2026 Ram 1500 Ramcharger Will Have 145 Miles of Electric Range, 690 Miles of Hybrid Range and Get 20 MPG

Ram recently hosted a deep dive on the 2026 1500 Ramcharger hybrid pickup truck, which has been reprioritized by the brand to be released ahead of the all-electric 1500 REV pickup. While the Ramcharger is still in final development testing, with only preliminary specs available, we learned many new details about its engineering and operation and why it could be one of the most interesting pickups we’ve seen in quite a while.

Related: 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger: Ready to Go the Distance

What Is the 2026 Ram 1500 Ramcharger?

The 2026 1500 Ramcharger is a full-size hybrid pickup truck in the sense that it uses both gasoline and electricity as fuel sources. However, it’s more accurate to think of the Ramcharger as an electric vehicle that will use its onboard engine as a generator when the large battery is depleted or when maximum power is needed versus the engine actually driving the wheels, which it doesn’t. The Ramcharger operates like an EV, with a large battery supplying power to two electric motors at the front and rear wheels, whereas hybrid versions of the Toyota Tundra and Ford F-150 send power from the engine or electric motor through a transmission, transfer case, drive shaft then to traditional front or rear differentials. On the Ramcharger, there is no transmission, transfer case or drive shafts.

The technical name for the Ramcharger’s powertrain type is an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) rather than a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) like the F-150 and Tundra hybrids, a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) like a Toyota RAV4 Prime or a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) like a Ford F-150 Lightning or Chevrolet Silverado EV. The upcoming Scout Terra truck and Traveler SUV will also have an extended-range option using an engine as a generator.

What Is the 2026 1500 Ramcharger’s Range? What About While Towing?

The Ramcharger’s total range is targeted at 690 miles with the onboard engine generator and a 27-gallon fuel tank combined with the all-electric range. When fully charged, Ram says the Ramcharger will have a total electric range of 145 miles before the battery’s usable energy of 69.7 kilowatt-hours is depleted (the battery’s total capacity of 91.8 kWh); that’s a paltry number for all-electric range given the Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD has an equivalent battery capacity and offers 300 miles of range. However, the Ramcharger is a far less efficient vehicle, and Ram isn’t using as much of its battery capacity for performance reasons.

Joe Tolkacz, a system chief engineer on the Ramcharger, said the truck doesn’t use more of the available battery capacity because power starts to roll off around 10%, and Ram wanted the customer to have sustained power throughout the battery charge. The usable range of the battery is actually 16.75%-97%, which will maintain maximum power in the 0%-100% range that’s displayed to the driver. Tolkacz also shared that range decreases to 39 miles in EV operation while towing the truck’s maximum of 14,000 pounds, with total range also decreasing to 266 miles.

There aren’t any EREV full-size trucks to compare to, but the Ramcharger’s efficiency ratings mostly fall on the lower end of dedicated EVs and hybrids. The estimated 60 mpg-equivalent is low for what most all-electric trucks are rated at by the EPA (except for the GMC Hummer’s 48 mpg-e with mud-terrain tires). Compared with four-wheel-drive versions of hybrid pickups, the Ramcharger’s estimated 20 mpg combined rating is shy of the 2024 F-150’s 23 mpg and equal to the 2025 Tundra’s (official EPA figures for the 2025 F-150 are not yet available). Perhaps as development continues, the Ramcharger’s final numbers will be higher, which isn’t unheard of.

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What Is the 2026 1500 Ramcharger’s Towing and Payload Capacity?

The 2026 1500 Ramcharger’s maximum towing capacity is 14,000 pounds with a targeted maximum payload capacity of 2,625 pounds, which are impressive numbers for a non-heavy-duty pickup truck. The Ramcharger’s frame has been reinforced with high-strength steel components, while the five-link independent rear suspension uses forged aluminum components for extra strength.

Chief Vehicle Synthesis Manager Doug Killian says the Ramcharger has the highest rear gross axle weight rating of the entire Ram 1500 lineup, at 5,700 pounds; gasoline-powered Rams are rated in the low 4,000-pound range. The Ramcharger uses eight-lug hubs and wheels, which are more common to HD trucks because of how much torque and load the powertrain puts to the ground; the Chevrolet Silverado EV and related GMC Hummer and Sierra EVs also use eight-lug wheels.

