- The Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept unveiled at CES 2023 is our first look at Ram’s first electric pickup, featuring smooth bodywork and a stretched cabin.
- The interior has a rail system allowing for customizable seating arrangements, and the powered mid-gate includes third-row jump seats and a pass-through to carry objects up to 18 feet long.
- Electric motors on the front and rear axles provide all-wheel drive, and Ram claims the steering wheel can retract into the dashboard for Level 3 autonomous driving.
While Ford is busy churning out thousands of F-150 Lightnings from its Dearborn, Michigan plant and Chevy is readying the Silverado EV for its launch this year, Ram had so far stayed out of the electric-truck arms race. But now at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show, Ram has unveiled the 1500 Revolution BEV concept, previewing an electric 1500 pickup that will arrive in 2024 and giving the first hints at the future stylistic direction of the brand.
The concept sports a sleek look, with a stretched wheelbase and a swept-back windshield. The blacked-out front end is dominated by an illuminated “RAM” badge sitting between the LED headlights, which Ram refers to as having a “tuning fork” design. The beefy skid plate in the bumper hides integrated tow hooks, and the taillights and Ram badge on the tailgate also consist of LEDs.
The Revolution is decked out with a powered frunk, a charge port, flush door handles, side steps, and a rear step, and we expect most of these features to reach production, at least on pricier trims. The tailgate can also be opened outwards—like barn doors—to extend the bed another couple of feet in order to haul larger loads.
The concept also shows off coach doors—the rear doors open in the opposite direction to the front doors—allowing Ram to remove the B-pillar to ease ingress and egress. We imagine these flashy doors will be ditched for production, but the 3D-printed, lightweight cameras which replace the sideview mirrors could make it if U.S. regulations change. The 1500 Revolution rides on 35-inch tires wrapped around 24-inch wheels, with light-up center caps that remain still while the wheel spins, like on Rolls-Royces.
The cabin is four inches longer than on the current gas-powered truck and features “Ram Track,” a rail attachment system on the floor that permits for flexible interior configurations. The rails also act as tie downs for cargo and are also found in the frunk and bed. The lightweight seats—which have integrated seatbelts, grab handles, and speakers—can be folded completely flat or removed.
The two rows of seating can also be supplemented by third-row jump seats, which Ram says are mounted in the powered mid-gate and can be affixed in the bed, echoing the Subaru Brat of the late 1970s. Unfortunately Ram didn’t provide any photos showing the jump seats, but the mid-gate is also said to include a pass-through that extends all the way to the frunk—an idea previously seen on the Bollinger B2—and can fit objects that are 18 feet long.
Continuing on the theme of cabin customizability, the center console can be removed to increase interior room, while the armrest converts to a desk. The “tuning fork” design reappears on the dashboard via orange ambient lighting, which flows behind a dual display setup totaling 28 inches of touchscreen. The lower screen can be removed and used as a tablet or adjusted into three different positions—minimal view, extended view, and full screen view—while the upper screen can also apparently slide on the Ram Track system.
As is expected of an electric truck concept, the interior is overflowing with fancy tech, from a 360-degree camera system to an AI-powered voice-activated assistant and augmented reality in the head-up display. The octagonal steering wheel has small screens built in, while the glass roof has electro-chromatic panels that can individually adjust their opacity. Sustainable materials are also found throughout the interior, including leather made from a byproduct of the apple industry and a floor built from recycled rubber and cork.
Another neat feature on the 1500 Revolution is Shadow Mode, where the truck autonomously follows the driver as they walk ahead, which Ram says will save time for short trips around a job site. There are also several cabin modes that alter seating positions, ambient lighting, window opacity, suspension, and more at the press of a single button.
The Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept is built on the body-on-frame STLA Frame EV platform and features two electric motors, one on each axle, for all-wheel drive. No power outputs or performance statistics were provided, but Ram says that up to 100 miles of range can be added in around 10 minutes with 800-volt DC fast charging at up to 350 kW. Rear-wheel steering with up to 15 degrees of movement should improve the massive truck’s agility in tight spaces at low speeds, and the air suspension can be set to three levels: ingress/egress, aero, and off-road.
Ram also says the concept is capable of Level 3 autonomous driving, where the steering wheel retracts and the “interior lights, the AR HUD, smart seats, and the steering wheel work together to provide next-level situational awareness to the driver.” External projectors also communicate with the driver and can transform the truck into a mobile movie theater. Ram also says drivers can manage their smart home from the truck and can use a phone app to measure objects and determine how to best carry them in the Revolution.
More information on the production version of the 1500 Revolution BEV will come in the next several months, ahead of the electric truck’s launch in 2024. For now, the concept appears to provide a pretty clear idea of what is to come and some of the innovative technology Ram aims to bring to the electric truck segment.
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This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
