eTorque @ local dealer

[thcmas35]

A/C was on the whole time (mid-80s in Texas this morning). And yes, it did shut off. It will restart the engine if the load from A/C and other accessories depletes the battery too quickly or too deeply, but it did not auto-restart during our test drive.

Thanks. What I read must have been speculation OR perhaps I've lost my mind.

 

[thcmas35]

4. Is there any perceivable difference in braking (due to regenerative braking capability on the eTorque-equipped truck)?
I did not notice this until the end of our test drive, when I was braking a little harder while turning into the dealer lot. At that point, it felt like I was braking a sports car. It inspired confidence. But again, I did not notice this while warming up the truck or while braking at speed, e.g. on the highway. So it was a positive experience.

Did you search for or notice any additional menus for regen aggression settings, or new dash monitors for battery draw/charge/current battery state?
I LOVE the aggressive regen on the Tesla/other EV's. One petal driving. I'm not expecting that in this vehicle, but would be nice to have some settings to customize the driving experience. Maybe if downhill assist is engaged, regen will be more aggressive.

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

SpeedyV....sir, you are my hero. Thank you for the detailed testing and review!

Unfortunately this will only heighten my anticipation and agrivate my OCD. I suspect I'm 8 to 12 weeks away from delivery. Gonna be a loooong wait.

 

[alacombe]

Per my review above:
"2. What does the auto stop-start functionality feel like?
This was very encouraging. Like many of you, I generally find stop-start systems annoying and very noticeable. The Ram easily has the best stop-start implementation I've ever experienced. If the A/C is blasting, you would have no idea that the truck shut off. There's little to no vibration at any point. And the system restarts fast. Sitting at the stop sign with the truck engine off, I gave the sales rep a warning and then punched it. The truck spun the rear tires while starting the engine. So that little motor certainly adds some torque! This alleviates any concerns about possibly needing to start the truck quickly to avoid an accident. With 3.92 gears, you may have to be careful not to spin the rear tires off the line, especially on a 2WD truck."

So there is no lag at all?

 

[SpeedyV]

Did you search for or notice any additional menus for regen aggression settings, or new dash monitors for battery draw/charge/current battery state?

Yes - I should have captured this. I didn't look at settings for it, but I did observe a menu in the cluster that showed battery state (including the depletion that was occurring during an engine stop condition). It was tough to try and catch it all while paying attention to the driving experience, which was my top priority.

 

[Slim]

Yes - I should have captured this. I didn't look at settings for it, but I did observe a menu in the cluster that showed battery state (including the depletion that was occurring during an engine stop condition). It was tough to try and catch it all while paying attention to the driving experience, which was my top priority.

I think you should go back for a 2nd drive!!!! LOL

 

[SpeedyV]

So there is no lag at all?

Not really. You could tell 'something was happening' as you started to move forward (on motor power) while the engine started, but it felt more like a faint 'click' than an engine start. It's SO quiet. If it were a 3.92 truck, I think it would be easier to tell if eTorque added any lag.

 

[SpeedyV]

For the record...I want to acknowledge Don Davis Auto Group for spending almost two hours with me this morning, even after I explained that I have placed a prior order with a competing dealership. The sales rep, Alvin (Peter) Lim, was just about as excited about the eTorque system as I was. We sat down with his sales manager afterwards and talked about what we observed. PM me if you want to know where they're at on pricing

 

[alwi228]

For the record...I want to acknowledge Don Davis Auto Group for spending almost two hours with me this morning, even after I explained that I have placed a prior order with a competing dealership. The sales rep, Alvin (Peter) Lim, was just about excited about the eTorque system as I was. We sat down with his sales manager afterwards and talked about what we observed. PM me if you want to know where they're at on pricing

Super classy of them. Sounds like a dealership that would be fun to do business with.

 

[dutchman187]

Thanks for this. I'm sure it has been addressed already, but can you turn this feature off when driving it like the f150? I'll keep it on regardless when I'm driving it, but my wife despised that shudder in the Ford. Even I can't perceive it in the RAM, she will convince herself it is there and want it turned off when she's in the truck.

 

[SpeedyV]

Thanks for this. I'm sure it has been addressed already, but can you turn this feature off when driving it like the f150? I'll keep it on regardless when I'm driving it, but my wife despised that shudder in the Ford. Even I can't perceive it in the RAM, she will convince herself it is there and want it turned off when she's in the truck.

Yes, there's a button next to the rotary shift knob. It will re-enable each time you restart the vehicle. Honestly, though...I thought it would bother me, and now I know that it won't be an issue at all.

 

[mm-etech]

Thank youfor the feedback SpeedyV. Did you notice if the battery takes away space from rear seats or the amount of reclining.?

I am about to place order for loaded limited with eTorque..... similar to your configuration.... after the test drive, to you think eTorque worth the price/added weight? Noticed if acceleration is any better let say 0 to 20 mph?

 

[SpeedyV]

Thank youfor the feedback SpeedyV. Did you notice if the battery takes away space from rear seats or the amount of reclining.?

I am about to place order for loaded limited with eTorque..... similar to your configuration.... after the test drive, to you think eTorque worth the price/added weight? Noticed if acceleration is any better let say 0 to 20 mph?

I don't believe the packaging has any bearing on seat adjustment. It's a small net addition to weight that adds more than 10% fuel economy and impressive stop-start performance, so I'm glad I ordered it. I didn't notice enough difference in acceleration to feel that I could make a determination, per my review, but I'm partially putting the 3.21 rear end at fault there. I have a tuned 6.0L V8 with 4.10 gears at present, so that's my baseline.

 

[Flot]

Thanks for the review! I'm impressed that the etorque motor appeared to keep the A/C compressor etc humming while the engine shut off. Also reassured to hear that it makes for rapid restarts.

I do wonder if there's any perceptible 0-60 difference. I have to assume there isn't, otherwise we would have heard more about it. So far I'm not regretting my non-etorque choice but sounds like it's a decent implementation!

 

[Jared B]

@SpeedyV Thanks for taking the time to do this review, I think we all really appreciate it. Sounds like a good implementation even if I was hoping for a bit more off the line.

 

[96Dodge4x4]

Curios to see if Tow/haul remaps how strong the etorque is for off the line performance

 

[Jus Cruisin]

^^^^^ I'm counting on the additional torque of the e-Torque to help me tow my enclosed car trailer. I hope it pulls like my ecoboost has. The ecoboost has some impressive torque and it pulls my trailer effortlessly.

 

[Aries Ram]

I don't believe the packaging has any bearing on seat adjustment. It's a small net addition to weight that adds more than 10% fuel economy and impressive stop-start performance, so I'm glad I ordered it. I didn't notice enough difference in acceleration to feel that I could make a determination, per my review, but I'm partially putting the 3.21 rear end at fault there. I have a tuned 6.0L V8 with 4.10 gears at present, so that's my baseline.

Thanks SoeedyV, I guess the pedal commander I ordered was not needed. What's your take Speedy

 

[SpeedyV]

Thanks SoeedyV, I guess the pedal commander I ordered was not needed. What's your take Speedy

I don’t know...overall acceleration didn’t seem much different to me, so maybe the PC will still be useful. My truck will have the 3.92 ratio, so I’m hoping it’ll feel snappy without having to cheat the throttle input signal.

 

[GM convert]

Dumb question. Do the non etourqe motors have cylinder deactivation?