Now that Ram has officially revealed some of the specifications for its upcoming all-electric Ram 1500 REV; we can now compare it with the other mainstream electric pickups from Detroit’s Big-3.
Design –
While most assumed that Ram was going to bring a production version of its Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept to market, Ram shocked everyone by taking a page out of Ford’s playbook by keeping with a traditional pickup design rather than a monoblock design, where the bed is connected to the cab.
The decision makes sense, given that Ram will continue to produce the current gas pickup lineup alongside the REV.
In contrast, GM’s electric pickup lineup features a monoblock design, similar to the design of the Chevrolet Avalanche from the early-2000s, as well as four-wheel steering, something both Ford nor Ram will offer. Surprising considering that Ram showcased four-wheel steering on its Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept.
Frunk Space –
With no internal combustion engine (ICE) in the front of the vehicle, electric pickups can now have secured additional storage thanks to their new front trunks or “frunks.” Regarding overall size, Ram says its new REV will boast a frunk space of 15.7 cubic feet, while the Ford comes in at 14.1 cubic feet, and the Chevy has a tiny 10.7 cubic foot space.
Power –
When it comes to power output, the Ram 1500 REV uses a dual-motor setup that will produce a combined total of 654 horsepower and 620 lb.-ft. of torque, making it the most powerful standard powertrain among the three mainstream electric pickups.
The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 EV and Ford F-150 Lightning offer standard and upgraded e-motor combinations, with Silverado boasting the highest output of the bunch at 754 horsepower and 785 lb.-ft. of torque. The F-150, on the other hand, produces a maximum output of 580 horsepower and 775 lb.-ft. of torque. Standard offerings from both the Chevy and the Ford produce 510 horsepower and 615 lb.-ft. of torque and 452 horsepower and 775 lb.-ft. of torque, respectively.
Onboard Power –
Regarding onboard power from the bed, Ram finishes in last place with a power output of 7.2 kW, lower than the Chevy Silverado’s 10.2 kW and the F-150 Lightning’s 9.6 kW. However, it is still respectable.
However, Ram rates the front frunk’s power panel up to 3.6 kW.
Battery Pack –
Ram offers two options: a standard 168 kWh pack with a range of up to 350 miles and an optional 229 kWh pack with a targeted range of up to a class-leading 500 miles. The F-150 Lightning has a base battery of 98 kWh with a range of around 230 miles and an optional 131 kWh pack with a range of 300 and 330 miles. Chevy has not released the official battery pack numbers for its Silverado EV, but it has said it is targeting a range of 400 miles with its optional battery pack.
Towing & Payload –
When it comes to payload and towing capacity among three trucks, Ram leads the way, with up to 2,700 lbs. of payload and a towing capacity of up to 14,000 lbs., significantly better than Chevy’s payload capacity of 1,300 lbs. and a towing capacity of 10,000 lbs. (8,800 lbs. for W/T models) and the F-150 Lightning’s payload of 2,335 lbs. and a towing capacity of 7,700 lbs.
Chevrolet did say it was working on a Max Tow option for its W/T models to allow them to tow up to 20,000 lbs. However, GM has yet to verify when the opportunity will come to market.
Overall –
While there is still some time for Stellantis engineers to fine-tune the new Ram 1500 REV, it looks like Ram has delivered on its goals at the company’s EV Day 2021 presentation. So as long as those numbers stay the same or improve, we believe it is a big win for Ram.
But what continues to worry us is the availability of a fast charging network across the U.S. and Canada to allow these trucks to deliver their design performance and price.
Recently, we saw huge markups on the entry-level Ford F-150 Lightning Pro, pushing the starting cost of those vehicles north of $20,000 more than where they started a year ago. In addition, government regulations force the industry towards electrification, pushing the average middle-class person away from obtaining an affordable truck.
Although Ram hasn’t released pricing on the Ram 1500 REV yet, we can bet that the top-tier Tungsten model will climb easily north of $100,000 once it hits the market.
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