Stellantis has thrown the covers off its answer to Ford’s F-150 Lightning and the Chevrolet Silverado EV at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show: the new battery-electric Ram 1500 Revolution.
Ram 1500 Revolution
Previewing a production electric 1500 pickup truck that’s set to arrive in 2024, the Revolution hints at a futuristic EV-orientated design for the American brand, and marks a significant step in parent company Stellantis’ ‘Dare Forward 2030’ strategy.
“The Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept is our clearest signal yet that we’re on the precipice of something extraordinary at Ram and points directly to where we’re going on our electrified journey,” Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. explains. “At Ram, we’ve redefined what pickup trucks can be, and we will do so again by pushing past what competitors are offering by delivering the best electric pickups on the market.”
Ram 1500 Revolution Battery-electric Vehicle (BEV) Concept multifunction tailgate
Built on Stellantis’ ‘STLA’ EV platform, the Revolution features two electric motors – one for each axle – for all-wheel drive. While no specific power figures and/or an estimated range have been released, Ram has stated that “up to 100 miles” (around 160 km) of range could be added in around 10 minutes courtesy of the pickup’s 80-volt DC fast-charging capability.
A sweptback windshield is the prominent feature at the front alongside an illuminated ‘Ram’ badge on the blanked-out front grille. The latter is bookended by distinctive LED headlamps that feature, what Ram has rather niftily dubbed, ‘the tuning fork’ design. Tow hooks are integrated into a heavy-duty skid-plate at the front, suggesting off-road capability was prioritized during development alongside “range, towing, payload and charge time.” Like the Lightning and the Silverado EV, a ‘front trunk’ sits in lieu of the now redundant V8.
Ram 1500 Revolution
Though these probably won’t make production, the Ram features sedan-style front and rear doors (attached to which are digital cameras rather than side-view mirrors) akin to a Rolls-Royce Phantom, meaning the Revolution concept is also sans a B-pillar. The concept, and the stretched wheelbase beneath it (the EV’s cabin is four inches longer than the current ICE Ram 1500), runs atop 24-inch wheels, at the centre of which are light-up hub caps. Incidentally, 15 degrees of articulation at the rear wheels mean the concept also features four-wheel steering for increased manoeuvrability.
Ram 1500 Revolution
In another neat touch, the rear tailgate doors can be opened outwards and the floor of the bed extended, creating more room to transport larger payloads.
Inside, the futuristic design continues courtesy of an octagonal steering wheel, a glass roof that features ‘electro-chromatic’ panels to adjust the opaqueness (good for particular dull or overly bright days), and the ‘tuning fork’ look of the headlamps that’s replicated across the dashboard via orange ambient lighting.
Ram 1500 Revolution
Two touchscreens on the centre console comprise an impressive 28 inches of screen space: interestingly, the lower half of the screen can be removed altogether and “used in different areas of the truck” (Ram-speak for “as a tablet.”) In keeping with the sustainable nature of the pickup, much of the cabin has been crafted using Apple leather – animal and cruelty-free – and recycled rubber and cork particles.
Ram 1500 Revolution
Oh, and were all that not enough, ‘Shadow Mode’ allows the Revolution to automatically follow the driver “at a safe distance” using sensors and camera technology. This Knight Rider-esque level of autonomy is said to make life more efficient for the driver at job sites for picking up tools or equipment at a job site.
