With the pending arrival of the 2025 Ram 1500 REV electrical truck, becoming a member of the market alongside the Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado EV, GMC Silverado EV, and Rivian R1T, there might be no scarcity of totally electrical full-size truck choices.
However is there a future for compact or mid-size electrical vans, within the type of a small electrical pickup, within the U.S.?
A spread of manufacturers—together with Nissan, Kia, GM, and Volkswagen—have contemplated this out loud, both by saying it’s a risk or by displaying an idea. A Toyota electrical pickup has been confirmed, however it hasn’t revealed its dimension—or if it’s the long-desired Toyota Tacoma EV—but. And there is perhaps a pickup variant of the extra inexpensive Rivian R2 lineup.
All of those manufacturers have fallen in need of truly confirming such a smaller electrical truck particularly for the U.S. When Inexperienced Automotive Studies mentioned the likelihood with Ram Model CEO Mike Koval Jr. final week on the New York auto present, that gave the impression to be the place Ram is with the thought.
Koval confirmed that Ram shared a mid-size, all-electric pickup idea at its current vendor conference. The idea is reportedly concerning the dimension of the present Ford Ranger—or the place the Dodge Dakota left off when it was discontinued in 2011.
“I had 6,000 of my greatest pals within the arenas, and I used to be in search of the thumbs up or the thumbs down,” he mentioned. “And so they must inform you however I feel it’s overwhelmingly constructive.”
Ram 1500 Revolution BEV idea
After all, Inexperienced Automotive Studies requested if there is perhaps a range-extended XR model of this mid-size truck, as was introduced for the Ram 1500 REV, and whether or not the mid-size truck would possibly look extra just like the Ram Revolution idea if it have been to be produced. However Koval wouldn’t but budge on both matter.
“It’s too early,” he mentioned. “It’s not fully outlined but as a result of this was only a idea.”
Koval adopted this with a touch, suggesting that if such a truck have been a world mannequin, then the product is perhaps extra viable. Whereas 95% of Ram quantity has traditionally been in North America, Koval defined that South America, elements of the Center East (Gulf states), and Australia have all turn out to be necessary markets for the model.
“Increasingly, I’m taking a look at our enterprise as a world enterprise,” Koval mentioned. “So I’m taking a look at all alternatives, whether or not it’s compact pickup, mid-size, and the place I can promote them and what they should have—metric-ton, rear-wheel drive.”
Nonetheless as regards to the mid-size truck, Koval summed: “May I’ve an ICE and a BEV, as a result of I want ICE in South America? Yeah, it’s potential, and it’s all again to STLA Body and the flexibleness that’s in there. We may do it.“
2011 Dodge Dakota
So… what about Ram compact pickups?
When Inexperienced Automotive Studies pivoted the query to easy compact vans—with a stage of electrification, particularly, Koval shifted gears to cost issues.
“We’ve got some superior stuff in South America, we’ve got some compact pickups, however these items are by no means simple—compliance, security, homologation,” he mentioned. “And profitability is the query proper now.”
“If I may carry a compact, a Ram model of a compact pickup, I’d do it in the present day. I see a chance there for positive,” he summed.
2025 Ram 1500 REV
An impending EV value warfare
After which, what do you do when there’s a mess of electric-truck entries, and an EV value warfare?
“That’s the elephant within the room,” Koval mentioned, with an exhale. “And the reply to that query, the best way you retain that scale and equilibrium in the present day is by preserving value out.”
“I’m already coping with downward stress on my ICE portfolio in the present day: Inflation’s up, rates of interest are by the roof, fuel costs are again up. I really feel that now,” he mentioned. “Everybody is aware of how costly electrification is, however on the finish of the day if we’re not making EVs, pickup vans included, which are accessible to the mainstream, then I’m unsure what the hell we’re doing.”
Koval sees the prices leveling off over time, with some applied sciences like solid-state battery cells serving to. “A number of the uncooked materials stuff is coming down, it’s not all doom and gloom, however we’ve received an extended method to go,” he mentioned.
2025 Ram 1500 REV
Electrifying heavy-duty vans!
With the compact and mid-size vans at an concept stage, what’s subsequent?
“Heavy-duty vans current a completely totally different set of challenges. We’re taking a look at a number of fuel-cell kind applied sciences, which might make a number of sense in that house.”
Based on Koval, that might additionally probably bounce off the STLA Body {hardware}, though the problem can be within the tanks.
“We’ve got nothing to announce in the present day, however gasoline cell might be an fascinating choice for the use case—sure, towing and hauling massive, massive hundreds,” he mentioned. “Ram simply delivered its first hydrogen fuel-cell vans in Europe on the finish of final 12 months, so we’ve got that subject-matter experience.”
2022 Ram ProMaster
Ram ProMaster electrical van demand is powerful
Ram doesn’t even have a battery electrical mannequin in its lineup, presently. The primary is a model of the ProMaster, arriving later this fall.
As Koval defined, the fleet market has been open-minded concerning the risk and locked onto the entire value of possession and route predictability—to the extent that electric-van demand is pushing the capability of the Saltillo, Mexico, plant.
“The demand is insane…I don’t know what I’m gonna do with that,” he mentioned.
2025 Ram 1500 REV
Pickups might be an enormous a part of EV gross sales, too
Whereas Koval made clear that the model is planning to make the Ram 1500 REV obtainable in a base Tradesman construct that gained’t be fleet-only, he emphasised that the electrical truck gained’t be a restricted providing.
Ram would not disclose official numbers, however it instructed affordability needs to be part of this. It sees electrical vans as not less than 1 / 4 of its combine by then—a heavy raise for a model that revolves round towing, hauling, and work.
“We all know that truck intenders are extra open now to the thought, and we’ve got a really, very bullish forecast for our EV combine by the tip of the last decade.”