Will Ram's electric truck be a 'revolution'? Here's where its concept stands

Las Vegas — The "Ram Revolution" has arrived.

Stellantis NV on Thursday unveiled the highly anticipated Ram 1500 Revolution battery-electric pickup truck concept during its keynote presentation at the CES consumer electronics trade show at The Venetian Resort with a new face, flexible modern interior configurations, third-row jump seats and eyes-free driving. Some of the features are well off into the future, Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. says, but the concept offers a visionary roadmap for its production model that will launch in 2024.

"We're planting our flag on Truck Mountain, saying, 'Ram is here,'" he told The Detroit News. "And this is proof that we are in fast forward and on track to deliver the best portfolio of electrified solutions and as we look to redefine the segment once again. ... Everything that our customers will see from Ram will be a direct descendant of what you see here."

But the EV truck war already is well underway with products launched from crosstown rivals Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. and even startup Rivian Automotive Inc. Koval has said the later timing of Ram's offering will allow it to beat the competition in the most important capabilities that matter to customers, including range, towing, payload and charge time.

"They've had a little bit more time to maybe develop technologies that maybe GM and Ford had to go without," said Stephanie Brinley, S&P Global Inc.'s principal automotive analyst. "Delivering the right product at the right time overall is going to be better than being first."

Ram's approach is more like General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Silverado EV than Ford Motor Co.'s F-150 Lightning since the Revolution was built up from an all-electric platform from the start, instead of being adapted from the internal combustion engine truck. That means it can have greater width for more interior and battery space, which likely translates to longer range.

Details of most of the critical benchmarks weren't shared as a part of the concept's reveal. The automaker, however, did specify the concept can add 100 miles of range in about 10 minutes with an 800-volt DC fast charger at up to 350 kilowatts.

Those, though, are the same estimates from GM on the charging speed of the Ultium platform that will power the Silverado, whose commercial model will launch in the first half of this year; the top-trim $105,000 retail model will launch in the second half. The same metrics also apply to the $112,595 GMC Hummer EV pickup that launched in December 2021.

"We're not quite ready to share the specific numbers, certainly, for our actual production vehicle," Koval said, "but I can tell you, we will push past what the competition has announced so far."

Also noteworthy is that the maximum output today of most commercial DC fast chargers is 350 kilowatts, so there would be no use to accept anything more.

The next question would be for how long it can sustain charging at that input since charging slows as a battery powers up, said Sam Abuelsamid, principal e-mobility analyst at market research firm Guidehouse Inc. If its technology can sustain a greater amount of charging for longer, charge speeds could be shorter. For now, the specs show "best-in-class at the moment," Abuelsamid said.

The Ram concept does accept more energy than some others. The F-150 Lightning's extended-range battery accepts up to 155 kilowatts and can charge 54 miles in about 10 minutes, according to Ford.

Although specifics weren't shared, the Revolution is underpinned by the STLA (pronounced "Stella") Frame architecture. The company has said that platform will support up to 500 miles of range. It also is planning a "range-electric paradigm breaker" model that would offer additional range. The F-150 Lightning provides up to 320 miles of range, while the Silverado's maximum is 400 miles.

Ram alongside the concept introduced the Ram Charger, an inductive robot charger that detects a vehicle's presence and automatically aligns itself under the vehicle to charge during less-expensive, off-peak times. The vehicle still does have an illuminated charge port with a powered door for cable charging.

"It's automatic," Koval said of the Ram Charger. "There's nothing that you'd have to do."

Other innovations for the Revolution include third-row jump seating. Placed in the bed or outside the vehicle by a removable lower section, the seats attach to the powered, multifunction mid-gate. They do have seatbelts.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that it's the next minivan, but it's really about flexibility," Koval said. "Those seats are actually removable, as well. You'll be able to put them in the back of the truck, and you could even take them to your son's football game and use them on the bleachers, as well. So, it's really going to literally take tailgating to an all new level."

Ram's design studio calls it "brutiful" — meaning brutal, yet beautiful — a term coined by Mark Trostle, vice president of Ram design, that emphasizes the ability of the truck to haul cargo or be an elegant and sporty ride, Ralph Gilles, Stellantis' chief design officer, said.

