The name plate, however, will live on. Stellantis said that it was renaming its Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) Ramcharger pickup to Ram 1500 REV. “This vehicle will set a new benchmark in the half-ton segment, offering exceptional range, towing capability and payload performance,” the company said in its announcement.
The name plate, however, will live on.
The move followed the resignation of Stellantis’ CEO Carlos Tavares following a sharp decline in the automaker’s sales. The company has been accused of degrading its US brands and failing to release more affordable models.
The Ramcharger and the Rev were both going to be built on Stellantis’ STLA Frame body-on-frame platform designed to handle electric, gas, hybrid, and hydrogen powertrains. The platform helps stretch the Ramcharger gas-extended EV range up to 690 miles on a full charge and tank.
Stellantis became the latest company to delay or cancel its EV plans this year, as the federal government eliminates tax credits and other incentives aimed at driving higher sales. Many automakers are delaying their production plans, in anticipation that sales will slow down after federal incentives disappear.
Big, heavy trucks, in particular, were a difficult segment to electrify. These EVs typically require bigger, heavier batteries than the average EV, which comes at a high cost for automakers. Sales of EV trucks like the Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, and Tesla Cybertruck have generally been slower than expected. And trucks tend to lose range when towing or hauling heavy loads, which makes them a tough sell for customers who want their electric trucks to do all the truck stuff that’s expected.
