Sounds like Stellantis is on the right path.

[NevadaLover]

They realized that a plug in vehicle is not the answer for most truck owners, so they did some research and came up with a truck that uses proven technology, an I.C.E. that only provides power for the electric motor propulsion, just like the railroads do to move massive amounts of freight without stopping to recharge frequently.

This may be the perfect way to transition to EV's for now, until battery and charging capabilities are improved enough that I.C.E. technology is no longer the better method.

With electric vehicle sales growth slowing, Stellantis Ram brand has an answer: An onboard charger

One of the biggest reasons people cite when saying they won't buy an electric vehicle is range anxiety, the fear of running out of juice on the road with nowhere to recharge. Stellantis' Ram brand may have an answer for that, especially for people who need a truck to haul or tow things. It's...

news.yahoo.com

 

[driveby]

That works for highway where constant speeds reduce battery efficiency vs ICE and battery where city uses make sense. Hardly revolutionary though. Volvo did this in their XC90 in 2016 and didn’t Chevy do this in the 90’s with that hybrid they killed off? Still for a full size truck this is smart.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

Hmmmm this looks pretty interesting:

• Up to ~690 mile range
• Up to 2625# payload
• Up to 14k pounds towing capacity

That would be perfect for me. Commute using battery power and still have a range extender for when I tow to go camping. To me, this is where Ford missed the boat with the PowerBoost...

Guessing that payload # is for a lower trim but I wonder if that lower trim would be equivalent to a current Bighorn?

 

[Todd n Natalie]

didn’t Chevy do this in the 90’s with that hybrid they killed off? Still for a full size truck this is smart.

It's basically the same idea as the Chevy Volt.

 

[plh]

Similar concept as Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV since 2014. 1500W 120V outlet as well. Unfortunately the V2H / V2G via 2way CHAdeMO never caught on in USA - vehicle is capable, however the house side unit was never sold in USA that I've ever been able to find.

 

[rruff]

"It's called the Ramcharger, a pickup that can travel 145 miles (235 kilometers) on electricity, with a 3.6-liter V6 gas-powered engine linked to a generator that can recharge the battery while the truck is moving. The Ramcharger, due in showrooms toward the end of next year, uses 663 horsepower to go from zero to 60 miles per hour (zero to 97 kilometers per hour) in 4.4 seconds, the company says. And when the battery is fully charged and the generator's 27-gallon (102-liter) gas tank is full, it can go up to 690 miles (1,110 kilometers). The truck also can tow a trailer weighing up to 14,000 pounds (6,350 kilograms), more than the current Ram pickup with a V8 engine."

Seems weird to me. The ICE is basically a range extender as it only charges the battery, yet it's big enough with enough fuel capacity to power the truck on its own. Along with the electric motors and batteries, it's going to be very heavy. And it's a half ton with 2625# payload? No way in hell.

With a 145 mile range on batteries, the engine, tank, and generator will all be dead weight and space for most people most of the time. It will be much cheaper to charge it at home than use the gas motor.

For the purposes of improving range, it seems like a very small engine would be ideal... maybe 1L. Better yet, make the engine, tank, and generator easily detachable so you can leave it at home when you don't need it.

 

[AbleGuy]

Hmmmm this looks pretty interesting:

• Up to ~690 mile range
• Up to 2625# payload
• Up to 14k pounds towing capacity

Guessing that payload # is for a lower trim but I wonder if that lower trim would be equivalent to a current Bighorn?

That’s a truly impressive payload capacity, especially since the article I read was about this new engine combo being in a Ram 1500 pickup, i.e, a half ton!

This is a rather amazing bit of progress and has me completely rethinking my next truck purchase (damn it!).

 

[NevadaLover]

"It's called the Ramcharger, a pickup that can travel 145 miles (235 kilometers) on electricity, with a 3.6-liter V6 gas-powered engine linked to a generator that can recharge the battery while the truck is moving. The Ramcharger, due in showrooms toward the end of next year, uses 663 horsepower to go from zero to 60 miles per hour (zero to 97 kilometers per hour) in 4.4 seconds, the company says. And when the battery is fully charged and the generator's 27-gallon (102-liter) gas tank is full, it can go up to 690 miles (1,110 kilometers). The truck also can tow a trailer weighing up to 14,000 pounds (6,350 kilograms), more than the current Ram pickup with a V8 engine."

Seems weird to me. The ICE is basically a range extender as it only charges the battery, yet it's big enough with enough fuel capacity to power the truck on its own. Along with the electric motors and batteries, it's going to be very heavy. And it's a half ton with 2625# payload? No way in hell.

