How Electric Ram Trucks Will Go Up To 690 Miles, Some of Them Towing 14,000 Pounds!

How Electric Ram Trucks Will Go Up To 690 Miles, Some of Them Towing 14,000 Pounds!​

Story by Frank Markus
3 min read

More specifics on how STLA Frame architecture manages to accommodate batteries, range-extenders, or fuel cells to go (and tow) the distance.​

Range is the new “mine’s bigger” superlative everybody’s chasing in the electrified truck realm, and Stellantis has swung big with the Ram 1500 REV (500 miles), the range-extender Ram 1500 Ramcharger, (690 miles) and their forthcoming siblings, the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. A recent official unveiling of STLA Frame filled in more specific details about this new architecture’s greater capabilities.



STLA Frame Technical Highlights© Frank Markus

Big Numbers: 14,000; 2,700; and 24​

Those are the towing, payload, and (perhaps most pertinent for the Jeeps) water fording depth (in pounds and inches) statistics for the new STLA Frame architecture. Those are amazing numbers for an independently suspended truck, which the electrically driven REV and Ramcharger most certainly are. Two feet of water fording seems to be about standard, but the trailering and payload figures soundly trump those of the Silverado EV work truck and Ford F-150 Lightning, which top out at 12,500 pounds/1,750 pounds and 10,000/2,000. No curb-weight information has been shared for the Ram yet, but that payload figure suggests this steel truck will have a higher GVWR than either its GM or Ford competitors.

Three STLA Frames​

Stellantis provided three images of body-less frames rushing down a computerized highway, and zooming in on the STLA Frame ICE (internal combustion, pictured below) variant reveals a completely different frame that kicks up to accommodate a traditional live rear axle. It also features unique upper spring mounts and clearly shows the traditional Ram five-link rear live-axle setup. (This variant will trail the others to market, and presumably share the same or better payload and trailering stats.) Electrically powered variants all feature standard two-motor all-wheel drive, with axle-shaft disconnects at the front axle and an electric locker in the rear as standard.



STLA Frame ICE© Frank Markus

How Big?​

The latest release sets out the parameters of maximum body size dimensions the STLA Frame architecture can support.

• Length range: 216.0–234.0 inches
• Width range: 81.2–83.6 inches
• Wheelbase range: 123.7–145.3 inches
• Ground clearance range: 6.6–10.3 inches
• Maximum tire diameter: 33 inches

That suggests STLA Frame is not ideal for scaling down to suit a midsize truck but could potentially scale up for heavy-duty service. This architecture absolutely will underpin a range of pickups, SUVs, and commercial vehicles with battery packs ranging in size from 159 to more than 200 kWh. A full-length belly pan smooths airflow under the vehicle to maximize range.

Quick-Charging Stats
As we’ve noted previously, wiring the subdivided 400-volt battery modules in series permits 800-volt charging at up to 350 kW, which is said to add 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes. Ramcharger models and Jeeps fitted with the internal-combustion generator (it never turns the wheels) get smaller battery packs that charge at 400 volts, with a peak charging speed of 175 kW. All will be capable of bi-directional charging, to power job sites, campsites, buddy-charge another EV, or to power a home.

Future-Proofed Architecture​

As with STLA Medium and STLA Large, STLA Frame architecture can easily support substitution of emerging battery chemistries and formats, or new technologies to improve the (Stellantis-designed and -produced) electric drive modules or power inverters, and of course its software will be upgradable over the architecture’s useful lifetime. And if the future of quick long-haul driving ends up demanding hydrogen fuel-cell technology, STLA Frame can accommodate the required high-pressure tanks as well.

On-Sale Date​

The launch of the Dodge Charger Daytona and Jeep Wagoneer S on the STLA Large platform have taken a bit longer than expected, but STLA Frame is still expected to launch in the first half of 2025, with the Ramcharger following at an unspecified later date, with pricing to follow closer to that date.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/new...S&cvid=4365d11368084ae7be722927c25c01c8&ei=60

 

[HarryS]

Everyone claims great range. Let's see it when put to the test.

 

[markabby]

IF...IF..it gets 690 miles on a single charge, i MIGHT consider one.

a lot of factors have to come into play

 

[CanuckRam1313]

Let's see its range in Ottawa Valley & Quebec winters

 

[star_deceiver]

I’m unwilling to pay the prices they have the current models at…. Pretty certain I won’t entertain these either.

 

[BossHogg]

If they can get a 1500 to tow 5,000 pound fishing boat 600 miles round trip, I'm in. Or get recharging stations in the DNR sites so I can recharge while fishing. But I know there won't be recharging stations at DNR sites any time soon and when they do get them, they either won't work or will be vandized.

I'm not bringing all doom, just realistic. I can't get the vision of a Telsa being towed from the Grand Canon parking lot when I was there two years ago because she couldn't find any charging anywhere close.

