Electric RAM 1500 - Will it ever happen?

9006 Views 11 Replies 7 Participants Last post by tugboat, Mar 27, 2014

L.O.A.

Discussion Starter · Mar 6, 2014

Seeing how the EV market is growing a changing it seems to me eventually we'll see this technology implemented into trucks. How possible do you guys think this will be? Will it serve all the needs us truck guys have in a truck? Would you consider buying one?

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Diesel Washington

· #2 · Mar 6, 2014

I heard of a fully electric cargo van being made by Nissan which makes me think that the electric motor is capable of performing the tasks that pick-up truck owners need to get done. I think more of the backlash against would be visceral. Trucks are manly, brutish things, and I think people just feel emotionally connected to the grumble of a diesel of petrol engine. Remember, electric motors don't make any sound really.

I think that this does lie in the future, but it is still at least a few years out.

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Accused

· #3 · Mar 7, 2014

Diesel Washington said:
I heard of a fully electric cargo van being made by Nissan which makes me think that the electric motor is capable of performing the tasks that pick-up truck owners need to get done. I think more of the backlash against would be visceral. Trucks are manly, brutish things, and I think people just feel emotionally connected to the grumble of a diesel of petrol engine. Remember, electric motors don't make any sound really.

I think that this does lie in the future, but it is still at least a few years out.

yea but the e NV200 you cite is small city van for deliveries, not a heavy commercial van. Do you know the kind of battery power that would be necessary to do the kind of work pickups do electrically? Electricity deminishes at an increased rate when under increased load in the same way that fuel efficiency diminishes while towing.

I really don't think its a good idea to try and table this as emotionally motivated because the exact same thing can be said about the EV/Hybrid crowd. They're not trying to save the world they're trying to build an image...

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L.O.A.

Discussion Starter · #4 · Mar 7, 2014

Diesel Washington said:
I heard of a fully electric cargo van being made by Nissan which makes me think that the electric motor is capable of performing the tasks that pick-up truck owners need to get done. I think more of the backlash against would be visceral. Trucks are manly, brutish things, and I think people just feel emotionally connected to the grumble of a diesel of petrol engine. Remember, electric motors don't make any sound really.

I think that this does lie in the future, but it is still at least a few years out.

Nice! That's not too bad then, I wasn't thinking it would happen that soon. seems like it could happen in the not too distant future.

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Panther Dash

· #5 · Mar 7, 2014

I think that we may see this from Ford before we see it from Ram. Since the new Ford trucks will be lighter with their aluminum frames, it will take less electric energy to propel them. I think that may make a capable electric truck more doable.

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DieselTech69

· #6 · Mar 9, 2014

Strictly electric, I doubt it. Hybrid, sure, as GM already has one, and there was an all-electric Ford Ranger if I remember correctly.

It will all boil down to cost vs. benefit. If they can build a capable truck for a reasonable cost that has significant mileage gains by having electric propulsion (either 100% electric or hybrid), then it will happen.

I think hybrid is more realistic and therefore more likely though.

Personally, I want an internal combustion engine in my truck. And my ATV. And my streetbike. And my dirtbike. And my sportscar. Lawnmower, wife's car, weedwacker, etc. - electric is fine with me if it works, don't care - as long as it saves me money I can put towards other things. If it doesn't save me money, then I'm not interested.

Like when my electric company offered to give me electric supplied from renewable sources (wind mostly I think) for about $7 more a month....and I said no thanks. Why would I pay more for electricity that should cost me less, since wind (and sunlight) are free? ??? Sorry, but I'm not subsidizing their infrastructure costs so they can make more profit.

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tugboat

· #7 · Mar 10, 2014

i also agree a full electric truck is a long way away from a brand like ram.

plus the market isnt going to be very big considering the range.

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Accused

· #8 · Mar 10, 2014

DieselTech69 said:
Strictly electric, I doubt it. Hybrid, sure, as GM already has one, and there was an all-electric Ford Ranger if I remember correctly.

It will all boil down to cost vs. benefit. If they can build a capable truck for a reasonable cost that has significant mileage gains by having electric propulsion (either 100% electric or hybrid), then it will happen.

I think hybrid is more realistic and therefore more likely though.

Personally, I want an internal combustion engine in my truck. And my ATV. And my streetbike. And my dirtbike. And my sportscar. Lawnmower, wife's car, weedwacker, etc. - electric is fine with me if it works, don't care - as long as it saves me money I can put towards other things. If it doesn't save me money, then I'm not interested.

Like when my electric company offered to give me electric supplied from renewable sources (wind mostly I think) for about $7 more a month....and I said no thanks. Why would I pay more for electricity that should cost me less, since wind (and sunlight) are free? ??? Sorry, but I'm not subsidizing their infrastructure costs so they can make more profit.

Amen DT!

Wind and solar are the biggest cash grabs outside of management consulting

The demand on them is constant yet their output is sporadic, you know the sun doesnt always shine and the wind don't always blow

Greenies forget that, and they also forget that to subsidize the output of the darling renewable it needs to be backed by coal which can be quickly ramped up in the event that the renewables just don't feel like working today...

A Hybrid does seem like a more likely candidate for half tons, but again with the type of work that these trucks are asked to do they would likely spend very little time in electric mode making the cost savings marginal at best. Coupled with the already lengthy 10-15 years payback time on current Hybrids I just dont see it making any sense, especially when you consider in that 15 years its likely the truck goes through at least one battery pack...

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L.O.A.

Discussion Starter · #9 · Mar 10, 2014

We'll likely see hybrid before full electric gets here, they gotta walk first, can't run.

This is how it worked in the coupe, sedan, suv and crossover game, it's how it will work in the truck game.

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tugboat

· #10 · Mar 20, 2014

have you guys ever seen these? i see them at auto shows often
VIA Motors

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scatpack_69

· #11 · Mar 26, 2014

In order for an all-electric truck to have any reasonable range, the entire bed would have to be full of batteries. That pretty much eliminates their usage as a truck...

Electric is a joke, and hybrids aren't far behind. The hypocrisy of both is laughable at best.

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tugboat

· #12 · Mar 27, 2014

im gonna have to agree with scatpack

unless someone wants a truck that only has extremely limited range (you never know) and doesnt want to pay the gas for that little range..

and be willing to pay an arm and a leg for the batterys

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