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V8 in, electric out: Famous brand makes major future changes

Out of charge: Ram drops electric pickup plans. Is it the right decision?

V8 in, electric out: Famous brand makes major future changes
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Ram is sticking to its roots - bringing back the Hemi V8, returning to NASCAR and now dropping plans to go electric.

The famous American ute brand had previously committed to offering both an all-electric version of its iconic 1500 pickup, as well as a range-extended hybrid, dubbed the Ramcharger.

Now, in yet another dramatic change for the company in the wake of both changes at management level, political changes in the US market and falling demand, Ram is making another major strategy adjustment.

READ MORE: Ram Ranger rival teased

“As demand for full-size battery-electric trucks slows in North America, Stellantis is reassessing its product strategy and will discontinue development of a full-size BEV pickup,” a statement from Ram’s parent company read.

2026 Ram 1500 REV

While the electric model has been dropped entirely and the Ramcharger development will continue, the name has been changed to simply Ram 1500 REV.

Instead, Ram is focusing its resources on bringing back the Hemi V8, at least in the US market, alongside its more powerful and more efficient ‘Hurricane’ inline six-cylinder turbo.

READ MORE: Moment of truth for Ram, Chevrolet and the other US pickups

The decision isn’t entirely surprising, with both Ford and Chevrolet struggling to sell full-size electric pickups as demand for such vehicles remains low.

Ford sold 732,139 F-150 pickups in the US in 2024, but only 33,510 of those were the electric F-150 Lightning. Chevrolet is struggling even more, selling less than 5000 Silverado EVs in 2024 and despite significant growth in 2025, it’s still likely to make up a small fraction of the total Silverado volume.

Add to that the underwhelming performance of the Tesla Cybertruck and the niche Rivian R1T, and it becomes clear that in the US at least, ute buyers have little interest in electric vehicles.

Ram Australia has indicated that it is likely to focus its future on the new Hurricane-powered models, with no plans to bring back the Hemi V8 to the local market.

Stephen Ottley

Stephen Ottley

Stephen Ottley is an award-winning journalist who has written about cars and motor racing for all of Australia’s leading publications.

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