'03ag said:

---

GarlandAg2012 said:

---

Jack Boyett said:

---

Buck Turgidson said:

---

This is all new technology to me, but doesn't it seem excessive that they have a V6 gas engine JUST to charge a battery? If the gas engine is not connected to the wheels, why can't it be quite a bit smaller?

Also, no way in hell would I buy this thing in the first couple years of production. I think there's a good chance this could start out with all kinds of recalls.

---

How many amps is the battery charger? Why do you assume it's excessive?

---

A Class 2 charger is about 19 kW or 25 HP.

Class 3 chargers range from 50-400 kW which would be 67-536 mechanical HP, so the required engine HP would be more than that due to losses in the generator. The 3.6L Pentastar V6 puts out around 300 HP so that would be roughly equivalent to a 200-225 kW fast charger.

Edit: the 300 HP figure is max HP which I imagine they will avoid because it is much less efficient for the engine. I bet the charging will be more like 150 kW and maybe there will be a fast charge mode/high output mode where the engine is revved higher. I don't know a lot about engine tuning but I'm sure it will be specifically tuned for this application.

---

From Motortrend

Quote:

---

Yet that not-terribly-impressive figure is aided by a game-changing add-on: A 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 acting as a 130-kW generator, capable of 190 kW power delivery peaks. With a 27-gallon fuel tank topped off with gasoline, the range-extender-equipped Ramcharger has an estimated maximum range of 690 miles between its battery and gas-supported source of energy

---

So your bet looks spot on.

Quick math says once you've exhausted the 150 miles of EV range, the 27 gallon fuel tank can take you an additional 540 miles. Right at 20 mpg in pure generator/hybrid mode under the most optimal conditions.

---

Complete Idiot said:

---

I hope they make a capable SUV on this platform so I can buy it used 6-12 years after it is introduced.

---

GarlandAg2012 said:

---

The more I think about this, the more stoked I am, and it lines up with when I expect to be ready to purchase a new truck. I put in a deposit to get in line. Never thought I'd be excited for a Dodge product.

---

ramblin_ag02 said:

---

Have you been spying on me?!!

---

The Kraken said:

---

I don't believe there are two separate lines on the REV and Ramcharger.

---

'03ag said:

---

agnerd said:

---

So it's a gas-electric like a locomotive. Should be interesting to see how reliable it is and how the engine does towing a load up a long incline that will drain the batteries. Could be good for just about everything except towing a travel trailer over a pass in Colorado.

---

This seems like a pretty easy load management problem to solve. I'm betting you'll have a few different modes to pick from as far as how/when the engine comes on to charge. These are just guesses but I think you'd see a minimum of 3 modes.

1 - pure EV, don't use engine at all unless it's about to die.
2 - Let the generator kick in under a certain range number, hopefully user defined.
3 - Keep the battery topped up to near 100% at all times.

It's a large battery. Even under load if you're 100% topped up you're going to be able to tow up that mountain a long time. With over 600hp on tap, the right mode, and hopefully a healthy amount of braking regen capability for the trip down ... could be a really good use case.

---

'03ag said:

---

Interesting discussion point here.

Sounds like to get the full ~600 horsepower(and achieve the 4.4s 0-60) you'll need the motor running. Maybe even in the 190kW mode/rpm. The full power mode in the literature involves the engine supplementing the battery by sending additional power directly to the motor from the generator.

Could mean the pure EV horsepower is actually below 400? 190kW is roughly 250hp? Smart, but also a bit misleading.

---

tk for tu juan said:

---

Electric range of 150 miles with a 92 kWh battery is around 55 MPGe, assuming the useable portion of the battery is 92 kWh.

---

GarlandAg2012 said:

---

'03ag said:

---

Interesting discussion point here.

Sounds like to get the full ~600 horsepower(and achieve the 4.4s 0-60) you'll need the motor running. Maybe even in the 190kW mode/rpm. The full power mode in the literature involves the engine supplementing the battery by sending additional power directly to the motor from the generator.

