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Ram 1500 Revolution all-electric concept: Work truck with a starship vibe

Ram unveiled its vision for its electric truck line at the CES show in January in the form of the 1500 Revolution all-electric concept -- an all-new work truck with a starship vibe. Filled with impressive features like an expansive cabin with third-row jump seats, suicide rear doors with no B pillar, four-wheel steering, and even a Shadow Mode where the vehicle will follow you around the job site on its own, Revolution is pushing hard to shake up the EV truck market.

A real-world Ram 1500 EV will be coming in 2024, so a lot of the details we see in this concept will probably be in that truck.

Ram describes the new concept's central design language as "brutiful" (brutal yet beautiful). It definitely has a very modern edge that is noticeable right away from the redesigned RAM badging to the "tuning fork" design details in the headlights, dashboard, and mid-gate, but also the overall sleek hourglass body design that has a robot-like presence. The cabin is 4 in. longer than today's production truck, while the bed length remains the same. Ram says the concept can add up to 100 miles of range in approximately 10 minutes with 800-V DC fast charging at up to 350 kW, but the company did not give details on battery size or vehicle range.

The doors have been reimagined in a grand saloon-style opening that showcases a cavernous occupant space without a B-pillar. Bright LED lights have been cleverly integrated into the front bumper flares, and advancements in lighting are highlighted by fully animated LED taillamps and badging. The concept also features an integrated fascia design with a skid plate and new pivoting tow hooks that can sit flush.

Innovative features are integrated throughout and include a new powered frunk with one-touch open-and-close functionality. A powered charge-port door situated on the driver's side front quarter panel, a powered tailgate (with bed expandability!), flush-mounted door handles, powered side steps, and a powered rear step with active diffuser are just some of the new features.

The concept features side-view mirrors that are smaller, more lightweight, and use 3D-printed materials for optimal aerodynamics and reduced drag. The side-view mirrors use a digital camera to capture the truck's surroundings, allowing for a smaller physical size. Drivers also get to use an augmented reality head-up display.

The rearview mirror is packed with a range of sophisticated technologies, including a smart back-up camera with 360-degree views, speakers, and receivers compatible with voice assistants, such as Alexa and Siri. It also communicates with biometric cameras that observe the truck's environment as it approaches objects and as it's being approached.

Recognizable Ram design cues with added capability include a power multifunction tailgate and a larger RamBox. The hourglass body design and fender wells clear 35-in. tires with a new unique design. The truck also boasts self-leveling capability and rides on 24-in. wheels with center caps that light up and stay in place.

Ram says the new proportions are achieved courtesy of the innovative STLA Frame EV platform on which the Ram 1500 Revolution is built. New intelligent safety systems and smaller, more powerful electric motors afforded the design team the ability to shift the cabin forward and increase cabin length. The truck features all-wheel-drive capability and is powered by two electric motors positioned toward the front and rear of the vehicle

The full glass roof has electro-chromatic panels that can be adjusted for opaqueness, while the integrated roof rails feature ambient lightning that's operated through the overhead console.

The Revolution concept features four-wheel steering with up to 15 degrees of articulation, which is designed to offer greater vehicle maneuverability while parking at low speed or on tight off-road trails, and to provide increased steering response at high speeds.

Inside is where that starship vibe really resonates. The Revolution boasts one continuous space front to back that enables several different interior configurations. A significantly more spacious interior and greater cabin length are the result of the new architecture, while the battery's size allows for more cargo volume. Ram Track, Ram's rail attachment/floor track system, provides cabin flexibility for the seats and console, as well as usable tie-downs or other storage potential. Ram Track is also incorporated in the frunk, as well as the bed, allowing for true flexibility from front to back.

The design also provides a whole new meaning for the "club cab," with its third-row jump seats. The powered mid-gate features mounted jump seats with a removable lower section for placement in the bed or outside the vehicle. The mid-gate with powered glass enables a pass-through (and into the frunk) that can fit objects up to 18 ft. long with the tailgate closed.

Combined with the mid-gate and jump-seat options, the Revolution concept offers multiple flexible seating configurations. Lightweight seats feature integrated seatbelts, grab handles, and speakers, with the ability to fold flat along with extended recline, work, conference modes, and deploying the jump seats. Vastly more interior volume benefits second-row and third-row jump seat passengers who enjoy "limo-like" space.

For the driver, a full touchscreen display comprised of two screens offers up to 28 in. of screen space as the centerpiece of an interior loaded with advanced technology. The lower display has three different positions and can be removed and used in different areas of the truck.

Other features noted at the show debut include:

• An AI-driven vehicle personal assistant that can follow commands both inside and outside the vehicle, so you can roll up those windows while you are standing in the driveway.
• A Shadow Mode that allows the vehicle to automatically follow the driver walking ahead of the vehicle.
• An exterior projector that can double as a mobile movie theater.
• Smart home control to turn on and off devices inside your house from the infotainment screen.
• Level 3+ autonomous driving capability (one day soon).

When the real Ram 1500 EV debuts later this year, we'll know more details. Many more features will be revealed then, including the price and the ability to pre-order the truck. Some features mentioned here will probably not make the first-year model, but we've gotten a taste and know what to expect as far as the look and feel. We also expect much more emphasis on the basic work truck elements, such as the ability to run power tools from the truck, etc.

What do you think? This truck is so different from the Ford F-150 Lightning EV.

Get updates on the forthcoming Ram 1500 electric truck at ramtrucks.com/revolution.html.

Source: Stellantis/Ram Trucks

Published January 2023

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