With a 145 mile range on batteries, the engine, tank, and generator will all be dead weight and space for most people most of the time. It will be much cheaper to charge it at home than use the gas motor.

For the purposes of improving range, it seems like a very small engine would be ideal... maybe 1L. Better yet, make the engine, tank, and generator easily detachable so you can leave it at home when you don't need it.

Just the ability to tow 14000 lbs is a game changer compared to previous attempts, the 690 mile range when empty is a bonus.

That said, I am seriously interested in range when towing said 14000 lb trailer, anything in the 250 mile range will be a serious upgrade to the garbage, plug-in trucks available now.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

That’s a truly impressive payload capacity, especially since the article I read was about this new engine combo being in a Ram 1500 pickup, i.e, a half ton!

This is a rather amazing bit of progress and has me completely rethinking my next truck purchase (damn it!).

I know. Me too. Looks like it won't be out till 2025. So, gotta see where I'm at by then. Not really planning on replacing this current truck for at least 6 years. And I might decide to retire this truck just to RV towing duties and maybe get something fun like a 2 door JL to DD.

Just the ability to tow 14000 lbs is a game changer compared to previous attempts, the 690 mile range when empty is a bonus.

That said, I am seriously interested in range when towing said 14000 lb trailer, anything in the 250 mile range will be a serious upgrade to the garbage plug in trucks available now.

The nice thing for me with this truck is I'm not stressing about towing range since it has a gas generator to take over. This is what Ford should have done with the PoiwerBoost. Zero interest in an EV truck, but a PHEV would be at the top of my list.

 

[NevadaLover]

Zero interest in an EV truck, but a PHEV would be at the top of my list.

Absolutely feel the same, pure EV is nowhere in my future, but this is a very interesting setup, add an auxiliary fuel tank in the bed and see how far this can go, very interested.

 

[driveby]

The real fun will be when this escapes the 1/2 ton and goes into 1ton/5500 territory. A little extra battery, smaller generator ICE and boom, imagine crawling a 2 track in silence while you enjoy all the comforts of home at camp.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

That works for highway where constant speeds reduce battery efficiency vs ICE and battery where city uses make sense. Hardly revolutionary though. Volvo did this in their XC90 in 2016 and didn’t Chevy do this in the 90’s with that hybrid they killed off? Still for a full size truck this is smart.

See also WWI diesel electric submarines minus the capability to clutch the ice engines to the drivetrain while surfaced.

Not super ground breaking for sure.

Much harder to argue against at least from a performance standpoint than a pure ev though.

 

[cruiserdude80]

For EVs to catch on, I think some type of fossil fuel onboard charging system is what it will take.

 

[bartheil]

"It's called the Ramcharger, a pickup that can travel 145 miles (235 kilometers) on electricity, with a 3.6-liter V6 gas-powered engine linked to a generator that can recharge the battery while the truck is moving. The Ramcharger, due in showrooms toward the end of next year, uses 663 horsepower to go from zero to 60 miles per hour (zero to 97 kilometers per hour) in 4.4 seconds, the company says. And when the battery is fully charged and the generator's 27-gallon (102-liter) gas tank is full, it can go up to 690 miles (1,110 kilometers). The truck also can tow a trailer weighing up to 14,000 pounds (6,350 kilograms), more than the current Ram pickup with a V8 engine."

Seems weird to me. The ICE is basically a range extender as it only charges the battery, yet it's big enough with enough fuel capacity to power the truck on its own. Along with the electric motors and batteries, it's going to be very heavy. And it's a half ton with 2625# payload? No way in hell.

With a 145 mile range on batteries, the engine, tank, and generator will all be dead weight and space for most people most of the time. It will be much cheaper to charge it at home than use the gas motor.

For the purposes of improving range, it seems like a very small engine would be ideal... maybe 1L. Better yet, make the engine, tank, and generator easily detachable so you can leave it at home when you don't need it.

I like the concept, an electric DD and and (off)road trip vehicle with decent range in one.
They could do with a slightly smaller engine and lighter weight engine and say like an option for road trips where the range extender kicks in when the battery drops below 75% (as compared to almost empty for commuting).
A Pentastar with generator shouldn't be as heavy as a regular pentastar with transmission and drive-train and it can work way more efficiently as a generator than as an engine to move the wheels.
you still have the extra weight of the batteries and electrometers, though.

 

[04Ram2500Hemi]

The Ramcharger is an interesting option. But getting rid of the V8 was a bad move. Truck people still want a reliable V8. The options were there to dump the 5.7L Hemi and upgrade the 6.4L Hemi and run it in the half ton. Instead Ram/Dodge/Stellantis killed the V8. This move could kill the Dodge brand, and seriously hurt Ram sales. I guess only time will tell…