RAM surprised us with the production version of the 1500 REV last night. I had been expecting something closer to the RAM Revolution concept truck — a super-cool futuristic truck design with three rows and a midgate. What popped up in RAM’s big game ad was a bit more disappointing but probably a whole lot more practical. Here’s a look at what I expected and what I got from the electric RAM truck.
The RAM Revolution concept truck debuted at the CES show last January and was teased again in February. Even cooler than the Silverado EV concept, the Revolution had us more excited for an EV pickup than the Tesla Cybertruck.
I’ll start with the cab because the back doors extending into the heavily arched bed looked amazing. Then there was the midgate. The back of the cab opened up! Not only could you load longer items, but you could also pass some cargo through from the tailgate all the way into the frunk, giving you 18 feet of the ultimate cargo-carrying utility.
The Revolution was also loaded with concept tech, like the ability for the truck to follow along behind you. You could lead your truck around the job site or trail like the work mule that it is.
RAM REV or RAM Meh?
So, what did we get? A gas RAM 1500 with a new front end and some new rear taillights. At least those rear lights look like the concept’s.
Sure, taking the route Ford took with the F-150 Lightning is probably a smart one. Shoving an electric powertrain and a frunk into your gas pickup gives you a truck that has all of the functionality and capability of the gas-powered model. It’s great for towing and hauling. It’s also a lot cheaper.
But, well, if I’m being honest: It’s kinda boring.
No midgate, no cool cab, and no pass-through from nose to tail. I don’t even know if it will get the Shadow Mode system to let you lead it around, though at least that feature wasn’t dependent on the styling.
Maybe the RAM 1500 REV’s Not So Bad
OK, the new nose on the classic RAM (not the RAM Classic) is neat. And you can see the cut lines that show that it will still have a frunk like the coolest EVs. But putting a futuristic electric nose on a conventional truck has the ring of a bad sci-fi movie. You know those times when a low-budget ’80s movie puts a slightly fancier nose on a Cordoba, and somehow we’re transported 50 years into the future? Like that.
Ford avoided the future try-hard look by only changing the Lightning’s grille. Aside from that, it could be any of the billion or so F-150 pickups on the road. On the other hand, you won’t mistake the RAM 1500 REV for every other RAM pickup on the road, front or rear. So, this one cuts both ways.
REV Too Late?
The biggest challenge the RAM 1500 REV faces is being behind the leaders. When I thought that the RAM electric pickup would look like the Revolution concept, it wasn’t a big deal that it wasn’t going to hit the road until late 2024. A futuristic super-truck takes time, after all.
GM’s Silverado EV is set to go on sale this year, and that was just fine. It’s a super-cool future truck with a midgate and all that cool stuff, and that takes some work.
But, for a pickup that looks to be little more than a RAM with an electric motor? In my mind, that should already be on sale. The F-150 Lightning, a similar project, was revealed in May 2021 and was in production by April 2022. Lightning will have been on sale for two and a half years by the time the RAM 1500 REV hits dealers.
Will that be a problem for RAM, or does the automaker have enough lurking underneath to heat the truck wars back up? Will the Revolution concept arrive in the future as a separate model? We’ll have to wait and see. And remember that if there’s anywhere that automakers know how to bring the heat, it’s the full-size pickup market.
