The 2026 Ram 1500 Ramcharger Will Cost 'Slightly More' Than $65,000

Expect to see it on dealer lots in the 2nd half of this year​

• We have an idea of how much the 2026 Ramcharger will cost.
• Ram's plug-in hybrid pickup trick will be on sale in the second half of this year.
• Expect a starting price of $70,000 to $75,000 and an estimated range of 690 miles.

At a technical presentation this morning Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis said that the 2026 Ram 1500 Ramcharger will cost "slightly more" than the average transaction price of a full-size pickup truck. The average transaction cost of a full-size pickup truck right now is around $65,000, so expect the base model of the new Ramcharger to come in at around $70,000 to $75,000 when it arrives in the second half of 2025.

Because Ram has decided to delay the 1500 Rev, Ram's fully electric full-size pickup, the Ramcharger is the first battery-powered Ram we'll see. If that's confusing, we get it. The Ramcharger works like an EV because there is a 91.8-kWh (69.7-kWh usable) battery that powers a pair of electric motors (one on each axle). The reason for the large gap in the usable and gross battery capacities is because, Ram's engineers say, Ram wants to ensure consistent power delivery across all conditions. A battery's power delivery starts to fall off as the battery begins to deplete, so the Ramcharger always keeps its battery state of charge between 16.75% to 97%. That limiting should also help preserve battery life to some extent because the battery will never have to go through a full cycle of being completely dead and having to be fully charged back up.

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However, there is also a 3.6-liter V6 under the hood that powers a generator for the battery pack. Fans of Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and other brands from this family will know the V6 well as the tried-and-true Pentastar V6 that's been in everything from Wranglers to old Chargers and Challengers. There are no significant changes to the engine itself except for the fact that it doesn't have a starter motor because the generator will act as the starter. While there are other engine options in the Stellantis family, the Pentastar was chosen because it was the simplest solution that fit the requirements for the Ramcharger. Ram also says the engine doesn't have to work very hard, is quiet, and keeps vibrations and harshness to a minimum.

The V6 and the generator can put out a maximum of 202 kW each, and together they have three main use cases in the Ramcharger. When in Electric+ mode, the V6 will remain off while the battery powers the electric motors and the battery has enough energy to power the wheels. When the state of charge is low enough, the engine will automatically kick on and charge the battery to help maintain or replenish the state of charge. The Ramcharger's E-Save mode will keep the battery at or above 50% depending on what the driver decides.

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Lastly, the V6 and generator can essentially bypass the battery. For example, when the battery is very cold and can't output adequate power, the V6 and generator will power the drive units directly. Even though there's no mechanical connection between the two, the V6 is essentially powering the wheels in this case.

The V6 and generator pull from a 27-gallon fuel tank and are a big part of the Ramcharger's claimed 690 miles of total range. If you were to just deplete the battery without ever turning on the V6, the Ramcharger only gets 145 miles of range. Together they can go much farther, and Ram says you never have to plug it in — the V6 will happily serve as the only power source for the battery. The Ramcharger also has vehicle-to-load capabilities and Ram says it can power your house for over a day in the event of a lengthy power outage.

Article Written Courtesy of Nick Yekikian and Edited by Kathleen Clonts of Edmunds.com

 

[madtrucker2016]

They are not going to sell, EV,s are going to be the last thing someone is going to buy

 

[BossHogg]

They are not going to sell, EV,s are going to be the last thing someone is go

It is a hybrid, and that eliminates the range issues with pure EVs. I'm interested in what it can do towing a fishing boat. When I go out, I could travel a few hundred miles over a weekend towing my boat.

My concern is recharging, at home, our power costs are high, and satellite recharging stations are even higher. I don't think there is a financial benefit for me.

 

[crash68]

When I go out, I could travel a few hundred miles over a weekend towing my boat.

With lakes all around you, where don't you go fishing?? LOL
Fishing boats usually don't effect the fuel economy as much as a similar size/weight enclosed trailer, less wind resistance. Actually towing the boat would be smoother but with as flat as Michigan is you wouldn't see much benefit from reactive braking although it would probably be better fuel economy than a Hemi

 

[John Jensen]

My concern is recharging, at home, our power costs are high, and satellite recharging stations are even higher. I don't think there is a financial benefit for me.

It is not a plug-in. The article says, "you never have to plug it in — the V6 will happily serve as the only power source for the battery"

 

[crash68]

It is not a plug-in. The article says, "you never have to plug it in

Depending on the use of the vehicle, it maybe more cost effective to top off the battery plugged in overnight at you own home if the truck is used for short trips that can be done entirely on the battery pack. There's not much financial benefit to using only the gas generator to charge the vehicle, but it does solve the range limitations of an all BEV.

 

[Docwagon1776]

It is not a plug-in. The article says, "you never have to plug it in — the V6 will happily serve as the only power source for the battery"

That's what a plug in hybrid is. The *option* of plugging it in. If you have to plug it in, it's a BEV.

