See The Ram EV – The Cybertruck and Rivian Killer

Taking center stage at Stellantis’ 2023 CES presentation, the Ram Revolution EV pickup is the newest kid on the block. It’s also a major challenger to other EV trucks. The company’s engineers designed the Revolution to be a winner from its tuning-fork LED headlights to its cargo stop-equipped tailgate.

With a roomy, modular cab featuring wide-open salon doors (that may or may not survive to the production model) and pass-through storage from tailgate to frunk, the Revolution concept was an energizing preview of what Ram has up its sleeve.

Stellantis hasn’t released full Ram Revolution specs yet, with more details probably coming closer to its 2024 showroom date. However, it’s already casting a long shadow over Tesla’s Cybertruck pickup, due out a bit sooner in 2023.

The Rivian R1T pickup is also among today’s current BEV truck front-runners. But the R1T will also have hard work keeping up with Ram Rev. Let’s take a closer look at what makes the Revolution such an important new EV truck.

EV Groundbreaking with a New Platform

Stellantis is launching a whole series of electric vehicles, with the Ram Revolution as something of an unofficial flagship. The company’s aiming to change 50% of its USA lineup over to BEVs by 2030, plus 100% of its European sales by that date.

It has developed four different BEV platforms, including three unibody STLA platforms. It will build these platforms in small, medium, and large sizes, with respective ranges of 300, 440, and 500 miles.

The Ram Revolution will ride on the fourth platform, a body-on-frame chassis called the STLA Frame. The platform’s architecture gave the designers the freedom to shift the firewall forward. This opened up all kinds of design possibilities, including a bigger cabin without making a bigger truck.

The architecture had a sort of domino effect on the rest of the vehicle’s design. The engineers used it to give the Revolution a flat floor, increasing space and making the truck’s modular interior possible.

Stellantis says the STLA Frame will support vehicles with up to 500 miles of range per charge. Zero to sixty times could be as short as 2 seconds for some models. The Ram Revolution is probably too heavy and not aerodynamic enough to reach these ambitious goals. But it will likely top 400 miles of range, and maybe reach 450 miles. The platform should also enable it to be a “muscle truck” ready for hard-charging, fun acceleration.

Power, Performance, and Off-Roading

Stellantis should make the Ram Revolution EV pickup with some world-class range and performance chops. The design’s vigor should be backed up by powerful electric motors, too. The company has confirmed it will build the Ram Rev with two electric motors.

Since its top electric motors offer over 400 horsepower, the configuration may put 800 to 900 horses at owners’ fingertips. Torque would likely provide matching ft-lbs, supporting the lightning-fast instant acceleration giving it a sports car 0-60 times.

The designers strung 800-volt electrical architecture through the Revolution EV’s guts. The wiring should be powerful enough to make good use of 350-kWh Level 3 DC (direct current) fast chargers.

Stellantis says the machine’s battery will slurp up 100 miles worth of charge in just 10 minutes when connected to a fast charger. This gives a likely, though totally unconfirmed, 80% charging time of somewhere around 40 minutes.

A front-end skid plate prepares the Revolution for the harsh conditions of off-road driving. The EV features 24-inch wheels and comes standard with 35-inch tires. These large tires provide plenty of traction and help increase the Ram Revolution’s ground clearance.

A Modular Interior

As it appeared in Las Vegas at the start of January 2023, the Ram Revolution concept features salon doors, or “suicide doors.” The designers omitted the B-pillar totally since the pickup is robust enough to be safe and functional without it.

It’s unclear if Stellantis will include these doors on all models of the production Revolution, certain premium trims, or none at all. Regardless, the wide-open design shows how the engineers built the Revolution for outside-the-box function.

The engineers built the doors to not only open 90° but to serve as storage spaces. They included modular storage boxes in the doors that the owner can move around. This enables the Revolution’s occupants to place in-door storage cubbyholes, Bluetooth speakers, and battery chargers where they’ll be most convenient.

Larger in-door storage boxes include heating and cooling elements. Stellantis might also make the doors with flush handles and a system to pop the door open slightly for access. The fixtures in the cabin, including seats, mount to a rail system named the Ram Track.

Revolution owners can move seats around inside. The designers made the center console so it can slide to the front or back of the cabin or be wholly removed. The seats fold flat to make space for cargo or, like the console, can be removed from the vehicle.

It’s possible Stellantis or aftermarket parts makers will eventually offer accessories that will snap into the Ram Track rails. The modular interior begs for worktables, storage racks, coolers, toolboxes, tie-downs, and more to customize the Ram Rev’s interior.

High-Quality Appointments

While it makes a solid work truck, the Ram Revolution isn’t a traditional bare-bones, roughneck pickup truck. Stellantis developed a refined interior that offers comfort, a slick look, and a warm glow of eco-friendly virtue. A bigger cabin boosts legroom and enables reclining the seats to a greater degree than earlier Ram models.

Owners can pat themselves on the back over their green credentials thanks to the materials Stellantis uses inside the pickup. The company uses “apple leather” made from a byproduct of fruit processing to wrap the seats and steering wheel.

