Stellantis Previews Ramcharger As Versatile Electric Pickup That Still Uses Gasoline

Stellantis previewed the 2026 Ram 1500 Ramcharger for the media this week, allowing it to cut in front of the all-electric REV pickup in the original production order. Based upon the new STLA body-on-frame architecture the automaker specifically designed for electrified pickups, the Ramcharger is technically an EV — albeit one that still takes advantage of gasoline and hopes to resolve some of the shortcomings associated with other battery powered vehicles.

The truck is supposed to boast 654 horsepower and 615 lb-ft of torque from the combined might of its front (250 kW) and rear (238 kW) electric drive modules. The duo ensure all-wheel drive is standard and are supposedly capable of rushing the vehicle to 60 mph in about 4.5 seconds. But it also comes equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that doesn’t actually drive the wheels but is still essential in making sure the Ramcharger can surpass other electric pickups in a few key areas.

Ram noticed that the all-electric pickup market was not only filling out but also not getting the kind of sales traction in North America automakers had envisioned. That encouraged the team to shuffle the deck to make sure that the Ramcharger was released ahead of the Ram 1500 REV.

The latter is supposed to be purely electric, allegedly boasting best-in-class towing and payload capacities. But the former is probably going to be the more useful pickup since it leverages gasoline to extend the range of its liquid-cooled, 92-kWh battery (only 69.7 kWh of which are actually usable most of the time). The 1500 REV is estimated to offer up to 350 miles of driving range before you have to plug it back in, whereas the Ramcharger can supposedly yield an estimated 690 miles thanks to its gasoline generator — with about 145 of those miles coming exclusively from battery power.

One of the biggest complaints about all-electric pickups is that range declines swiftly once you’re hauling a significant amount of weight. Particularly cold or hot climates can also sap battery power, especially if the unit lacks hardware for thermal management, and EV charging times can be a drag when there’s somewhere you need to be. The Ramcharger manages to sidestep these issues, while still technically using all-electric power for propulsion.

The pickup is supposed to tow 14,000 pounds and carry more than 2,600 pounds of cargo in the bed. That’ll be sufficient for most people’s needs and, if they find themselves needing to take that load further than the battery allows, owners can effectively just fill it up like a traditional pickup at the nearest gas station if they don’t want to plug it into an outlet. This is when the 3.6-liter Pentastar engine powering a 150-kW generator comes into play. It’s a hybrid, though more Chevrolet Volt than Toyota Prius. While it burns gasoline, it’s used exclusively to maintain sufficient charge to keep electricity driving the wheels.

But Ram doesn’t want the truck to default into limp mode when this happens, which is why the whole of the battery’s maximum power isn’t permanently on tap. That 22.3-kWh buffer zone is supposed to prevent that from happening, giving the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 enough room to keep recharging the battery even when the truck is having to work relatively hard.

The battery can also be used as a mobile power station thanks to a panel on the bed providing up to 7.2 kW. Properly set up, Ram claimed the truck could even be set up to temporarily issue electricity to one’s home in the event of an outage.

It sounds pretty good on paper, especially considering that the claimed 145 miles available exclusively through battery power should be sufficient for an average day of driving. Provided you’re occasionally putting enough miles on the truck to keep the gasoline from turning to varnish inside the tank, there’s not much of a downside — with some possible exceptions.

The truck is supposed to weigh 7,507 pounds, meaning it’ll be another heavyweight chewing up modern roads. It’s likewise quite complicated and being released in an era where some drivers would really like to see more simplicity and lower price tags. In addition to the electric powertrain — supplemented by the V6-based generator — it comes with standard multi-link independent rear suspension with active-level, four-corner air suspension that Ram believes will be exclusive to the segment with the truck launches.

There are loads of suspension settings for specific scenarios (most of which pertain to towing of off-road use). Drivers likewise look to have a great deal of control in how the vehicle manages power. However, countless driving modes and energy management options may not be for everyone.

Since its towing capacity falls into the realm of a serious work truck, the Ramcharger also receives a heavy duty frame and 8-lug wheel hubs. These aren’t items that will help bring down the cost of ownership (price is yet to be announced). But they’re present for a reason and Ram really wants the pickup to embarrass the competition in terms of towing capabilities.

The truck is supposed to come with the automaker’s “Autonomous Drive Assist System” which Ram stated would “include Hands-free Highway Assist offering hands-off driving at all speeds and lane centering on approved roadways for even greater driving convenience. The system will predictively slow the vehicle down in tight curves, automatically resume control after driver override and verify that the driver is paying attention to the road. Autonomous parallel and perpendicular parking assist is also available and uses multiple sensors, including radars and cameras, to dictate appropriate roads for the technology.”

The rest of the vehicle is more or less standard Ram. If you’ve seen the insides of a high-end Ram 1500 pickup, you’ve basically seen the insides of the Ramcharger. Like all automakers, they’re leaning heavy on the screens (bleh). But even those who don’t like touchscreens will probably appreciate the rest of the cabin.

From an experiential standpoint, there looks to be plenty for reviewers to appreciate. But one still wonders about MSRP and the cost of ownership over time. Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis stated that the company had been keeping that in mind and that making the battery less-than gargantuan would help keep manufacturing costs down. However, nobody really expects the model to start much lower than $65,000 and even that could be wishful thinking.

It’s an interesting truck and we’re eager to see how it all comes together in the real world. Ram said to expect to see the Ramcharger launching in earnest later this year.

[Images: Stellantis]

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