 

[John Jensen]

Depending on the use of the vehicle, it maybe more cost effective to top off the battery plugged in overnight at you own home if the truck is used for short trips that can be done entirely on the battery pack. There's not much financial benefit to using only the gas generator to charge the vehicle, but it does solve the range limitations of an all BEV.

Agreed. I maybe mistakenly concluded from the article that there is no plug-in option. Maybe there is and their statement, "you never have to plug it in" only means you may not have to plug in.

 

[crash68]

Agreed. I maybe mistakenly concluded from the article that there is no plug-in option. Maybe there is and their statement, "you never have to plug it in" only means you may not have to plug in.

It's going to have both AC (Level 1&2) and DC (145kW) charging ports along with a 7.2KW option to use as a back up generator

 

[BossHogg]

With lakes all around you, where don't you go fishing?? LOL
Fishing boats usually don't effect the fuel economy as much as a similar size/weight enclosed trailer, less wind resistance. Actually towing the boat would be smoother but with as flat as Michigan is you wouldn't see much benefit from reactive braking although it would probably be better fuel economy than a Hemi

There is definitely no shortage of lakes around me, including the Great Lakes. I live in NE Oakland County and have a campsite near Port Austin on the tip of the Michigan thumb. I'll drag the boat with me to the campsite, sometimes fishing Lake Huron and sometimes trailing over to Saginaw Bay. Other times, I travel down to Huron, Ohio, to my sisters and fish the western basin of Lake Erie. Other times the wife and I make a day trip over to the St. Clair River for fishing.

Even though it has a small wind load profile (5K dead weight), towing the boat affects MPGs more than you may realize. The loss of MPGs is noticeable when pulling with the 3500 Cummins. The ECODiesel replaced a HEMI, which sucked at fuel economy and got worse when trailering. I'm simply thinking about what I could replace my 2022 with when it comes time, and a hybrid may be the choice if a diesel ICE isn't available. I'm also thinking of reducing to one truck now that I'm retired, but I will need to stay with a 3500 unless I unload the camper, which will never pass the wife committee.

 

[crash68]

Other times the wife and I make a day trip over to the St. Clair River for fishing.

Being an east sider, we've probably passed each other a few times.. LOL

 

[Stavinksi]

This is a perfect truck for me assuming it has payload/towing similar or better than normal 1500. I drive 30-50 miles a day at most with maybe 10 weekends a year I tow a boat or car hauler and the occasional road trip. Daily use I’ll be battery exclusively, charging at night and I have the gas range for road trips and towing when needed. If the 70k isn’t for the tradesman (it will be) I’d buy this as soon as possible because I spend hundreds of dollars a month on gas, most of which would go away. I’ve thought about doing one of the $300/mo Tesla leases to park my truck for daily commute. This truck would be best if both. My guess is the limited/tungsten version is going to be a hundred+ grand and that’s a lot of 87 octane unless you are in the market for a new truck anyways. It likely won’t make sense for me to trade my ‘22 no eTorque hemi as perfect as this truck is for me.

 

[GeauxinUp]

It is not a plug-in. The article says, "you never have to plug it in — the V6 will happily serve as the only power source for the battery"

 

[tron67j]

One interesting point above is that the price for the truck will be slightly above the average "transaction price" of a truck. Assuming that is a 2025 1500 they are using for comparison the average selling price based on registrations is about $55,000. But it only matters what we see when released. Still want to see what they are like, but have to have knobs and such, couldn't stomach a large touchscreen. I would aim for a Tradesman if ever considered.

 

[Docwagon1776]

One interesting point above is that the price for the truck will be slightly above the average "transaction price" of a truck. Assuming that is a 2025 1500 they are using for comparison the average selling price based on registrations is about $55,000. But it only matters what we see when released. Still want to see what they are like, but have to have knobs and such, couldn't stomach a large touchscreen. I would aim for a Tradesman if ever considered.

I wonder how many Tradesman level trucks they'll build vs higher profit higher trims for this truck. If overall COO is low and fleets get interested, maybe significant? It's an interesting concept, I think, much more intriguing for a wider section of the market.

 

[BossHogg]

Being an east sider, we've probably passed each other a few times.. LOL

Maybe, I launch at the DNR in Algonac across from the Krogers.

 

[Flip-er]

its ugly if you ask me
sorry just what i think

 

[LouM]

At least as a Hybrid it is being built the correct way, with the battery being able to be charged with the ICE engine.

 

[BANANA165]

im exited for this truck, making normal vehicles fully electric is never going to work but turning them into hybrids is where its at. cant wait to drive/work on this truck once its out since its set up like a diesel electric locomotive.

 

[diymirage]

So the ramcharger is a pickup ?

That's so lame