It makes the mesh weave on other surfaces from water bottles, using 74% recycled material. Stellantis covers the floors in the trunk, cabin, and bed with cork and recycled rubber blended into an extremely tough coating. This unique substance is both environmentally sound and offers very high resistance to wear for years of use.

A huge 28-inch dashboard-mounted touchscreen made up of two separate modules gives the user a control interface. The owner can detach the lower screen and move it anywhere inside the truck for anything from work-related data entry to infotainment.

Stellantis also says it designed the Revolution to take voice commands. The vehicle also boasts all the standard driver assistance programs, such as lane centering and collision warnings.

Lots of Cutting-Edge Features

The Stellantis designers creating the Ram Revolution appear to have packed as many features into it as possible. For example, the EV pickup can “crabwalk” diagonally, with its rear wheels turning up to 15° compared to the Hummer EV’s 10°.

This low-speed diagonal driving aids drivers in entering or leaving tight parking spots while behind the Revolution’s wheel. It also makes the truck better able to squeeze past obstacles and canyon bends on the off-road trail.

Fold-flat seats and a power midgate empower users to combine the cabin and bed into one cargo space when necessary. For really long items, there’s a hatch or port extending the space through the front firewall into the frunk.

The total length of this space with the tailgate raised is 18 feet. The designers were limited in how wide they could make the pass-through, suiting it mostly to boards, pipes, and other long, skinny objects.

Revolution passengers ride under an electrochromic glass roof. The driver can easily adjust the roof’s opacity. The glass can be set to clear for an open sky feel or tinted to help lessen the heat of the summer sun. The driver can also render it fully opaque for comfort, privacy, or personal preference.

The autonomous function is starting to creep into the Ram Revolution’s design, too. Shadow Mode makes the vehicle tag along behind its driver, moving along at a crawl and following its human master using its sensors.

The company also paired the Rev with the Ram Charger inductive charging robot, a mobile smart charger that keeps the pickup’s battery topped up without the driver’s intervention. The charger looks a bit like a robotic pool vacuum and allegedly extends battery life by 15%.

Is the Ram Revolution the Cybertruck and Rivian Killer?

Earning the sobriquet of “killer” of major rival designs like the Cybertruck and Rivian R1T is a high bar for the Revolution to clear. What is certain, though, is that neither of its rivals offers the same breadth and variety of features the Ram Revolution musters.

At this point, it’s a concept, and some details may not find their way into the final truck. However, the same can be said for the Cybertruck, which is not yet in mass production. Some commentators say the Ram Revolution makes the Cybertruck outdated.

The Revolution’s high-tech, streamlined design looks futuristic but less alien than the Cybertruck’s wedge-shaped outline. Its midgate gives much more cargo room than the likely 6.5-foot Cybertruck bed. Even with its tailgate down and cargo stop deployed, the Cybertruck has only 8 feet of room.

Its 0-60 time looks positively stodgy at 6.5 seconds, and it lacks the smorgasbord of features on the Ram EV. However, it does have the power of Tesla and Elon Musk’s cult following, which adds up to 1.5 million preorders as of early January 2023.

The Rivian R1T is arguably a more equal challenger. Aesthetically, it’s cutting-edge and pleasing without having the alienness of the Cybertruck. Its biggest battery gives 400 miles of range and it, too, can boast of being feature-rich.

It has multiple handy modes such as Camp Mode and Kneel Mode. Its quad-motor variant hits 60 mph in 3 seconds, carries 1,760 lbs, and can tow 11,000 lbs or 20,000 lbs with a towing package. It, too, features a midgate expanding its cargo floor to 9 feet long or almost 11 feet with the tailgate down.

The Ram Revolution faces strong competition, but it appears to have the versatility, unique features, and effectiveness to at least hold its own.

Technology Updates on the Ram Revolution

Currently, there have been no technology updates to the Ram Revolution concept vehicle. While it is yet to be released to the public, Ram has announced its production version is scheduled for 2024, equipped with a range of advanced technology features. There is a potential for minor technology updates to be released before the official launch. Rest assured, Ram remains committed to delivering an exceptional driving experience with the Ram Revolution, setting new benchmarks in the automotive industry.

Looking Ahead

The future of the Ram Revolution holds promising technology updates to enhance its capabilities. As the concept vehicle remains in the early stages, specific updates are yet to be confirmed. However, based on available information, potential updates could include:

• Upgraded infotainment system: The current 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto could see upgrades to a larger display or the addition of Amazon Alexa integration for an enhanced user experience.
• Improved range and charging speeds: Software updates or advancements in battery technology may increase the Ram Revolution’s already impressive 500-mile range and offer faster charging options for greater convenience.
• Expanded connectivity features: Expect further connectivity enhancements, including remote access and remote start options, thanks to the Ram Revolution’s over-the-air update capabilities.
• Enhanced driver-assistance features: Additional features like blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert may be introduced to complement the existing automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control.

Ram may also introduce minor technology updates like software improvements, optimized battery management, and enhanced noise cancellation.