Ram is working on a midsize Dakota-like electric truck
Ram Trucks just revealed its first electric truck, the Ram 1500 REV, but the auto manufacturer is already working on a midsize EV pickup it will unveil to dealers next month.
Ram to reveal midsize electric truck in March
After discontinuing the Dakota in 2011, Ram has been left with a glaring hole in its vehicle lineup. The Dakota was a popular option through the 2000s, but declining popularity of compact trucks at the time led to the decision as other automakers like Ford followed with its Ranger pickup.
Although there have been several rumors since of the Dakota making its return with resurging interest in trucks, particularly smaller ones, like the Ford Maverick, Ram has stood by its decision.
However, the auto industry’s transition to electric vehicles may present an opportunity for Ram to reestablish itself in the segment.
According to MotorTrend, Ram CEO Mike Koval says a midsize electric truck concept will be shown to dealers at a planned meeting in March to “see if it is the right truck.”
As part of Stellantis’s Dare Forward 2030 strategy, Ram’s entire lineup will eventually become electric. Still, a midsize truck will be a nice addition to the portfolio of full-size trucks and commercial vans.
Details are scarce about the new EV truck with no set platform or style. However, if it’s any indication from its first electric vehicle design, the Ram 1500 REV, it will likely resemble that of a typical Ram with a modern twist. As Koval explains, “you don’t abandon your core.”
Although it’s likely to ride on the STLA Large architecture, nothing is set in stone at this point. The first EV from Ram to debut will be the Ram Promaster, a full-size commercial electric van with Amazon as a commercial fleet client later this year.
Production of the Ram 1500 REV is planned for next year, with reservations now open on their website. If Ram were to release a midsize electric truck, it likely wouldn’t be until at least 2025.
Electrek’s Take
With rising demand for compact and midsize electric trucks, why wouldn’t Ram hop on this opportunity to redefine the brand?
Several other automakers have already tossed around the idea, but if one came to market, I believe it would generate demand. General Motors has designed a “futuristic and sporty” looking compact electric truck as part of their under-$30K, affordable EV portfolio.
Although GM’s would presumably be much smaller than Ram’s concept, you can see automakers’ interest in downsizing.
What are everyone’s thoughts about a midsize EV pickup from Ram? Check back next month for updates on the truck makers’ plans.
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Swedish multinational Sandvik says it’s successfully deployed a pair of fully autonomous Toro LH518iB battery-electric underground loaders at the New Gold Inc. ($NGD) New Afton mine in British Columbia, Canada.
The heavy mining equipment experts at Sandvik say that the revolutionary new 18 ton loaders have been in service since mid-November, working in a designated test area of the mine’s “Lift 1” footwall. The mine’s operators are preparing to move the automated machines to the mine’s “C-Zone” any time now, putting them into regular service by the first of the new year.
“This is a significant milestone for Canadian mining, as these are North America’s first fully automated battery-electric loaders,” Sandvik said in a LinkedIn post. “(The Toro LH518iB’s) introduction highlights the potential of automation and electrification in mining.”
The company says the addition of the new heavy loaders will enable New Afton’s operations to “enhance cycle times and reduce heat, noise and greenhouse gas emissions” at the block cave mine – the only such operation (currently) in Canada.
Electrek’s Take
From drilling and rigging to heavy haul solutions, companies like Sandvik are proving that electric equipment is more than up to the task of moving dirt and pulling stuff out of the ground. At the same time, rising demand for nickel, lithium, and phosphates combined with the natural benefits of electrification are driving the adoption of electric mining machines while a persistent operator shortage is boosting demand for autonomous tech in those machines.
The combined factors listed above are rapidly accelerating the rate at which machines that are already in service are becoming obsolete – and, while some companies are exploring the cost/benefit of converting existing vehicles to electric or, in some cases, hydrogen, the general consensus seems to be that more companies will be be buying more new equipment more often in the years ahead.
What’s more, more of that equipment will be more and more likely to be autonomous as time goes on.
We covered the market outlook for autonomous and electric mining equipment earlier this summer, and I posted an episode exploring the growing demand for electric equipment on an episode of Quick Charge I’ve embedded, below. Check it out, then let us know what you think of the future of electric mining in the comments.
More EVs means more mines, equipment
SOURCE | IMAGES: Sandvik, via LinkedIn.
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European logistics firm Contargo is adding twenty of Mercedes’ new, 600 km-capable eActros battery electric semi trucks to its trimodal delivery fleet, bringing zero-emission shipping to Germany’s hinterland.
With over 300 miles of all-electric range, the new Mercedes eActros 600 electric semi truck was designed for (what a European would call) long-haul trucking. Now, after officially entering production at the company’s Wörth plant in Bavaria last month, the eActros 600 is reaching its first customer: Contargo.
With the addition of the twenty new Mercedes, Contargo’s electric truck fleet has grown to 60 BEVs, with plans to increase that total to 90. And, according to Mercedes, Contargo is just the first.
The German truck company says it has plans to deliver fifty (50) of the 600 kWh battery-equipped electric semi trucks to German shipping companies by the close of 2024.
Contargo’s 20 eActros 600 trucks were funded in part by the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport as part of a broader plan to replace a total of 86 diesel-engined commercial vehicles with more climate-friendly alternatives. The funding directive is coordinated by NOW GmbH, and the applications were approved by the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility.
Electrek’s Take
Electric semi trucks are racking up millions of miles in the US, and abroad. As more and more pilot programs begin to pay off, they’re going to lead to more orders for battery electric trucks and more reductions in both diesel demand and harmful carbon emissions.
We can’t wait to see more.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Contargo, via Electrive.
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