Ram CEO names production electric truck, announces Mexico investment

The Ram 1500 REV will be the name of Stellantis NV's all-electric production pickup launching next year — and viewers might get a look at it during the Super Bowl on Sunday, the brand's CEO teased on Thursday at the Chicago Auto Show.

"I would suggest you have some good chicken wings ready to go for this weekend," Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. quipped. The brand has a 60-second spot airing during the fourth quarter during the Fox broadcast of the NFL's championship game.

The REV that will feature new color-differentiated badging is a "descendant" of the tech-infused, configurable Revolution concept truck Ram revealed last month at the CES consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas, Koval said. The electric model of Stellantis' most-sold vehicle in the United States will be the hallmark of the Ram brand in its zero-emission portfolio.

"We're not abandoning our base or our core or our ICE propulsion systems," Koval told The Detroit News in a phone interview from a heavy-duty Limited on the show floor. "We're just introducing the electrified side of the family. We're going to go to market in parallel. From a showroom perspective, I think we'll have a very nice delineation between our lineup and our EV lineup. You'll see some distinctive characteristics."

Also included in that electric lineup will be the commercial ProMaster van, whose all-electric version will launch toward the end of the year at the Saltillo Van Assembly Plant in Mexico. Demand for the ProMaster has resulted in Stellantis looking for opportunities to add production, and Koval told The News the automaker will invest nearly $200 million into the plant in the northern state of Coahuila. The expansion, which will support ICE and EV vans, is expected to be completed at the end of 2024.

A request for further details on how much production would be added and job creation was sent. The company previously had considered importing the vehicles from European plants.

Ram sold near 61,000 ProMasters in the United States last year, down 4% year-over-year amid industry-wide supply-chain snags throughout the year. But inventory of the vans has been at near-zero on dealership lots, Koval said.

"The demand for that large van continues to be white-hot, both at retail, but also as well as in our fleet and our small business channels," Koval said. "I have so many orders in excessive of my capacity right now that I can't fulfill. I'm looking forward to a time when I can better meet that demand, and then, of course, help our dealers in the U.S. build up a little bit of stock."

Stellantis hasn't announced where it will build the 1500 REV. Koval said that news is coming "soon." The gas-powered trucks are built at Sterling Heights Assembly Plant.

The 1500 REV will be built on the new STLA ("Stella") Frame all-electric architecture, which the company has said can support up to 500 miles of range. Ram has emphasized since it's coming to market after competitors from Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and even startup Rivian Automotive Inc. that it will surpass them in payload, towing, range and charging speed.

The Revolution concept can add 100 miles of range in about 10 minutes with an 800-volt DC fast charger at up to 350 kilowatts, according to the brand. That's in line with the GMC Hummer EV and forthcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV.

Other future products also will point to the vision established by the Revolution, Koval has said. He previously told The News next month that Ram will show a concept of a midsize truck to its dealers in Las Vegas during the automaker's first dealer announcement meeting since 2015. The company hasn't had a midsize pickup in the United States since it ended production of the Dodge Dakota following the 2011 model year.

"It's really important to have that strong relationship between the OEM and our dealer body," Koval said. "Obviously, we need each other. We're partners, and so we need to show our dealers the future and how bright the future is for our company and for our brands and all of these wonderful products that we have coming in the EV future.

"But it's also a great opportunity to do a little research, right? So, I'll have 6,000 of my best friends in the arena, and I may show them something, and we'll see if they like it. They could say, 'Koval, you're either on-point, or you're not,' I suppose. We'll kind of go from there."

bnoble@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @BreanaCNoble