At CES 2023, the Ram Truck brand of Stellantis introduced the next phase in its electrification road map with the Ram 1500 Revolution concept. The battery-electric vehicle (BEV) demonstrates how the truck brand intends to redefine the pickup truck segment. The concept showcases innovative features that will be seen in future Ram trucks including the 1500 BEV due in 2024.

“The Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept is our clearest signal yet that we’re on the precipice of something extraordinary at Ram and points directly to where we’re going on our electrified journey,” said Mike Koval Jr., Ram brand CEO at Stellantis.

The BEV concept is part of Ram’s contribution to Stellantis’ Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan by delivering innovative, clean, safe, and affordable mobility solutions.

“The Ram Revolution represents several important things to the Ram brand,” Koval added. “Of course, it’s our new Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept that serves as a roadmap to our electrified future. Yet Ram Revolution is also our philosophy as we redefine the pickup segment, with a steady drumbeat of announcements and initiatives as we embark on our electrified journey.”

Expect more news on the production version in the coming months for the production model from Ram as the brand aims to be the leader in areas it says customers care about the most—range, towing, payload, and charge time.

 

STLA Frame and 800-V DC

The concept is built on the STLA Frame EV platform. New intelligent safety systems and smaller electric motors enabled the design team to shift the cabin forward and increase its length by 4 in (102 mm) over today’s production truck for increased interior room but with the same bed length.

While not much information was released on the concept’s powertrain just yet, the all-wheel drive is provided by two electric drive modules (EDMs) positioned at the front and rear of the vehicle to maximize interior and frunk space. The concept is future-proofed for high-performance applications having larger-capacity EDMs.

The body-on-frame design is engineered to efficiently incorporate the battery pack. The concept can add up to 100 mi (160 km) of range in about 10 min thanks to 800-V DC fast charging at up to 350 kW.

At CES, Ram also showed a new inductive robot called a Ram Charger to make home charging easier. It detects the vehicle’s presence and charging needs, automatically moving into position and aligning itself under the vehicle. Its smart capability allows for off-peak charging.

Four-wheel steering with up to 15 degrees of articulation is designed to offer greater vehicle maneuverability while parking at low speed and on tight off-road trails. It also improves vehicle stability at high speeds. An air suspension enables self-leveling capability and three different modes: ingress/egress, aero, and off-road.

 

‘Brutiful’ inside and out

Ram’s exterior design team set out to revolutionize the pickup truck segment by creating an ultramodern concept meant to be “brutiful”—brutal yet beautiful. The doors were reimagined in a “grand saloon-style” or “suicide-door” opening without a B-pillar that showcases a large occupant space. Recognizable Ram design cues include a power multifunction tailgate and a larger RamBox.

An hourglass body design and fender wells clear 35-in tires. The concept rides on 24-in wheels with center caps that light up and stay in place.

As with most recent passenger vehicles, lighting and its animation play increasingly important roles in the design. In front are an animated RAM badge and “tuning fork” LED design on the truck’s new “face,” LED lights integrated into the front bumper, and in the rear animated LED taillamps and badging. The charge port illuminates and blinks while charging, with an audible signal indicating it’s plugged in and charging has begun.

Off-road intent is designed in with a fascia design with a skid plate and flush, pivoting tow hooks. Powered exterior features include a one-touch open-and-close frunk, charge-port door on the driver’s side fender, tailgate, flush-mounted door handles, side steps, and rear step with an active diffuser.

The lightweight side-view mirrors use 3D printed materials and are smaller thanks to their use of cameras for optimal aerodynamics and reduced drag.

 

Three-row interior

The tuning-fork exterior design theme carries through to the inside, stretching the width of the instrument panel and continuing to the mid-gate in the rear. The “one space environment” interior layout, with one continuous space front to back, enables different configurations and more flexibility to configure a workspace, for example.

Cabin flexibility is enhanced with a Ram Track rail attachment/floor track system for the seats, console, tie-downs, and other storage. It is also incorporated in the frunk and bed for more flexibility at the vehicle’s front and rear. The center console can be removed for more space. Its armrest can convert to a workstation surface.

