We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›
The 2025 Ram 1500 REV is the automaker’s first foray into the electric pickup space. Quite clearly, it’s going all in. Ram claims the top trim REV will net a targeted 500 miles of range thanks mostly to an absolute behemoth of a battery. There’s more than meets the eye, though, when it comes to achieving this ambitious target.
Let’s start with that battery because it probably weighs over one and a half tons. At 229 kilowatt-hours it’s the biggest we’ve ever seen fitted to a passenger car. It dwarfs even the 200-kwh, 3,000-pound battery in the Hummer EV, which I like to call the Acid Mattress. This thing is like the Acid Mattress California King.
This amount of energy can translate into a lot of range based on how efficient the truck is. Some quick math shows the Ram will need to achieve at least 2.18 miles per kWh in order to meet the automaker’s goal. That’s within the realm of possibility, although it’s still pretty inefficient for an electric vehicle. A Lucid Air, for instance, gets a similar range with a 112 kWh battery with an efficiency of 4.6 miles per kWh.
To get around 2.18 miles per kWh, Ram plans to employ a few tricks. The big one is managing aerodynamics. The 1500 REV has a claimed drag coefficient of 0.34, which is very good for a pickup. This is possible because of the truck’s slippery body as well as less visible features like a full-length belly pan. The REV also squats lower to the road on the highway using its air suspension in order to shed drag, which other existing ICE cars and EVs do as well.
Further savings are found by decoupling the front drive unit from the road when it’s not in use. Every Ram 1500 REV trim features a dual motor drivetrain, so they should all have this feature in theory, even trucks with the smaller 168-kWh battery.
A slew of software tools will try to tell drivers where they can improve as well. Ram says an onboard computer will show drivers areas of inefficiency so that they can adjust the way they drive to extend their range. Deploying cruise control, accelerating slower from a stop, or using one-pedal driving can all contribute to more miles per kWh.
The kicker here is that the 1500 REV is set to be the first range-extended electric pickup, which means that the XR trim will carry an engine of some description onboard to generate power that feeds the battery. This will not only boost the truck’s range considerably but give it flexibility in terms of charging versus refueling. So along with its massive 500-mile range, the truck could go even further thanks to this range extender.
Subscribe to Drive Wire. Stay up to speed with the latest news, car reviews, and culture stories sent straight to your inbox daily.
All of this surely adds up to create a seriously heavy truck. The huge battery combined with a range extender could easily make it the heaviest electric vehicle on the road. It must be said that when it comes to the spirit of electrification, such inefficiency is not the best thing in the world. It will take a lot of driving to offset the carbon impact of the battery and it’s better to use the power you have in a more economical way. That being said, if the Acid California King is what it takes to draw buyers to a full-size electric pickup, it may be a necessary evil.
Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com
