Sounds like Stellantis is on the right path.
- Thread starter NevadaLover
- Start date
Todd780
OverCamper
Maybe. The Ramcharger and / or the Hurricane I-6 are the only reasons I'd now consider Ram.
Last truck was between an EcoBoost F150 and Tundra cause I wanted the low end torque of a twin turbo for towing. My last V8 truck was always running around 4,000 RPM at 60 mph. (5.0 w/ 3:73's)
Granted maybe they could have just added the I-6 to the option list and kept the V8....
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
It's not configured as a charger, it's a generator.
Traditionally the batteries on a locomotive just buffer the alternator output. They may allow very short runs on battery if there's pollution or noise restrictions through a town or something but it's not meant to be a primary mode.
The reason locomotives ended up diesel-electric was that it's easier than trying to scale up gear boxes and shafts to transfer the power. Even if mechanically you could build it big enough the efficiency of electrical is a major advantage, as would be trying to assemble and maintain.
So just to pick a number, say Ram found that 100kW of electric are needed to move the truck with 14,000 lbs of trailer under any condition. That means the engine needs (in very broad terms) to produce 134 HP at the crank. For comparison Cummins in a 100kW class generator often uses a ISBe4 series diesel engine. This is what you'd see in medium duty trucks and buses. So I'm probably high for the electrical needs for a 1500 class truck like this.
And don't discount that doing it this way has some of the same advantages as a locomotive. Imagine not needing to design around a transmission, driveshafts, differentials. There's a lot to be gained nevermind whether there's any tailpipe emissions or not. In fact if you ignore the political and social aspects of being an EV, so just always run on a small diesel with an all electrical drivetrain and just enough battery for short buffering and to reclaim regenerative energy you probably would keep curb weight reasonable, which would help MPG and still have incredible torque.
plainjaneFJC
Deplorable
Amazing how it always comes back full circle and hydrocarbons are used to produce electricity….😆
rruff
Explorer
That isn't what they are advertising, though...
Plus, a "small diesel" +generator charging the small battery bank, wouldn't work well in some cases... say uphill or into a strong headwind for awhile... long enough to drain the batteries and leave you with only the amount of power you are able to generate.
To avoid disappointing scenarios like this, you are lead to either a big battery bank, or a big engine. The baffling thing about the Ram hybrid is that it has *both*. Well, at least each is big enough to be viable on its own.
I wouldn't get your hopes up. If the specs of this are accurate, it will be a fringe vehicle.
I didnt think that modern Hemi's were all that reliable though with the MDS.
Agree'd. For towing, the only V8 that is even close to the Ecoboost or iforce is a 7.3L Godzilla, and even thats not quite there.
They only need the gas engine to provide enough power for the average of the tow. You might need 250-300 hp to climb a mountain but then you are regening on the way down the mountain. On the flats you might need 150hp to move the trailer.
But overall I bet the average power output towing a large trailer at freeway speeds is somewhere in the 125-150 hp range. A couple of times I have been stuck in some nasty headwinds towing my trailer and was probably using closer to 200hp on flat ground but that is rare.
My guess is that they dont actually let the battery drain down all the way. They probably let it get to 40 or 50% and then try to float it with the ICE.
DirtWhiskey
Western Dirt Rat
Devil is in the details. I'm hearing lots about towing torque etc. Even electric motors don't like to run at almost stall speed. Say you are in a situation that requires low range. Electric motors get hot at near stall. That's why the best electric bikes still run through your gears with a mid drive motor. In the other hand, the lack of need for diffs and lockers etc is a huge plus. It's almost like a locomotive except it has batteries. Could be really slick. Also LOVE the idea of a twin turbo straight 6. Nothing to fear in turbos. They've been around for decades and they just plain work. Every engine should have a turbo especially at altitude.
plainjaneFJC
Deplorable
About like the Chevy trucks with cylinder deactivation- not very good.
Exactly. You can have a turbo 6 cylinder with its set of problems or a V8 with cylinder deactivation with an entirely different set of problems. It doesnt really seem to matter. Although I will say that ford seems to have ironed out most of the kinks in the Ecoboosts but I think the rest of the truck is questionable the last few years with build quality issues.
I am on a few 3.0 Duramax groups and the amount of people who have had 5.3L or 6.2L V8 motors blow up on them and switched to the Duramax for reliability is astonishing. One guy posted the other day because he had not one, but three 6.2L's crap out in the same truck and finally threw in the towel and bought a ZR2 with the 3.0.
I posted in this section about the Rivian quad motor with the offroad package struggling on some stuff that a $38000 Colorado Trailboss walked through pretty casually. I think it was probably because the motors overheated. It got into a situation where it was crossed up and the two tires on the ground wouldnt pull the truck through even though the guy had it floored.
DirtWhiskey
Western Dirt Rat
Gears, they are good. My mid drive E Bike is amazing because I can run through the gears and keep the electric motor in happy rpm land. Electric motors require rotation to keep the coils cool. I've ridden hub drive ebikes and they bog down and overheat bad on real inclines. Night and day.
plainjaneFJC
Deplorable
Their diesel doesn’t have the best record- makes their gas motors seem pretty good…
85_Ranger4x4
Well-known member
They finally killed it, please for the love of God let it stay dead - from a CDJR dealer parts manager
Hemi camshaft thing usually seems to strike the 10k mile oil change believers. Not super common. Not a horrible job to DIY, not a far deviation from a normal old school cam/lifter swap.
3.6 aside from needing special tools to time is easier to swap cams (with up to four cams and 24 rockers/adjusters to play with)