While most pickups now have second-row seating, the concept adds “third-row” jump seats. The powered mid-gate features a removable lower section for placement of those seats inside or outside the vehicle in the bed. The mid-gate has a powered window and a pass-through, as does the frunk “firewall,” to fit objects up to 18 ft (5.5 m) long with the tailgate closed.

Combined with mid-gate and jump-seat options, the concept offers multiple seating configurations. The lightweight seats feature integrated seatbelts, grab handles, and speakers. They can fold flat and have extended recline, work, and conference modes. Vastly more interior volume benefits second-row and third-row jump-seat passengers.

Sustainability was a key focus for surfacing materials used throughout the interior. Examples include the lightweight Greyslate Nanostone veneer and Apple leather, a bi-product from the apple industry that is naturally animal- and cruelty-free. The textured floor is composed of recycled rubber and cork particles that enhance durability and functionality.

 

Leading-edge user interfaces

Inside, digital natives will be happy.

The touchscreen experience is comprised of two 14.2-in displays for up to 28 in of total screen. The lower display has three positions—minimal, extended, and full—and can also be removed and used as a tablet, passenger display, truck bed workstation, vehicle control unit, or video game controller.

Other screens are for the digital side-view and rearview mirrors. The latter is packed with a smart backup camera, speakers, and receivers compatible with voice assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri. When in reverse, the rearview mirror stitches together camera images from around the truck, providing a 360-degree view together with the other interior screens. It can call upon a supplementary backup flood lamp for better visibility when reversing and can communicate with biometric cameras that observe the truck’s environment and surrounding objects.

Cameras and other sensors feed the augmented reality (AR) head-up display (HUD) to provide enhanced driving assistance. A see-through vision feature uses camera and sensor technology that allows the driver to see objects outside of his/her normal view.

A flat-top and -bottom collapsible steering wheel offers enhanced hand grips with capacitive controls, digital screens, and a lit RAM badge. In Level 3+ autonomous driving mode, the steering wheel retracts to provide additional space for the driver.

The interior lights, the AR HUD, the smart seats, and the steering wheel work together to provide situational awareness to the driver.

A swipe controls the sun visors’ and glass electrochromic roof’s opaqueness. Lighting extends to the length of the glass roof and roof rails operated through the overhead console.

 

Personalized experiences

The concept’s design team showcased a number of ideas aimed at delivering personalized experiences that connect passengers with their digital lives.

An artificial intelligence-based virtual assistant enhances the interior and exterior interactions with users. A 3D Ram avatar acts as the interface not only inside but also from outside the vehicle, responding to requests such as closing the windows, playing music, taking a picture, and requesting “follow me” with Shadow Mode.

That last mode allows the vehicle to follow a driver walking ahead of the vehicle automatically. The feature is useful, for example, when a driver needs to walk short distances and doesn’t want to get back in the truck such as when picking up tools or equipment at a job site. The truck follows the driver at a safe distance using sensors like cameras to navigate around obstacles.

My Day intelligent trip planning based on users’ schedules and preferences is designed to provide route suggestions at the right time and location.

Cabin Modes are “one button” settings that adjust multiple aspects of the cabin experience based on use cases such as Productivity, Social, Party, Relax, and user-created modes. Adjustments include the interior lighting, seat position and orientation, window and skylight opacity, vehicle suspension settings, sound zones, and display content.

Cameras and other sensors work together to enhance the driving experience and provide additional functions such as biometric identity recognition and 360-degree photo and video capture. Built-in projectors can be used to visually communicate information to road users and they can double as a mobile movie theater for entertainment.

An intelligent storage mobile app helps users measure objects to determine if they can be transported with their vehicles. Users can scan a product’s barcode or use a built-in AR camera measuring tool to determine an object’s dimensions. The app shows how the object can best be positioned in the vehicle, and internal and external cabin projectors assist by displaying guides on the targeted storage location.