Robo-charging Ram 1500 Revolution concept enters electric pickup fray

It wasn’t long ago that Ram showed up with some teaser pics when other major American truck makers were prepping for real production and concept electric pickups. The newly debuted Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept His truck doesn’t make up for all the lost territory, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction and a very enjoyable showpiece.

The AWD concept boasts a midgate-mounted third row seat, fully autonomous slow-roll functionality, transformable interior workstations and a 10-minute charge. With or without the included Battery Boost Robot. Oh, and Ram will probably launch a production version before the Ford Lightning hits its second generation.

We know CES is a huge flash-filled show, but the 1500 Revolution BEV still feels overwhelmed with too much conceptual fluff. We have already launched the Ford F-150 Lightning and the upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV. Some of the concept’s features are pretty cool and could be a real-world upgrade, but some fall prey to the usual concepts – coach doors without B-pillars, unnecessarily huge touchscreen displays. , cameras for all rear-view mirrors, etc.

The lack of key details like range and motor size doesn’t help Ram’s claims. Nor does his press release, which is full of corporate buzzwords like “cutting edge” and “disruptive,” help. But at least this time Ram sees the actual track. And it’s quite the rig.

In terms of styling, it seems Ram was trying to separate the F-150 Lightning’s strong, traditional look from the Silverado EV’s lighter, rounder sport-utility truck styling. Thick horizontal fender lines and a sturdy square pickup box are softened by a more rounded front end brought to life by heavily illuminated all-caps badges and “tuning fork” LED headlights.

It strikes us as a successful design, except for the overly defined uneven split between the cab and bed that makes the truck look like it’s split in two. The upward push adds to the sub-optimal aesthetic of a track split in two.

It’s not particularly pretty, but its cab/bed split highlights one of the 1500 Revolution’s defining characteristics. This concept follows the Chevrolet Silverado EV in utilizing an adjustable midgate for complete passenger/cargo flexibility. Add extra passenger capacity and up the ante with a set of installed 3rd row jump seats that can be removed for outdoor use such as the tailgate. Lowering the power midgate also ensures a full path from the tailgate to the flanks for very long cargo up to 18 feet (5.5 m). A multi-function split tailgate and expandable bed accommodate oversized luggage and stow it all.

When it comes to key specs like battery capacity and payload, Ram is happy to say, “The Ram 1500 BEV will be a leader in the combination of the areas our customers care about most: range, towing, payload and charging time.” said. Previously, the ambitious he had put forward a range target of 500 miles (805 km), and should stick to that for the time being.

The Revolution Concept truck features front and rear drive modules with an all-electric AWD layout. All-wheel steering offers up to 15 degrees of articulation for improved maneuverability and high-speed stability. The adjustable air suspension has a self-leveling function and aero, off-road and boarding/alighting modes.

Beyond normal point-to-point driving, the 1500 Revolution’s powertrain can act like a high-tech wagon, capable of unmanned, close-range shadowing. The truck aims to utilize a Level 3+ sensor suite to autonomously track drivers via voice commands. Rush and drive – for example picking up supplies a few meters from the scene.

The 1500 Revolution BEV’s mysterious capacity battery pack is integrated into the frame of the STLA body-on-frame full-size EV architecture. Ram estimates a 350 kW 800 V fast-charge time of 10 minutes for 100 miles (161 km) worth of power.

Ram also developed a prototype robotic inductive charger to match the concept truck. The Ram Charger looks like an autonomous vacuum or lawn mower plugged in, automatically detects the truck and its charge level, slides and aligns under the chassis, and uses electromagnetic Inductive charging.

Thanks to its compact electric powertrain and EV-specific architecture, the Revolution Crew Cab is 4 inches (10 cm) larger than the ICE Truck while maintaining the same bed size. So passengers have plenty of legroom and can rearrange things to suit their needs. For example, the convertible center console flips open to a laptop workstation, adding versatile worksite utilities to the front to go with what’s in the back.

The gigantic dual infotainment touchscreen offers up to 28 inches of screen space, larger than the TVs you grew up watching. The removable bottom screen can be pulled out and used around or off the track, including the aforementioned workstation.

The Revolution concept is equipped with all the latest technology products such as an advanced AR heads-up display, in-car personal assistant, smart home connectivity, 360-degree camera system, external communication projection system, and more.

Ram will debut the Revolution at CES 2023 on Thursday, with more news and details to be announced in the coming months. It’s now stuck with its original plan to launch production models in 2024, at which point each of America’s Big Three should offer electric versions of their best-selling full-size pickups. May the e-pickup war be long and fruitful!

Learn more about the Revolution concept and its development in the 4 minute video below.

Source: Lamb/Stellantis