2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger First Look: Range That'd Make Other EV Pickups Blush

Electric trucks are a contentious issue these days. They have plenty of power, but especially when towing, doing truck things tends to kill their driving range. Sure, manufacturers can add more batteries, but then the trucks get heavier and that ends up cutting into towing and payload capacity—and truck buyers aren't keen on trucks that don't post big-time capability numbers. Coming as part of the fully overhauled 2025 Ram 1500 pickup lineup, the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger has a possible solution to the EV pickup conundrum: an onboard gasoline-fed generator.

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So, It's Just Another PHEV?

The new Ramcharger not only resurrects an iconic Ram name, but applies it aptly to a chargeable a version of the upcoming 1500 Rev electric pickup that can charge itself, in effect. Like the Ram Rev, the Ramcharger uses a strictly electric powertrain, with a 335-hp front motor and 380-hp rear unit good for a combined 663 hp and 615 lb-ft of torque combined. That's respectable power for any truck, especially a light-duty 1500. The 92 kWh battery gives it enough juice for an estimated 140 to 150 miles of range—far below the 240 miles of range offered by the lowliest Ford F-150 Lightnings (per EPA estimates) and on par with last-generation budget EV hatchbacks.

Yet that not-terribly-impressive figure is aided by a game-changing add-on: A 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 acting as a 130-kW generator, capable of 190 kW power delivery peaks. With a 27-gallon fuel tank topped off with gasoline, the range-extender-equipped Ramcharger has an estimated maximum range of 690 miles between its battery and gas-supported source of energy—and that's a number to get excited about. The battery supports Level 1 and Level 2 AC charging, and DC fast charges at rates up to 145 kW. Another number to get excited about? That charging speed is not only faster than nearly every plug-in hybrid out there, but it's better than some electric-only vehicles.

The wheels are only powered by the electric motors. There is no mechanical path for the Pentastar to drive the wheels, as was the case in, say, Chevrolet's last-generation Volt plug-in hybrid. This reduces some cost, weight, and complexity by eliminating a multi-speed transmission. But because it still uses multiple power sources (gasoline and electricity), yes, the Ramcharger still is technically a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle. But not justanyPHEV. It has more electric range than most hybrids on the market today and is a step in the right direction for more useful hybrids that don't feel like an afterthought (like how most of them can't charge their own batteries).

It's Definitely a Truck

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With four-wheel independent suspension and air springs at each corner, you might be tempted to think that the Ramcharger sacrifices some truckiness to parade around as the fancy new hybrid-electric truck on the block (trucks need solid axles, right?). The Ramcharger is not only the most powerful among all 2025 Ram 1500 variants, it's also the most capable. A 2,625-pound max payload, 14,000-pound max towing capacity, and eight-lug wheels push it awfully close to heavy-duty territory. Ram assures us that these capacities are possible even when going up a hill.

The Ramcharger doesn't just tow big numbers, it has enough onboard energy capacity to power a city block. That's not entirely true, but when you consider its 7.2 kWh on-board power output (120 volt or 240 volt) is about triple the 2.0 kW Ford offers on regular F-150s (though the F-150 Hybrid is available with up to 7.4 kW, and the Lightning with up to 9.6), and what Ram offers with the 2025 1500, it sure seems like it. The Hummer EV pickup's 6.0 kW generator isn't even in the conversation anymore. The Ramcharger certainly can power a house in an emergency, and it's a lot more practical than using a pure EV to do it when there is no way to recharge the vehicle.

Vehicle-to-vehicle charging is also possible. Imagine that you run your EV dead, so you call your buddy with a truck to come rescue you. But instead of towing your car somewhere, you hang out for a bit while your car charges enough to get to a charger. See, it's a win for truck people (big bad truck rescues hapless EV) but it's also a win for the progression of electrified vehicles, whether the truck people realize it or not. And eventually, they will. If you forgot already, the Ramcharger is the most capable Ram 1500.

The Ramcharger's onboard power can be used to power plenty of tools at once or other equipment and is a great option for the outdoorsy stuff. The battery should have enough power to run accessories needed for outdoors activities quietly through the night, and in the morning the generator kicks on (if needed) and you drive away. There's one less thing to put on the packing list.

So, call it a PHEV, call it a range extended EV, or honestly, call it whatever you want. At the end of the day, it's a truck no matter how you look at it. It also happens to do zero-to-60 mph in 4.4 seconds.

Sounds Cool—When Can We Have One?

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The Ramcharger is expected to be available towards the end of 2024, along with the Ram 1500 Rev electric truck (both are built on the new STLA platform). Pricing info has not been shared at this time, but we think it will fall into the range of $65,000 to $100,000 depending on how it's optioned. We also don't have clear information on all its options and other specs. Ram indicated that final trims were not decided yet, but we've seen it in Limited and the new ultra-luxurious Tungsten trim, so it will have available options like Level 2 autonomous driving, premium audio, and a passenger-side touchscreen. But Ram also released images of what appears to be a more pedestrian Tradesman work truck variant with black plastic bumpers and more basic trim.

Ram might not be the first to try this concept (BMW's i3 comes to mind, as does the original Fisker Karma) but it seems like the best implementation so far—not least because it opens up compelling possibilities for electrified full-size trucks. There is a glaring trade-off to be made between stuffing in as many onboard batteries are needed for usable range and power, and key (weight-sensitive) truck metrics such as payload and towing capacities. By keeping the battery size manageable, Ram seems to have hit on a sweet spot: Solid battery-electric range, plus an engine onboard that can give owners the long-range potential they might occasionally need.

The implications for owners are big: The Ramcharger's EV-only range more than covers most peoples' daily needs—you could probably go about your daily life without ever needing the gas engine's assistance. But should you need to pack up the family, the boat, or the snow machines for a distant weekend getaway, you can do so with none of the "where will I recharge?" hand-wringing owners of F-150 Lightnings or Rivian R1Ts will go through. That might make the Ramcharger the smartest EV pickup around.