You are not wrong unless Stellantis has been lying about this truck since day one. Chevy initially tried to hide the Volt's engine/wheel connection, which always seemed stupid to me. In contrast, Honda boasted about the Clarity's Engine Drive Mode.
PHEVs to Rule Trucks?
- Thread starter David Towle
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Perhaps the Volt identified as an EV and Chevy supported that decision, which could explain why they withheld information even though they knew that doing so might lead to accusations of deception and conspiratorial practices.
NorCalPete
Active Member
Information about the Ramcharger continues to trickle out, with some technical data updates here on Insideevs and on Forbes, and some price speculation on Motor1. The Forbes article provides some very detailed towing data which is very encouraging if it turns out to be accurate.
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Wow, 145-mile EV range is a lot more than my all-Electric MINI--many owners will go more than a year without visiting a gas station.
Thanks. Interesting that we aren’t getting any updates from our secret Ramcharger Club.
Assuming those reports are the most accurate information available at the moment, it appears that there will not be a production run of 2025 models this April-June
That might explain why there are still no Ramchargers for journalists to experience.
NorCalPete
Active Member
Makes me wonder if our club membership actually will provide the opportunity to place orders before non-members, as promised. Thus far, it has been completely useless.
Seems pretty obvious, none have been manufactured. Does it really need an explanation?
I certainly don't expect Stellantis to provide an explanation for this embarassing situation. Because Stellantis once claimed Ramcharger production was to begin soon, I believe there are at least two possibilities:
- some have been manufactured, but they have problems Stellantis doesn't want journalists to experience
- none have been manufactured
Why do you believe that Stellantis is embarrassed by this situation?
You seem to be fairly well informed about the automobile industry. Certainly you must be aware of other manufacturers who have experienced delays in production and a failure to meet deadlines or stated goals. Ford and Tesla come to mind.
Why do you feel that an explanation is necessary?
It could be that they were measuring interest. As you pointed out previously, there was more interest in the Ramcharger than the REV. Initially, the REV was scheduled to be produced before the Ramcharger, now that’s been reversed.
It was clear in the club bylaws that membership did not place us on a waitlist for the vehicle.
The last thing Stellantis wants is to expand the stream of bad news to investors and potential customers.
The last thing Stellantis wants is to expand the stream of bad news to investors and potential customers.
Interesting opinion.
Fairly recently automotive news suggests that delivery of the Ramcharger is now delayed until the first quarter of 2026. The REV is now delayed until late 2027 which would make it a 2028MY vehicle.
The obvious reasons for this are a decreasing level of interest in electric vehicles, particularly pickup trucks, and other market uncertainties.
The obvious reasons for this are a decreasing level of interest in electric vehicles, particularly pickup trucks, and other market uncertainties.
I believed the Ramcharger's capabilities would help revive interest in electrified vehicles, but Stellantis isn't in a good position to take big gambles. Earlier this year Ford said it was going to make EREVs, but they're leary of the effects of tariffs and unpredictable US policy changes.
NorCalPete
Active Member
Yes, delayed again. Hopefully, Stellantis still is going forward with the Ramcharger. It was reported here that a pilot production run of a Ramcharger (along with a hemi-powered 1500 truck) occurred on May 15th, so I'm still hopeful.
David Towle
Well-Known Member
Probably also from a cash squeeze due to tariffs on other vehicles, as well as re-tweaking the supply chain to minimize tariffs on this model.
Add the possibility of eliminating EV Tax Credits to the list of uncertainties. There isn’t currently a clear path forward for any business. How this plays out is beyond the scope of our combined speculative abilities.
As much as I am intrigued by the Ramcharger, a new conventional truck may end up in the garage. That opens up the big 3, plus Toyota as possibilities. The cost difference between gas and electricity is a wash. Any potential savings is largely insignificant when compared to the depreciation on an $80K vehicle.
Our 3 year old Jeep 4xe hasn’t been without issue. There have been several recalls including the one to address the possibility of the battery spontaneously combusting. That has allegedly been resolved. However, the car occasionally throws a warning about servicing the Hybrid System. We’ve been told if the illuminated wrench goes out everything is fine. There is currently no fix available. Conventional vehicles aren’t trouble free, however, they won’t have the 2 issues mentioned above.
NorCalPete
Active Member
Same for me. I was ready to buy a 2024 Ford F250 gasser but decided to wait when I learned about the Ramcharger. Now that we have two Claritys, having a tow vehicle that can run as an EV locally is less important. Given that, and the price, timing, and reliability concerns for the Ramcharger, I leaning back toward buying a conventional truck.