We Compare Ram's Gas-Only Half-Ton Pickup with the New Ramcharger PHEV

Yahoo

25-02-2025

Ram's gas-powered pickup trucks were, collectively, the sixth bestselling vehicle in the United States last year, racking up 373,120 sales. While Ram ditched the thumping V-8 heart for its latest half-ton truck, the automaker hopes to increase the 1500's popularity by expanding its powertrain arsenal. First up is the Ramcharger, a new plug-in-hybrid pickup utilizing a gas-fed V-6 as a generator to recharge the battery. It will be followed by the fully electric 1500 REV, which was originally scheduled to start production before the PHEV, but they've since flip-flopped.
The 2026 Ram 1500 Ramcharger has also faced delays, but it's finally supposed to hit dealerships sometime in the second half of this year. With its arrival imminent, Ram has released full technical details for the plug-in truck, allowing us to see how it stacks up against its popular gas-only counterpart.
Although the Ramcharger is constructed around the new STLA Frame platform—designed to support a variety of powertrains, from gas to hybrid to EV—the plug-in truck matches the dimensions of the gas-only 1500. However, the Ramcharger will come only in a single configuration, pairing a crew-cab body style with a five-foot, seven-inch bed. The standard 1500, meanwhile, is sold in both extended "Quad" cab and crew cab setups. The Quad Cab comes exclusively with a six-foot, four-inch bed, and the crew cab is available with both bed sizes.
When comparing identical configurations, the Ramcharger and standard 1500 are dimensionally identical. The Ramcharger's 144.6-inch wheelbase and 232.4-inch overall length match that of the 1500 crew cab (the Quad cab is four inches shorter in both metrics). The overall width and height are also identical at 81.2 and 77.4 inches, respectively. The approach angle, however, is a bit better in the Ramcharger at 19.9 degrees.
The 4x4 crew-cab version of the gas-only 1500 has an approach angle of 18.8 degrees, although the gas truck's 20.6-degree departure angle is about 1 degree better than the Ramcharger's. The dune-jumping 1500 RHO—a replacement for the V-8-powered TRX—takes the gas-powered truck to the extreme with extra ground clearance and a reworked front bumper, which supplies an impressive 31-degree approach angle and 25.2-degree departure angle.
Ram's full-size trucks pack six-cylinder power these days, with the Hemi V-8 departing after the 2024 model year. While the 1500 is offered with the Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6—featuring a 48-volt hybrid system—we're focusing on the more potent Hurricane twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six. It comes in two intensities. More affordable models, such as the base Tradesman, Big Horn, and off-road-ready Rebel, feature the standard-output engine that churns out 420 horsepower and 469 pound-feet of torque. The pricier models—the Longhorn, Limited, Tungsten, and RHO—have a high-output version that turns up the wick to 540 ponies and 521 pound-feet. Every Hurricane engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and offers rear- or all-wheel drive; the Ramcharger's dual electric motors provide standard four-wheel traction.
While the Ramcharger does feature the Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 under its hood, the gas engine doesn't power the wheels. Instead, the V-6's 271 horses and 226 pound-feet generate energy for the battery, a 400-volt unit with a usable capacity of 69.7 kWh. This pack feeds two electric motors, one mounted on each axle. The front motor produces 335 hp, while the rear unit is a tad lower at 333 hp; both motors are rated at 310 pound-feet of torque. The combined output is 647 hp and 610 pound-feet, making the Ramcharger significantly more potent than the mightiest gas-only 1500.
Despite the Ramcharger's power advantage, its battery alone adds substantial heft. Ram says it contributes 1216 pounds to the truck's claimed curb weight of 7507 pounds. Still, it's estimated to go from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. Meanwhile, when we tested a 2025 Ram 1500 Limited crew cab 4x4 with the 540-hp Hurricane engine, it tipped our scales at 5967 pounds and hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. For a true comparison, though, we'll need to wait to strap our test equipment to a Ramcharger.
When you're not mashing the accelerator, the Ramcharger's hybrid setup should help you travel a bit farther. Ram claims its battery is good for 145 miles of range on electricity alone, and once the gas generator kicks in, it's estimated to go 690 miles between fill-ups. The gas-only truck comes with either a 26- or 36-gallon fuel tank. Four-wheel-drive versions with the H/O Hurricane have an EPA estimate of 17 mpg combined, so paired with the larger tank, it has a theoretical range of about 610 miles.
While many people use their pickups as daily drivers, both Rams are equipped to do traditional "truck stuff." The Ramcharger out-trucks the standard gas-powered 1500. Ram claims the plug-in-hybrid model has a max payload of 2625 pounds and a towing capacity of 14,000 pounds. This outdoes the gas-fed 1500's ratings, which peak at 2300 pounds of payload and 11,580 pounds of towing capacity. Plus, the Ram 1500 Limited Crew Cab 4x4 we tested has a similar bed and body style as the Ramcharger, but its max payload and towing capabilities are considerably lower at 1340 and 9740 pounds, respectively.
Inside, Ram's PHEV and gas-only trucks are virtually identical. The small differences include buttons around the gear selector for unique drive modes tailored to the Ramcharger's hybrid system. Both trucks feature a large 12.0-inch touchscreen that can be upgraded to an even bigger 14.5-inch unit with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. An optional 10.3-inch touchscreen for the front passenger is also available, and the cabin can be wrapped in rich leather and specced with upgrades such as heated, ventilated, and massaging seats, depending on the trim.
The one crucial detail we're still missing regarding the Ramcharger is pricing. The gas-only 1500 starts at $42,270 for the base Tradesman trim, while the Limited trim we tested starts at $77,150. The top-of-the-line Tungsten model commands an $89,150 starting price. Ram hasn't revealed the entire Ramcharger lineup, but we expect the most affordable examples to start around $60K. At the top end, the Ramcharger could easily spill over the $100,000 mark. More specifics regarding pricing should be released later this year ahead of deliveries in the second half.
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