Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept Foreshadows Brand’s High-Tech Future

Following a teaser of Ram’s all-electric 1500 pickup in early 2022, the brand has revealed more details about the 1500 Revolution electric-vehicle concept at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In line with the tech event’s theme, the EV showcases the brand’s new technologies and artificial-intelligence features. Among them is an avatar personal assistant with Shadow mode — a feature that allows the vehicle to follow behind the driver as they are walking outside the vehicle.

Related: Ram Teases All-Electric 1500 Pickup, Coming in 2024

In addition to the new technology, Ram offers a closer look at the 1500 Revolution BEV Concept’s sleek exterior and versatile interior. The brand also shares a handful of details about the pickup’s charging and capability features, but key specs like horsepower, range estimates and towing capacity are left undisclosed; more information will be available in the coming months as the EV is slated to go into production in 2024.

Electrified Exterior

The Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept utilizes parent automaker Stellantis’ STLA frame platform — a body-on-frame design dedicated to full-size EVs. Compared to the gas-powered Ram 1500, the new EV platform shifts the cabin forward, stretching it by 4 inches, while the pickup’s bed length remains the same.

The EV’s front end features an animated LED “tuning fork” design with an illuminated Ram badge and LED lights integrated into the front bumper. The concept also features a powered one-touch frunk, rear-hinged doors with flush door handles, and an electrochromatic glass roof that allows passengers to adjust the roof’s opacity. It remains to be seen which of the futuristic features will be available in the production model. For example, the concept’s camera-based digital side-view mirrors are unlikely to stick around unless U.S. safety regulations that ban the technology are overturned.

While the EV’s exterior differentiates the vehicle from the current Ram 1500, it also incorporates familiar features like the pickup’s multifunction tailgate and a larger version of the RamBox cargo system.

Interior Stays on the Rails

Thanks to the EV’s architecture and stretched cabin length, Ram says the Revolution’s interior offers significantly more space than its gas-powered counterpart. A “Ram Track” rail-attachment floor system also adds flexibility to the EV’s seating configuration and extends to the bed and frunk for cargo space versatility.

In a first for the Ram 1500, a powered midgate features mounted third-row jump seats that can be removed and placed in the bed when not in use, and a pass-through into the frunk allows the pickup to fit items up to 18 feet long with the tailgate closed. Other unique features include fold-flat seats with integrated seatbelts and speakers, as well as sustainable materials like vegan apple leather (a byproduct of the apple industry) and recycled rubber and cork used in the vehicle floor. The interior also showcases a “steering-wheel-optional” design with a flat top and bottom steering wheel that retracts in the Level 3 autonomous driving mode (a feature that’s unlikely to see production).

AI-Powered Tech Takes It Outside

The current Ram 1500 already boasts a supersized 12-inch screen, but the EV concept goes even bigger: Two 14.2-inch touchscreens can be used together as one display or the lower screen can be removed to function as a tablet or workstation. The pickup’s high-tech safety features include a camera-based rearview mirror that displays a 360-degree view on the digital screens and an augmented-reality head-up display that aims to eliminate blind spots with advanced camera and sensor technology.

The 1500 Revolution BEV Concept’s technology features aren’t limited to in-vehicle use: A smart home control system lets the driver adjust their home settings through the vehicle’s screen, and a virtual assistant uses artificial intelligence to register commands even when the driver exits the vehicle. In addition to practical applications like a “close the windows” prompt, the concept showcases a  voice-activated feature called Shadow mode. The feature enables the Revolution to follow behind the driver after they exit the vehicle. Whether this technology is handy or creepy depends on who you ask — Ram presents a use case of moving heavy equipment at a job site without needing to get in the driver’s seat to reposition the vehicle.

Charging and Capability

Details on the EV’s specs — including hp, range and towing capacity — are sparse; however, Ram offers a few insights into the pickup’s capability and charging. The brand says the Revolution gets all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering for low-speed parking and off-road applications along with increased responsiveness at high speeds. It will also feature an adjustable air suspension with three selectable modes: Ingress/Egress, Aero and Off-Road.

According to Ram, the Revolution will offer Level 1, Level 2 and DC fast charging and will add up to 100 miles of range in approximately 10 minutes using an 800-volt DC fast charger at up to 350 kilowatts. Although range estimates aren’t provided, Stellantis claims the automaker’s future EVs will have a targeted range of 300 to 500 miles.

In addition to the EV concept, the new Ram Charger also made its debut at CES 2023. The smart home charger is able to recognize when the Revolution is nearby and its level of charge. If charging is required, it automatically moves to align itself under the vehicle, making the process easier.

Rivals

When the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept enters production, it will compete with a growing list of electrified rigs that includes the Chevrolet Silverado EV (available in spring 2023), Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV pickup, Rivian R1T and the Tesla Cybertruck, which was originally slated for 2022 but later delayed.

Ultimately, the Revolution’s capability, range and available features will determine its success. While the EV concept is not short on innovation, its rivals also boast many unique features: The F-150 Lightning gets a supersized frunk and vehicle-to-load capability, the Silverado EV features a fold-down midgate, the Hummer EV can “CrabWalk,” and the R1T offers a gear tunnel for large objects.

More From Cars.com:

• Here Are Electric Pickup Trucks Expected in the Next 5 Years
• Breaking Down the 2023 Ram 1500’s Towing Capacities
• What’s New With Electric Vehicles for 2022?
• And They Were All Yellow: Ram Rolls Out 2023 1500 TRX Havoc Edition
• Research the 2023 Ram 1500

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