2025 Ram Ramcharger

[MrH]

600 hp for only very short bursts before thermal management kicks in and then you'll deplete the battery in a matter of minutes if you keep it. Then comes the real problem in lugging 3/4-ton pickup weight (7000+ lbs) with a minivan V6 (currently rated at less than 300 hp) whilst not charging the battery.

So, all told, yes, range anxiety is alleviated somewhat but there will still be a moderate dose of EV range mindfulness, such as stopping to let the ICE charge the battery (or plugging in) or greatly altering your driving (such as when towing). IOW, you're not getting anything remotely close to 600hp for 690 miles.

In what world could you use 600 hp for 690 miles

[MrH]

Also, for those questioning the efficiency...

Turns out the battery is 90 kWh gross, but I think it's only 70 kWh usable.  That would bring the EV efficiency more in line with the other EV trucks at around 2.0 mi/kWh.

That's more like 45 mpg @ $3.50/gal, 52 mpg @ $4/gal, etc

[GoCougs]

In what world could you use 600 hp for 690 miles

I'm not posting the stats as advantage *r0tor shrug* .

You're romanticizing this thing WAY beyond what it could ever be. If you want to tinker or signal, by all means, but this is not equivalent in utility or cost to own vs. an ICE-only pickup truck plus it will cost a fortune and likely be little if any better for the environment.

[MrH]

I'm not posting the stats as advantage *r0tor shrug* .

You're romanticizing this thing WAY beyond what it could ever be. If you want to tinker or signal, by all means, but this is not equivalent in utility or cost to own vs. an ICE-only pickup truck plus it will cost a fortune and likely be little if any better for the environment.

I just think it's cool tech that makes more sense than the path the Silverado EV is going down   It's not the end all, be all.  But it makes more sense to me for trucks than the ever increasing battery size wars to deal with towing.

[r0tor]

Where?

It's dirt cheap here. 8-12 cents. Charging my EV is practically free.

Is that generation or generation + distribution + taxes?

The national average total price is 17 cents and it's up 20% over the last couple years

Gas prices have more or less been stagnant for a good decade now.

[r0tor]

In what world could you use 600 hp for 690 miles

So the battery pack reaches a min state charge.  Now your ram hauling 14,000 pounds hits a grade for a few miles.  What happens?  Just going to drive with the pentastar at WOT producing less than half the power the motors are capable of putting out?

If that's the case, then the 300hp Pentastar should also be rated for hauling 14,000 pounds instead of half that amount.

Also due to thermal loading of the battery, all EVs restrict power once you get below roughly 40-50%.

[MrH]

Gas prices have more or less been stagnant for a good decade now.

[r0tor]

Tell me what the average price was 10 years ago

[CaminoRacer]

So the battery pack reaches a min state charge.  Now your ram hauling 14,000 pounds hits a grade for a few miles.  What happens?  Just going to drive with the pentastar at WOT producing less than half the power the motors are capable of putting out?

If that's the case, then the 300hp Pentastar should also be rated for hauling 14,000 pounds instead of half that amount.

Also due to thermal loading of the battery, all EVs restrict power once you get below roughly 40-50%.

That's a silly conversation to have with the first press release, IMO. Wait for some first drives and then we can see how it performs and what the different modes are.

[MrH]

Tell me what the average price was 10 years ago

You are too dumb to engage in conversation with.

[r0tor]

You are too dumb to engage in conversation with.

Yea, 10 years ago it was the same price as today

[AutobahnSHO]

$1.84 to $4.90 is definitely stagnation. (NOT) And that's just within the last 5 years.

https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=emm_epmr_pte_nus_dpg&f=m

[r0tor]

$1.84 to $4.90 is definitely stagnation. (NOT) And that's just within the last 5 years.

https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=emm_epmr_pte_nus_dpg&f=m

Come on, that was like a 1 month lockdown Walmart special.... How I miss lockdown


Adjusted for inflation, the price was a good $1.50 more 15 years ago

[GoCougs]

Jesus, I thought I'd never see it, but r0tor for ONCE doesn't take the L.

Gas price, when controlled for the CPI and 2022 $$, has remained between $4.00 and $4.50/gallon since the late '70s, with a slight trend downward (note I didn't double check this site's math). In short, gas has actually gotten a bit cheaper over the last ~45 years. Note however this is YEARLY AVERAGE which will smooth price fluctuations within the year (which TBF can be large):

[SJ_GTI]

Gougs and r0tor on the same side, we are truly witnessing the apocalypse.

[Morris Minor]

Yeah demand is down; gas is not that expensive: around $2.80/gal here in GA. I think only TX is cheaper. So not the spur to EV sales that there is in other states.

