Ram ends EV pickup truck plans

The all-electric Ram 1500 REV pickup truck is dead. Long live the extended-range Ram 1500 REV (once called the Ramcharger).

Stellantis, the parent company of Ram, said Friday that it will no longer develop a battery-electric full-size pickup. The company cited low demand for full-size battery-electric trucks as the primary reason, according to a statement sent to TechCrunch and posted on its website.

“As demand for full-size battery-electric trucks slows in North America, Stellantis is reassessing its product strategy and will discontinue development of a full-size BEV pickup,” the company’s statement reads. “As part of this, Ram is renaming its REEV-powered pickup to Ram 1500 REV (formerly Ramcharger). This vehicle will set a new benchmark in the half-ton segment, offering exceptional range, towing capability and payload performance.”

If the name swap is confusing, it’s because it is. But here is what’s worth knowing. Stellantis canceled plans to develop a battery electric pickup and will instead pursue an extended-range truck that gets an estimated 690 miles of range through a novel — but not unheard of — approach of combining a battery with a gas generator.

The Ram 1500 all-electric pickup was part of parent company Stellantis’ U.S. product offensive to sell more than 25 all-new BEVs by the end of the decade. But its future has been in question for months now.

After a splashy reveal at CES 2023, and other showcases in the months that followed, Stellantis wavered on its EV truck plans. Stellantis initially said it would begin producing the vehicle in 2024. That date soon slipped to 2025.

By the end of 2024, Stellantis delayed plans to develop the broad-shouldered pickup loaded with tech, a longer cabin with third-row jump seats, and two massive and industry-busting battery pack options. At the time, Stellantis said it would push its launch into 2026.

A Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the automaker still plans to begin production of the extended-range Ram 1500 in 2026.