Could mean the pure EV horsepower is actually below 400? 190kW is roughly 250hp? Smart, but also a bit misleading.

---

I don't really see that as misleading. The motors can output a combined 600 HP if they're fed enough current. I don't see why its any more misleading than hybrids advertising their combined system HP. Unless you're doing a hard launch, its not like you'll be demanding the motors output that much power, so why make a battery pack capable of that level of current output when you can supplement with an engine that's already there?

---

'03ag said:

---

GarlandAg2012 said:

---

'03ag said:

---

Interesting discussion point here.

Sounds like to get the full ~600 horsepower(and achieve the 4.4s 0-60) you'll need the motor running. Maybe even in the 190kW mode/rpm. The full power mode in the literature involves the engine supplementing the battery by sending additional power directly to the motor from the generator.

Could mean the pure EV horsepower is actually below 400? 190kW is roughly 250hp? Smart, but also a bit misleading.

---

I don't really see that as misleading. The motors can output a combined 600 HP if they're fed enough current. I don't see why its any more misleading than hybrids advertising their combined system HP. Unless you're doing a hard launch, its not like you'll be demanding the motors output that much power, so why make a battery pack capable of that level of current output when you can supplement with an engine that's already there?

---

It's just that for me, a major draw of this layout is that it solves some problems with the plug-ins you referenced. Needing both motors to get the full output results in a negative user experience. They don't do the engine startup and handoff all that well. It can be loud and obnoxious. And your pure EV experience isn't that great either because there's not that much EV horsepower. Efficient yes, but they aren't as much fun as some of the BEVs out there.

Enter something like this and I think "oh, I can get that same EV experience I get with a Rivian/Tesla, but now I don't have to worry about range." But that's not actually the case. If I want to have that full 600hp experience it will NOT be all EV. I'll have to hear/feel that engine start up.

I did only say a bit misleading. I understand the decision and I think it's smart. It does solve some other plug-in drawbacks. Yes you'll hear the engine come on but it won't be nearly as jarring as a parallel hybrid. Both motors by themselves are usually turds. It probably makes it easier for them to manage what happens when the battery gets very low. I bet it means they don't have to keep nearly as much battery in reserve in order for it to function as a hybrid. Most parallel plug-ins do that as far as I know.

---

Quote:

---

In Electric Plus mode, Killian explains that the generator will remain off no matter how much performance the driver requests from the vehicle. The Ramcharger can return that 4.4 second 0-60 MPH performance using only battery power. With Electric Plus enabled, the truck will run only on the battery until charge drops to about 20 percent (Ram is still developing final calibrations), at which point the generator will kick in, and start recharging the battery.

---

Quote:

---

In Tow mode, Killian says the generator will kick in much earlier to maintain a high state of charge for the battery, so that full power remains available to pull a heavy trailer up a steep hill or into a stiff headwind.

---

Quote:

---

There's also a battery preservation mode, which Killian says is for drivers who want to "get into camp with a full battery." The Ramcharger includes a 7.2 kW power panel in the bed, which is more than enough power to run tools, camping gear, power an RV, or charge electric bicycles or dirt bikes. Killian is also still working on final calibrations for the level of capacity owners will be able to draw the Ramcharger's battery down to, but suggests it will be in the region of 90 percent. It's hard to overstate how much capacity 82 kilowatts or so offers. That'd be enough to run a 1500 Watt space heater for 54.6 consecutive hours, for example. Importantly, that's enough juice to run a camper's air conditioning without the need to connect to shore power, so the Ramcharger will free drivers with large campers or trailers from RV parks.

---

Quote:

---

"The Ramcharger is really designed for that EV owner who wants to drive long distances, but doesn't want to worry about range anxiety," says Killian. "It tows just as well as an ICE Ram 1500."

Running some basic math on the 690-mile max towing range Ram is quoting and the Ramcharger's 27-gallon fuel tank capacity yields an estimated 20 miles per gallon of total fuel economy. I asked Killian if that was an accurate assessment of Ramcharger's efficiency. "Yes," he responded, "but only while operating in tow mode."

---