 

[04fxdwgi]

HAHAHA. Go to the actual article and look at the picture of "building reliable chargers" video (won't load).
Is that what they call an ISO factory? That's a huge no thanx. 50% chance your garage burns down.

 

[Brandon-w]

Awww that's cute they're copying what the railway industry has been doing for what 50 years now? This crap just bamboozles me why people would ever want to make something so simple that much more complicated and expensive.

 

[Brandon-w]

Let's see its range in Ottawa Valley & Quebec winters

Hahaha Yukon winters. We use hydro power here and in the winter it's supplemented by about 20 big cat DIESEL generators. Kinda makes the whole electric is good for the environment argument null. But yeah - 60c in an electric car... I'd use half. The power keeping my **** warm.

 

[NewBlackDak]

Hahaha Yukon winters. We use hydro power here and in the winter it's supplemented by about 20 big cat DIESEL generators. Kinda makes the whole electric is good for the environment argument null. But yeah - 60c in an electric car... I'd use half. The power keeping my **** warm.

Yeah. We're burning coal for most of our power here.

I'd like to know how it does when it's 10-30ºF, and I'm towing my 4-position enclosed snowmobile trailer uphill for an hour into the back country. I suspect it would fare that well. My neighbor "loved" his lightning until he tried to tow his boat.

 

[Dominic P]

What if your launching your boat in saltwater and it gets in the batteries. Doesn't that make them catch fire?

 

[demech]

For those who question the "690 miles". I believe that they are talking about the Ram Charger version. It has a gas motor (v6, I believe) running a generator PLUS plug in battery charger giving it a total 690 miles. Great idea! If it works as proposed I may consider it...

 

[Yardbird]

I can get around 600 miles on my Pentastar with the standard tank. I did it just over a month ago.

 

[Brandon-w]

Yeah. We're burning coal for most of our power here.

I'd like to know how it does when it's 10-30ºF, and I'm towing my 4-position enclosed snowmobile trailer uphill for an hour into the back country. I suspect it would fare that well. My neighbor "loved" his lightning until he tried to tow his boat.

Haha yeah I don't think the clean future is so clean. Between coal and diesel the more we plug in the more we demand of those power sources. Not to mention if everyone owned an electric car and plugged it in at the same time how the antiquated power grid would take it. I'm assuming fires would be very common like in Thailand.

 

[Brandon-w]

I can get around 600 miles on my Pentastar with the standard tank. I did it just over a month ago.

If I drive my 6.4l swapped 1500 nice I can get 450-470 miles to a tank. 20 or 21 gallon I Beleive it is. 100l because I'm Canadian haha.

 

[chri5k]

Have you seen a solar farm? Turns 1000’s of acres of beautiful farmland that use to produce food and habitat for many creatures into an ugly black glass wasteland. Last I checked we can’t eat electricity.

 

[DA Smith]

All the post here wondering how the New Ram Charger 1500 will get up to 690 miles must not have read or understood the information on this truck. It is not an EV like the junkie Ford Lighting it is a gas electric truck with the Pentastar V6 mounted under the hood which will be there to do nothing but power the generator which sends the juice to the electric motors that run the wheels. The only thing you will have to do is stop at a standard gas station to fill up with gas instead of looking for a electric charging station. The truck has over 600 lb torque and around 600 hp . It will operate like a Diesel Locomotive train does where the Diesel engine powers the generator.

 

[04fxdwgi]

All the post here wondering how the New Ram Charger 1500 will get up to 690 miles must not have read or understood the information on this truck. It is not an EV like the junkie Ford Lighting it is a gas electric truck with the Pentastar V6 mounted under the hood which will be there to do nothing but power the generator which sends the juice to the electric motors that run the wheels. The only thing you will have to do is stop at a standard gas station to fill up with gas instead of looking for a electric charging station. The truck has over 600 lb torque and around 600 hp . It will operate like a Diesel Locomotive train does where the Diesel engine powers the generator.

Actually, the loco is totally different, as it uses no batteries. Straight diesel gen to motor concept. This is a hybrid which motors actually run off batteries and the diesel gen (and braking regen) keeps them charged. Concept is nothing new, as hybrids been around along time.

Basically a Pryus on steroids.

 

[DILLIGAF]

Pentastar

Only Dodge would put the biggest POS engine in the lineup into this POS...lol.. Making it a **** sandwich

 

[Squirrel1270]

I heard a guy on the radio talking about how he rented an EV for a week just to see how he liked it. He said it wasn't a bad vehicle, but he found himself continually looking at the battery meter with constant anxiety hoping he'd make it to where he had to go before it ran out of juice. I mean, it's not like you can dump a jerry can of electricity into the tank if you run out. My boss has an EV SUV, not sure what brand. He drove it from NJ to KY, normally a 10 hr drive. It took him 22 hrs to get there because of searching for charging stations and waiting for recharge. I don't care what they say, I don't feel the technology is there yet for us to all be forced into driving EVs.