab version anyway) to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual. The supercharged, 707-horsepower Hellcat engine now available in the Challenger coupe and Charger sedan is even more powerful, and would make one heck of a performance truck - the kind that, long-travel suspension aside, might make some enthusiasts forget all about the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor.
In the meantime, we're still holding out hope that the Trackhawk name registered by Chrysler recently will point the way towards a Hellcat-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. Where would you most like to see the Hellcat engine pop up next?

2021 Ram 1500 TRX vs. 2020 Ford F-150 Raptor | How they compare on paper

Now that the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX has debuted, it’s time to pit the off-road truck against its only true competitor: the Ford F-150 Raptor. Ford has left us in a weird spot with the Raptor, though. ItÂ’s currently in-between models, as the regular 2021 F-150 is out, but the 2021 Raptor hasnÂ’t been announced yet. Since the F-150 is moving into a totally new generation for 2021, the Raptor is bound to be much different a year (or even months) from now than it is today. Regardless, the Raptor as it stands today is still a worthy adversary for RamÂ’s new super truck. The TRX is much more expensive than the Raptor at its base level, but you can spec out a Raptor that comes close to the TRXÂ’s base price. That said, a TRX can crest $90,000. Neither of these trucks are cheap. So, letÂ’s get to the all-important specs and figures. The chart is below. WeÂ’ll note that Ford offers the Raptor in SuperCab and SuperCrew forms, but the TRX is only offered in Crew Cab size. For comparisonÂ’s sake, weÂ’ve chosen to provide figures for the SuperCrew that closely aligns with the Ram Crew Cab.   Powertrain ItÂ’s fairly obvious who has the advantage here. FCA just keeps spreading the Hellcat love around, and Ram is the latest brand to get a taste. The TRX has a whopping 252 horsepower and 140 pound-foot advantage over the Raptor. ItÂ’s also far quicker to 60 mph than the Ford. Nothing in the truck realm can touch the TRX in a straight line. Plus, the supercharged V8 produces much better noises than the F-150 Raptor and its boosted V6 is capable of.  Fuel economy for the TRX isnÂ’t out yet, but expect it to be even more horrendous than the RaptorÂ’s. If efficiency is even remotely important to you, neither of these trucks should be on your shortlist.  Both these trucks come with four-wheel-drive standard, and they both have a number of drive modes that alter the powertrainÂ’s characteristics depending on the terrain. Baja mode transforms the trucks into the desert runners that they both are at heart, but theyÂ’re plenty capable of crawling around rocks, too. We wonÂ’t know for certain which is best at specific tasks until we can get them both on (or off) equal ground. Suspension / off-roading capability The specs are freakishly similar when we compare ground clearance, approach/departure angles and water fording, but these two trucks use different strategies to get there.