RAM showed electric truck at Super Bowl
2023.02.13 16:01
RAM showed electric truck at Super Bowl
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – In a Super Bowl commercial, Ram showed off the production version of its electric pickup. It turns out that it looks a lot like the Ram 1500 truck today, which is powered by internal combustion, rather than the futuristic concept that was shown off just last month.
Stellantis, Ram’s parent company, recently unveiled a sleek concept truck that was said to offer a glimpse of the brand’s first electric pickup truck. However, with the exception of its headlights and taillights, the gas-powered Ram 1500 pickup that will be available in late 2024 is almost identical to the Ram Rev.
A unique feature of the Ram 1500 Revolution concept truck was its unusually long cab with a third row of seats. Additionally, Stellantis, Ram’s parent company, claims that the passenger cabin’s back wall could be folded down, providing access to the cab from the cargo bed for the transportation of bulky items.
That is a feature that will be offered by the Chevrolet and GMC electric trucks that General Motors unveiled last year. That kind of information is not provided on the RamRev.com website, where people can reserve the truck that will go into production in late 2024.
With the exception of distinctive front and rear lights, the gas-powered Ford F-150 Lightning’s design approach is very similar to that of the Ram 1500 Rev. However, while the Ram Rev has a transparent covering that lights up over the RAM lettering, the Lightning even has a pattern on the front that looks like a grille.
The Ram Rev and F-150 Lightning are both built like traditional pickups, with batteries that are carried inside the frame and strong but flexible metal frames. All of GM’s new electric vehicles, including crossover SUVs and trucks, are built on the Ultium platform, which has a design similar to that of a skateboard. The vehicles are constructed on a platform that is more rigid and resembles an ice tray. It holds a variety of battery packs.
Different body styles are made possible by the very different underlying engineering of the GM truck. Because there is less need to allow for a frame to twist and flex, GM trucks, for example, do not have a break between the passenger compartment and the cargo bed. As a result, their trucks have a more modern appearance. Instead of meeting at a sharp right angle, the back of GM trucks’ passenger cabins slope down to the side of the bed in profile.
The degree to which electric vehicles should differ from gas-powered models also varies widely among automakers. Customers, according to some, will want these new cars to look as natural as possible, and they won’t want anything weird. Others, like General Motors, have made their electric vehicles look very different from their gas-powered counterparts.
There will be a “frunk,” or front trunk, in all three electric trucks—Ram, GM, and Ford. Rivian, a new startup manufacturer of electric trucks, also has a frunk in its R1T pickup; however, rather than being open from the front like in the other trucks, it is more of a hole into which things can be placed from above.
The new electric truck’s power, driving range, or other capabilities were not specified by Stellantis. The concept of electric trucks’ disappointing range and towing capabilities was the focus of the advertisement.
Stellantis executives have previously stated that a version of the Ram electric truck with an onboard “range extender,” a gas-powered engine that would generate electricity for longer drives so the truck wouldn’t need to stop to recharge, would be available.
Executives, including Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, have also stated that when the Ram Rev arrives on the market, its capabilities and range will surpass those of other trucks. Beyond what is currently available, Stellantis spokesperson Todd Goyer has declined to provide any additional information regarding the Ram Rev at this time.