Referring to Tesla's Cybertruck and other competitors, "we found that they were either shock design, not necessarily attractive designs, or they were mechanical and cold," Gilles said. "We wanted something that was beautiful. It was tough still, but clearly sleek and futuristic."

The Ram name gets a modern font animated on the truck's face bookended by "tuning fork" LED headlights.

But executives emphasize the concept's interior after impressing the market on the tech-heavy and stylish 2019 1500 redesign. The Revolution nixes the B-pillar in favor of saloon-style doors to show off the larger cabin with "limo-like" space for back row passengers thanks to the new body-on-frame platform.

The doors borrow from the Chrysler Portal concept the company debuted at CES in 2017. And that's not all. Rails in the floor allow the Revolution's modern-style seats to move in the cab for different configurations. They also can be used as tie downs. The center console, which can double as a workspace, can be moved along the track or removed, as well.

That maneuverability allows the truck to fit objects up to 18 feet long with the tailgate closed and a pass-through to the front trunk. That "frunk" has a one-touch open and close.

Trenches in the floor, though, could be a collection ground for dirt and crumbs, but Gilles says, "The tracks are easy to clean. They're nice and open. It's just a vacuum cleaner, and the benefits outweigh the negatives."

Two stacked touchscreens provide up to 28 inches of screen space, the lower of which can be removed and used elsewhere in the truck as a tablet. The upper screen also can slide on the rail system. Backup cameras offer a 360-degree view of the vehicle, and occupants can control the opaqueness of the fully glass, electro-chromatic roof. Different cabin modes — Productivity, Social, Party, Relax and user-created — additionally adjust lighting, seating position, vehicle suspension, sound and display content.

A 3D Ram avatar is the face of an artificial intelligence virtual assistant that can plan trips based on the driver's schedule and preferences. Voice control extends outside the vehicle to control windows, play music, take a picture and even follow the owner in "Shadow Mode," making pickup of tools or other equipment more efficient on a job site, for example.

That's Koval's favorite feature: "Imagine if you were a farmer in Iowa, and you were baling hay or an architect in Austin. The vehicle will literally follow you using a blend of cameras and sensors. And you just say, 'Follow me, Ram, follow,' and it will follow you so that you have everything you need right close to you."

The concept offers "Level 3+" automated driving, which supports hands-free and eyes-free driving. The steering wheel retracts to provide additional space for the driver in this autonomous mode.

The concept doesn't have the STLA Brain, Smart Cockpit and AutoDrive software platforms the company is launching in 2024, but these AI-powered features would require those technologies, Koval said. Stellantis said this week Chrysler will be its first brand in North America to introduce those platforms, but its first fully electric vehicle isn't coming until 2025.

Also made for off-road use, the Revolution has a skid plate and new pivoting tow hooks that can sit flush. It has 24-inch wheels that light up and stay in place and 35-inch tires. The truck is shorter in height from the currently available 1500, but it doesn't compromise ground clearance, Gilles said.

Four-wheel steering on the Revolution also provides up to 15 degrees of articulation, and there are three adjustable air suspension modes. Multiple built-in projectors communicate information to the driver and double as a mobile movie theater. Like competitors, there also are outlets in the frunk and bed to power a generator, tools and other electronic devices.

For aerodynamics, the Revolution has powered flush-mounted door handles and side steps. Smaller 3D printed sideview mirrors are lighter in weight and use a digital camera to capture the truck's surroundings.

The concept employs some sustainable interior materials. Animal-free "leather" comes from a byproduct of the apple industry. Recycled rubber and cork particles make up the textured floor.

Koval hasn't said where the all-electric production model will be built. The 1500 currently is built at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, which would require updates to support the all-electric platform.

Stellantis during its keynote also showcased the Inception concept from Peugeot, one of its French brands unavailable in the U.S. market. The display is a demonstration of a next-generation i-Cockpit platform.

The vehicle uses a "Hypersquare" instead of a steering wheel that allows drivers to control the vehicle with their fingertips, which Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson said will launch on vehicle starting in 2026. The interior also is more lounge-like. The Hybersquare can retract into the dashboard and a panoramic screen pops up to replace it when driving autonomously.

bnoble@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @BreanaCNoble