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Range-extended electric Ram 1500 coming in 2024

Ram is making a big deal about the full-electric Ram 1500 coming in 2024, as well it should. It will be a major competitor to the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevy Silverado EV, and it will have an interesting development process with input from Ram fans. An all-electric model would generally be big enough product news, but it's getting an interesting addition: a range-extender model. We learned this in an interview with Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. He noted that it will be a part of Ram trying to respond to customer interests and concerns, as well as offering more than expected. He didn't go into detail about the powertrain, but it will launch alongside the electric model in 2024. It sounded as though it will be based on the electric truck, but with some sort of gasoline engine to provide power. It's not clear if it would be a pure series hybrid a la BMW i3, or if the engine would engage the wheels to provide some propulsion. We think there's one big area where this powertrain makes sense: towing. While capable of towing huge amounts, electric vehicles tend to lose a drastic amount of range when towing. And especially with an underdeveloped charging network, it would make towing any distance frustrating — and a big issue, when towing is a big reason for owning a large truck. Introducing an internal combustion engine for occasional towing would mean that a Ram buyer could have a much more efficient experience, and still have full EV capability when not towing. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Will Nissan's Cummins deal upset Ram's marketing mojo? [w/poll]

Ram has used Cummins engines in its heavy duty trucks since 1989, and it is the only pickup truck brand to use products from the Indiana-based engine maker. With the announcement that the next Nissan Titan will also use a Cummins powerplant, and a Nissan spokesman having already said "We will definitely leverage the Cummins brand name," a piece in Automotive News wonders whether the deal will affect the way Ram markets its tie-up with Cummins.
The question really is, how intense is this competition? While it is the first time that trucks from two different brands have used Cummins engines, they'll be two different engines in two different kinds of trucks; Nissan is going to put a 5.0-liter turbodiesel in a non-heavy-duty Titan, Ram only uses its 6.7-liter, inline six-cylinder turbodiesel in heavy-duty offerings. The diesel that Ram will offer in its light-duty, half-ton 1500 is a 3.0-liter V6 EcoDiesel with 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque - compared to about 300 hp and 550 lb-ft expected from the Titan's Cummins - and its marketing so far has focused on the fuel economy gains.
If Nissan was going to prove its commitment to the segment, it had to do something compelling. If we're talking about sales competition between Ram and Nissan, Ram has sold 201,633 trucks as of July this year, up 24.2 percent, 31,314 of those sales coming last month; Nissan has sold 10,020 Titans through the end of July, down 21.1 percent, and just 1,168 in July itself. Nissan's new truck boss - who hopped there from Ram - said that buyers have asked for a powerful turbodiesel in something other than a heavy duty pickup, and from what we've read on various comment boards, the pickup truck crowd is excited about Nissan's move.

2021 Ram 2500 Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition celebrates the military-derived original

The Ram Power Wagon has made a name for itself in this century as the ultimate heavy-duty off-road pickup truck. But the name has a much longer history than that. The first Power Wagon went on sale in 1945, and was based on large military trucks built by Dodge during World War II. That's 75 years ago this year, hence the reason for the 2021 Ram 2500 Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition you see here. Squeaking in just in time for the civilian truck's anniversary, this special edition Power Wagon gets some visual tweaks and is loaded up with various features. On the outside you'll find standard premium LED headlights with black trim that matches the black decals and rock rails. The unique grille gets a gunmetal Ram badge and the rear doors have black 75th anniversary badges. Beadlock-capable wheels with the usual 33-inch tires round out the exterior styling. Inside, the most prominent change is the addition of brown leather seats with 75th anniversary logos in the seat backs. Dash and door trims feature gloss black plastic and brushed aluminum. The 12-inch infotainment screen is fitted and features the new-for-2021 off-road pages that display ride height, pitch and roll, and auxiliary gauges. The infotainment system is also coupled to a 750-watt, 17-speaker sound system. The special edition Power Wagons will reach dealers by the end of the year. Pricing starts at $66,945 with destination. Related Video: