Automakers sure are coming out with interesting technology now that the race for battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) is on the move. Whether introducing new BEVs to the lineup or starting a whole new company, many brands are finding new and better ways to provide consumers with the next best thing. One automotive group, Stellantis, is a little behind on the BEV front, but it’s finding some different ways to go about it for some vehicles. The Dodge Hornet was the last all-gasoline vehicle before releasing the Dodge Hornet R/T plug-in hybrid, Jeep first designed 4xe vehicles before announcing an electric SUV, and although Ram has the 1500 electric pickup truck (REV), it just announced another BEV with a little spin on it. This one also comes with a V6 engine to charge up the battery.

That’s right, the all-new 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger comes with a V6 engine, but it’s in no way a plug-in hybrid pickup truck. Here’s how it works. The powertrain of the Ramcharger is made up of a 92 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack, and comes equipped with an on-board 130 kW generator. The battery pack sends power to two electric drive modules (EDMs) – one 250-kilowatt (kW) motor in the front and one 238 kW motor in the rear. Able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, generate 663 horsepower and over 615 lb-ft of torque, the capabilities of the new 2025 Ramcharger are out of this world. It can even deliver a best-in-class 14,000 pounds towing with a class 5 hitch and a best-in-class maximum payload capacity of 2,625 pounds.

So, what’s this about a V6? The Ramcharger also comes with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, except there is no mechanical power being transmitted from the engine to the wheels. Instead, the V6 is there to power the on-board 130-kW generator. Mechanical power is converted to electrical power via the generator, and that, in turn, is sent to the wheels.

Back in the day, many early hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) relied on regenerative charging to return some electrical power back to the battery pack to keep the battery going longer before needing to stop and recharge. This new system by Ram has a new take on regenerative charging by using the engine to generate power that is converted and can be used to essentially recharge the battery on-the-go and extend the battery charge before being depleted. When stopped, the onboard generator can also recharge the battery with all the energy it builds up. Altogether, it grants the new 2025 Ramcharger a class-shattering targeted range of up to 690 miles!

“With unlimited battery-electric range, the Ram 1500 Ramcharger is the pinnacle of the light-duty pickup truck segment and the ultimate electric truck…The new Ramcharger is a beast of a light duty – 663 horsepower, 615 lb.-ft of torque, 4-second 0-60 mph, 14,000 lbs. of towing… and zero need for a public charger.” - Tim Kuniskis, Ram brand CEO – Stellantis

Also capable of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-home bi-directional charging, the 2025 Ramcharger is capable of being a portable battery, able to recharge other vehicles or transmit energy back into the home grid. Perfect for when a storm knocks out the power. The charging functions are also great for throwing a tailgate party, campsites, and even comes with an onboard power panel in the bed that can provide up to 7.2 kW for small devices. Now this is the kind of cool technology we like to hear about at NowCar.

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Photo Source/Copyright: Stellantis Media