The Ram 1500 electric truck has been cancelled. This news should not be surprising to anyone, considering the current EV market.

Stellantis officially cancelled the all-electric Ram 1500 pickup truck, citing slowing demand for battery-electric trucks in North America, but they’re keeping the range-extended version and renaming it from “Ramcharger” to “Ram 1500 REV”. After multiple delays since its 2023 debut, the company decided to focus on their gas-electric hybrid approach instead. Here’s why this move makes sense and what it means for the electric truck wars.

The electric truck market demand is soft at best

Ford capitalized on a real demand for EV trucks, but the competition doesn’t stand a chance. Being first to the market sometimes pays off, as it has for Ford, but being last might be perfect for Stellantis and Ram. The Stellantis electric vehicle strategy has changed, at least in the United States, and the soft market for EVs means the high-cost, all-electric Ram electric truck will not be part of the market. This will likely only be one of many battery electric vehicle cancellations seen this year and in the upcoming years, especially in America.

Why is the market for EVs poor right now?

You could point to various reasons why electric vehicles are not popular right now, and the automotive industry has chosen to pivot away from them, but a few stand out. Before we got to the political part of the loss of the Federal EV Tax Credit, electric vehicles already faced issues with the lack of driving range compared to gasoline vehicles. The promise of solid-state batteries hasn’t come to fruition, and many drivers have grown impatient. Additionally, when it comes to pickup truck electrification, the towing capabilities compared to gas and diesel counterparts are paltry at best. Most electric trucks can’t hold a candle to traditional models when pulling a trailer.

Its all in the name

The Ram 1500 electric truck that is now cancelled was supposed to carry the name Ram 1500 REV, but that’s not going to happen. Still, there will be a Ram 1500 REV, which might rub some people the wrong way. The Ram 1500 Ramcharger will now be changed to Ram 1500 REV. The Ramcharger is a range extended electric vehicle, but for simplicity purposes, it’s a plug-in hybrid truck with the longest driving range of any PHEV on the market.

What is a range extended electric vehicle?

A Range Extended Electric Vehicle, or REEV for simplicity, is a different type of hybrid vehicle than what is typically offered. In regular hybrid vehicles, the electric motor assists the gasoline engine in providing power to the wheels. The electric motor is not directly attached to the wheels. This is the case in regular hybrid models and PHEVs, despite PHEVs offering an all-electric driving range for drivers. An REEV does things differently, with the electric motors attached to the wheels to provide power and the gas engine providing power back to the battery pack.

Because the Ramcharger, or now Ram 1500 REV, is an REEV, it has a relatively large battery pack when compared to PHEV models. This large battery pack allows the truck to drive for up to 143 miles on electric-only power. The 3.6-liter V6 gas engine sends power to the batteries, extending the driving range and maintaining power for the truck.

Note: These new REEVs are so new that terms have not be standardized. In some cases, they are referred to as EREVs, which is Extended Range Electric Vehicles. Either way, these are the same thing.

Towing made better

The Ram 1500 REV can tow up to 14,000 pounds, and it will survive this for 39 miles on battery power alone, but the real benefit is when the gas engine/generator kicks in. With power being sent to the batteries, the truck will continue to pull the load as long as there’s gas in the tank. Instead of taking an hour to recharge the batteries to continue driving, this truck can refuel like a traditional truck and continue down the road. This makes for a much more efficient, effective, and satisfying towing experience.

Despite the Ram 1500 electric truck being cancelled, there won’t be a big hole left in the market. The all-electric Ram would have been an interesting addition to the market, and maybe it will come back around later, but for now, the renamed Ramcharger to Ram 1500 REV can handle the job of being a useful and impressive REEV for Ram. This could be the future of hybrid trucks, which could make the Ram the first to the market, where it would have been last in the EV world.