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The Ram EcoDiesel can perform one feat that no other truck we can find can: on one tank of fuel this full-size truck can go more than 1,000 miles. It’s kind of astonishing to talk about a range like this in the days of EVs that get just 200 miles on a charge. Unfortunately, Ram has killed this monster motor for 2024 in the Ram 1500 truck. But how did this giant, 5,000-pound truck, achieve this feat?

The current EcoDisel is in its third generation

The Ram EcoDisel engine, when paired with a larger fuel tank, can get you 1,000 miles between fill-ups.
3.0-liter Ram Eco Diesel | Ram

Ram trucks have long been offered with the EcoDiesel truck. For the last nine years, the 3.0-liter V6 Ecodiesel kept fans of oil burners happy. Now in its third generation, it makes 260 horsepower, but importantly 480 lb-ft of torque for towing and hauling. That’s a significant amount more than the new 5.7-liter Hemi, which uses a mild hybrid drive to make a total of 410 lb-ft.

The 3.0-liter, paired with an eight-speed automatic, makes 420 lb-ft of torque. But the Eco comes first in the EcoDiesel in that the EPA rates it at 32 mpg on the highway and 22 in the city. Paired with the Ram 1500’s optional 33-gallon fuel tank, and voila, you get a range of 1,056 miles of highway driving. Compare that to the Ram 1500 4WD with the 5.7-liter Hemi, which gets 21 mpg, and the standard 23-gallon tank, and you only get a 483-mile range.

The EcoDiesel disappears in January

Blue 2022 Ram 1500 with an EcoDiesel engine
2022 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel | Stellantis

If you want one, act fast. The EcoDiesel will only be available until January of 2023, according to MotorTrend. The engine isn’t available on every trim, but most four-wheel-drive versions of the 1500  offer it. It’s a $4,995 option and requires an eight-speed automatic. The 33-gallon fuel tank is a $445 option on almost any Ram. Jeep also discontinued it in the Wrangler.

What will replace the EcoDiesel?

The new electric Ram 1500 truck
The new all-electric Ram truck | Ram

After January, it’s anybody’s guess as to what the Ram will get for big-torque motivation. Many are expecting the Ram 1500 to get a powerful hybrid motor where a battery will provide the extra torque that the diesel does today. But, of course, the new all-electric Revolution pickup is on the way. If the new Ram Revolution follows in the footsteps of Rivian and Ford electric trucks, their monster torque (775 lb-ft in the Lightning) could make a diesel superfluous.

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.