New 2025 Ram and Ramcharger PHEV Hybrid revealed

[HyperionMark]

Thanks for your perspective.

Now its time for the RV industry to stop making boxcar-shaped travel trailers, and put aero efficiency as a leading design element....can't wait!

This!
So true. We are hopefully moving to a NuCamp Tab 400 soon. With chargers increasing quick I wouldn't hesitate to take that on a long trip with our R1T. And that is coming from rural South Dakota.

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[cjust2006]

Tons of pages here, but my two cents is why have the V6 that's already capable of moving the truck and not offset the new weight of the battery somehow? Why do you even need a battery that big if the engine always gives enough power to sustain the driving? Only way you might outrun the power output of the engine is to drive like a lunatic for an extended period. Why not a small, low RPM, diesel?

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Tons of pages here, but my two cents is why have the V6 that's already capable of moving the truck and not offset the new weight of the battery somehow? Why do you even need a battery that big if the engine always gives enough power to sustain the driving? Only way you might outrun the power output of the engine is to drive like a lunatic for an extended period. Why not a small, low RPM, diesel?

If I'd have to venture a guess I'd say it has to do with emissions

 

[Thedude]

Tons of pages here, but my two cents is why have the V6 that's already capable of moving the truck and not offset the new weight of the battery somehow? Why do you even need a battery that big if the engine always gives enough power to sustain the driving? Only way you might outrun the power output of the engine is to drive like a lunatic for an extended period. Why not a small, low RPM, diesel?

Probably also has to do with what they have on hand and the vehicle is already designed for.

 

[cjust2006]

Probably also has to do with what they have on hand and the vehicle is already designed for.

Yeah, likely, just feels half-assed. I hate half-assed. Full-assed only!

 

[ads75]

As someone that just took my R1T on a 950 mile trip (425 miles each direction), I would definitely look into something like the RamCharger when it’s available. This was the first trip I’ve done in a year with the R1T, that required more than two stops. For my own driving preferences, EV charging requires too many stops too often. I prefer to drive 4-6 hours at a time. With the R1T, it seems like stopping every 150-200 miles, or 2-2.5 hours.

For each way on my trip, I stopped 3 times for 30 minutes each to charge. Except for the two times that had charging lines, where I had to wait an extra 30 minutes just plug in. Seven hour trips become nine hour trips. A invalid motor error (that eventually cleared) on my way home helped that 7 hour trip become an 11 hour trip. And I did plug share/research the stations before I left. One of the stops I used was a mall, and two others were Walmarts. Not exactly scenic, but had functional bathrooms. One Walmart was too far from food to grab a bite to eat. Another EA I used was in a bank parking lot. I walked across the street to a public library to use a bathroom, not sure if anything else public was available.

The house we were renting had no outdoor outlets. The nearest DCFC was only 20 minutes away from the house, but if I went there, I would have to budget 45 minutes driving plus 30 minutes there to charge, time away from friends/family and stuck to the car. I drove by myself. The only person dealing with these problems was myself. There is no way I would want to deal with these issues if I had a wife/kids/dog with me. The others that I met at the house all said there is no way they would put up with the charging times I dealt with, and I can’t blame them, since I probably won’t do it again.

I am glad I tried the R1T on an extended road trip, but if I have to stop more than once to charge, I will take something else. The Rivian is great on day to day driving, less than 200 miles a day it’s great. It’s very comfortable. But on a road trip, it’s very inconvenient. Even if/when more chargers become available, adding close to 2 hours for charging to a 7 hour trip sucks.

It sounds like a RamCharger will have a battery large enough to cover my commute to and from work. And a gas tank to cover road trips. More maintenance, sure, but it will have a local dealer network (good or bad). I’m not saying I’ll buy a RanCharger, it will depend on price. And I also don’t necessarily want a full size truck. But I want something that makes road trips convenient. And I don’t really think today’s EVs are good for extended road trips. With my work schedule, I get a lot of days off in a row. If I do a road trip, I don’t want to spend it in a Walmart parking lot charging.

 

[Zorg]

Just did a 750 miles road trip in 14 hours, which included 2 hours of charging. All my stops were 20 mns or less. Definitely not a problem. Once I get access to Tesla supercharger network, it will be even easier. Fast forward a few years with an increased RAN network and NEVI funded stations, and it will a piece of cake.

RAM charger is great for long distance towing and folks who want to drive 5 hour straight. I much prefer a full EV for my needs: no maintenance, a frunk, no nasty gas fill ups.

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