FCA Confirms Electrified Ram Pickup is on the Way
While FCA has promised to make Jeep the greenest SUV brand in the world by 2022, the group’s best-selling product, the Ram 1500, doesn’t appear to be close to an electrification offensive beyond the eTorque mild hybrid system that’s currently available. Quite the opposite, there’s a 702-horsepower Ram 1500 TRX coming for 2021!
Back in the summer, FCA’s chief executive officer Mike Manley clarified the company’s stance on a future electric Ram pickup. Now, he’s flat-out confirming that such a product is part of the plan.
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“I do see that there will be an electrified Ram pickup in the marketplace, and I would ask you just to stay tuned for a little while, and we’ll tell you exactly when that will be," Manley said during the automaker’s third-quarter earnings call Wednesday, according to the Detroit Free Press.
He did not provide any more details, however, so we don’t know if FCA is considering a hybrid or fully electric pickup.
One thing’s for sure: FCA is lagging behind its domestic rivals. Ford has already introduced the F-150 Hybrid while an F-150 Electric is in the works. General Motors recently unveiled the new GMC Hummer EV and also has plans for a battery-powered Chevrolet Silverado. Even Japanese competitors seem to be on the bandwagon. Rumour has it that Toyota will launch a next-generation Tundra with a hybrid powertrain.
And that’s not even counting the Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck, Bollinger B1, Lordstown Endurance and other electric pickups set to go on sale within the next couple of years.
Up until now, Manley said he preferred to wait and see how customers will respond before diving head first into the EV pickup game. Clearly, though, the pressure on FCA is rising. Demand is surprisingly strong already, as evidenced by the Hummer EV filling all reservations for the first-year Edition 1 model in the hour that followed the reveal (despite a price of $112,995 USD).
With FCA merging with French auto group PSA to form the fourth largest automaker in the world, to be known as Stellantis, will Ram’s electrification depend on foreign technology? That appears unlikely as PSA has no expertise in full-size pickups.
The more logical assumption is that FCA will either partner with an EV startup (like Ford did with Rivian) or use a version of the plug-in hybrid system introduced on the upcoming Jeep Wrangler 4xe. After all, the Ram 1500 and Wrangler already share a 3.6-litre gasoline V6 and 3.0-litre EcoDiesel V6.
What do you think?