[AutobahnSHO]

Sure adjusted for inflation prices seem fairly consistent OVER LONG TERM.

Doesn't mean it doesn't go up and down by months/ quarters. Which is the opposite of stagnation.

[veeman]

Price of gasoline will unlikely stay very high because when the price of gasoline gets high, there is an all hands on deck approach to try and lower it.  This includes releasing reserves, going to Saudi Arabia and asking them to increase production, eliminating gasoline taxes, etc.  These are all things Biden himself has done in the last few years. Every POTUS knows if the price of gasoline gets high, they themselves and their party will get voted out of office next election cycle. The U.S. pegs its index of economic health to the price of a gallon of gasoline. We have fought wars because of it (when Iraq invaded Kuwait).

[AutobahnSHO]

What's incredible to me is how short-memory the country is. The humor of the PANIC of people selling their trucks back in 2006 and buying up little economy cars was only matched by the amount of people buying trucks a year or two later...

[Morris Minor]

Price of gasoline will unlikely stay very high because when the price of gasoline gets high, there is an all hands on deck approach to try and lower it.  This includes releasing reserves, going to Saudi Arabia and asking them to increase production, eliminating gasoline taxes, etc.  These are all things Biden himself has done in the last few years. Every POTUS knows if the price of gasoline gets high, they themselves and their party will get voted out of office next election cycle. The U.S. pegs its index of economic health to the price of a gallon of gasoline. We have fought wars because of it (when Iraq invaded Kuwait).

And reduced demand: 7.9% of new cars sold in the US were BEVs (3X higher than Q3 21): that's a huge chunk of product demand that's disappeared. 
In Europe it's 16%.  23% if you include PHEVs.

[CaminoRacer]

And reduced demand: 7.9% of new cars sold in the US were BEVs (3X higher than Q3 21): that's a huge chunk of product demand that's disappeared.
In Europe it's 16%.  23% if you include PHEVs.

Eventually the reduced demand may lead to higher gas prices, if the supply starts to contract in reaction and less government attention is paid to keeping the price down.

[r0tor]

Eventually the reduced demand may lead to higher gas prices, if the supply starts to contract in reaction and less government attention is paid to keeping the price down.

Less demand means wells with higher extraction costs get shutdown... So prices will probably remain fairly stagnant between the two opposite forces

[MrH]

Yes, when you look at gas, and average out all of the variation over incredibly long time frames, and adjust for inflation, in which gas prices are component of calculating, it's totally stagnant.  You guys got me

[CaminoRacer]

Less demand means wells with higher extraction costs get shutdown... So prices will probably remain fairly stagnant between the two opposite forces

Yes, I expect supply to match demand and keep it fairly steady (ignoring other shocks), until there's some sort of supply cliff where the wells don't think it's worth it anymore and supply falls off, sending the price up for the few remaining gas customers.

[Morris Minor]

I just think it's cool tech that makes more sense than the path the Silverado EV is going down   It's not the end all, be all.  But it makes more sense to me for trucks than the ever increasing battery size wars to deal with towing.

I always thought the Volt was a good idea; a few of the engineery-type people where I used to work had them & loved them. The Ramcharger addresses the range issue with those who actually use the truck for something trucks are best at, like hauling loads, but does it really need the Pentastar V6 & >600 miles? People need food & potty stops.

I wonder if a turbo four would have been a better fit with a lower weight penalty. Maybe that would be more expensive than the V6 - reliable & probably now being stamped out like cookies by now - fully amortized years ago.

[CaminoRacer]

I wonder if a turbo four would have been a better fit with a lower-weight penalty. Maybe that would be more expensive than the V6 - reliable & probably now being stamped out like cookies by now - fully amortized years ago.

I've seen comments about this elsewhere. I think a larger, lower-stress engine is a better fit for this. Depending on how it operates to charge, you don't want a small engine constantly running all-out to make enough HP to run the generator.

[giant_mtb]

I've seen comments about this elsewhere. I think a larger, lower-stress engine is a better fit for this. Depending on how it operates to charge, you don't want a small engine constantly running all-out to make enough HP to run the generator.

Yeah. The Pentastar is relatively ancient, but it's also pretty tried and true at this point. The modern-day GM 3800.

[Laconian]

I wonder what the alternator capacity is. It's probably much lower than the engine's max output and I bet heat soak is a thing for sustained runs.

[CaminoRacer]

I wonder what the alternator capacity is. It's probably much lower than the engine's max output and I bet heat soak is a thing for sustained runs.

I bet it doesn't have one. There's probably zero accessories on the V6, everything would be electric (cooling pumps, A/C, PS, etc) and it can use the generator or 90 kwh battery to charge the 12v system.

[r0tor]

Pentastar V6 is undoubtedly cheaper than a modern turbo 4