The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger Revolutionizes Electric Pickup Towing
Are electric pickup trucks real trucks? While these EV trucks can tow heavy loads, many electric trucks lose half or more of the initial driving range when used for this task. If a truck cannot tow for many miles or refuel quickly, its use as a work truck must come into question. The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger could be the solution to this problem.
What makes a traditional electric truck bad at towing?
Electric trucks, like the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T, feel great while towing. Instead of the constant shifting of gears felt in gas and diesel-powered trucks, the single-speed transmissions keep the ride smooth and effortless. The problem is the driving range when towing a trailer.
The dip in driving range is only part of the problem, but it’s the cause of all other issues when towing with an electric truck. With lower driving distances, drivers could be tempted to recharge an EV pickup to its full driving range, which takes twice as long as the fast-charging time. Additionally, finding a useful charger for a truck with a trailer attached is nearly impossible.
How is the Ram 1500 Ramcharger different?
The new Ramcharger isn’t a true electric truck. The wheels are propelled by two electric motors, one on each axle, but power is sent to these motors two ways. The Ramcharger has a large 92-kWh battery with 70.8-kWh of useful capacity, but there’s more. This impressive Ram truck also has a 3.6-liter gas-powered V6 engine that acts as a power generator. This makes the Ramcharger a plug-in hybrid truck, not a traditional PHEV.
This new Ram 1500 PHEV truck is a series hybrid, which makes it different from most PHEVs. Instead of the gas engine sending power to the wheels once the batteries are depleted, the Ram 1500 Ramcharger gas engine sends power to the electric motors. This makes for a much smoother driving experience while towing than gas-powered trucks.
How much power does this Ram truck produce?
The front electric motor makes 335 horsepower, while the rear motor produces 319 horsepower. When both motors are at peak power, the total is 663 horsepower and 615 lb-ft of torque. Ram confirmed with Car and Driver that the correct combined maximum output is 663 horsepower. That is despite the math that doesn’t quite add up.
Because the electric motors drive the wheels, the smoothness of an electric truck remains in the Ram 1500 Ramcharger while towing a load.
Does the Ram 1500 Ramcharger have enough power?
When the power generator operates, the continuous power produced is 174 horsepower. This truck can tow up to 14,000 pounds. This makes us question whether or not this truck can continue to tow this much weight at that power. Ram claims this truck has plenty of power to tow the max weight at 65 mph on an interstate.
The greatest benefit the Ramcharger provides is its ability to run on gasoline for as long as necessary. This means no lengthy recharging stops while the batteries fill up, especially when towing a trailer across hundreds of miles.