How Fast Is the 2026 1500 Ramcharger?

Ram is targeting a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds with a fully charged battery and the engine generator crankin’ out kilowatts. This is quicker than our testing of a F-150 hybrid’s 0-60 time that measured 5.78 seconds but slower than the F-150 Lightning’s 4.19 seconds. To get there, the Ramcharger has a maximum of 647 horsepower and 610 pounds-feet of torque.

Ram engineers wanted to highlight that when the Ramcharger is in EV mode and the pedal is to the floor, the generator engine will not kick on and take the truck out of EV mode. That’s not typical behavior of your regular PHEV (electric for short distances, gas for longer distances), which has limited performance from its small battery and electric motor and will kick on the gasoline engine even if there’s enough battery life to support EV driving. Having powerful front and rear motors and essentially operating like an EV means the Ramcharger will reportedly stay in EV mode until the battery is depleted.

How Much Is the 2026 1500 Ramcharger?

We expect Ramcharger pricing to start in the $60,000 range. While there’s no official pricing, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis hinted that the pickup could come in slightly higher than the industry average price. Trim levels and configurations haven’t been finalized yet, either, so there’s no real telling what you get for that price compared to the many other Ram trim levels.

What’s the Ramcharger’s Release Date?

The Ramcharger is expected to go on sale in the second half of 2025. The all-electric Ram 1500 REV pickup truck has been pushed back to 2026.

2026 1500 Ramcharger Key Specifications

• 0-60 mph: 4.5 seconds
• Top speed (limited): 114 mph
• Horsepower: 647
• Torque: 610 pounds-feet
• Total range: 690 miles
• Curb weight: 7,507 pounds
• Electric range: 145 miles
• Payload: 2,625 pounds
• Towing capacity: 14,000 pounds
• Battery size: 91.8 kWh maximum, 69.7 kWh usable
• Battery weight: 1,216 pounds
• Level 1 charging time: 45 hours
• Level 2 charging time: 8 hours
• DC fast-charging time: 45 minutes from 20%-80% at 350 kW maximum power
• Generator engine power: 271 hp
• Generator engine octane: Regular, 87

What Do We Think of the Ramcharger?

Towing with an EV is a very unique experience as there’s torque available at low speeds for confidence while towing, and when you’re not hooked to a trailer, an electric truck can generally outperform most gasoline pickups and even many sports cars. As we’ve well documented, however, the diminished range and long charging times from massive batteries are a barrier to using electric trucks for road-trip-style towing. That’s what makes the Ramcharger sound appealing: In theory, you can get that EV towing experience unconstrained by range or charging time.

Add in the Ramcharger’s impressive preliminary 14,000-pound towing capacity and 2,625 pounds of payload, and it could be a good fit for those wanting near-HD-truck capability in half-ton size if those specs translate to volume-selling trim levels. Gasoline-powered half-tons have similar maximum ratings, but you’re generally talking about a truck with a nearly unobtainable combination of bed, cab, packages and axle ratio.

Electric and hybrid trucks can have big towing numbers, as well, but they generally have small payload numbers thanks to huge curb weights from large batteries that impact how much tongue weight you can carry. We don’t know the Ramcharger’s trim breakdown yet and to which trims and pricing these maximum capabilities apply, but if it can pull off those capacities in volume form and perform well, then the Ramcharger could be a compelling option for full-size truck shoppers.

More From Cars.com:

• Long-Range 500-Mile Ram 1500 REV No Longer Coming in 2026
• 2025 Ram 1500 REV Promises 500-Mile Max Range, Hands-Free Driving
• Auto Show Faceoff: 2025 Ram 1500 REV Vs. 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning
• What Are the Best MPG Pickup Trucks?
• 2024 Ram 1500 TRX Final Edition Commemorates the Insanity That Was
• Which of the Detroit Big Three’s Trucks Has the Top Tailgate?

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