par David Shepardson
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stellantis NV unveiled its first Ram electric pickup on Wednesday in New York, a key part of the Franco-Italian-American manufacturer’s electrification strategy.
The 2025 Ram 1500 REV, shown at the New York Auto Show press days, will have a range of up to 500 miles (about 804 km) thanks to an optional larger 229-kilowatt battery pack.
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, has set ambitious targets to halve the group’s emissions by 2030, including 100% electric car sales in Europe and 50% car and utility vehicle sales. battery-powered lightweights in the United States by the end of the decade.
The vehicle will be launched at the end of 2024 on one of the main segments of the North American automotive market, that of SUVs and pick-ups, with imposing dimensions if we compare with the size of cars in Europe.
The new Ram will arrive more than two years after competing electric models from Rivian, the R1T, or Ford with the F-150 Lightning. General Motors plans to begin deliveries of its Chevrolet Silverado electric pickup this fall, while Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk announced the launch of its long-delayed Cybertruck from a Texas factory this year. .
The electric Ram will have a range of up to 350 miles (560 km) with the standard 168 kilowatt battery pack. Carlos Tavares said the vehicle would be assembled in the United States.
As automakers are under pressure to manage the high cost of electrification and software development, US lawmakers have approved massive battery production subsidies and tax credits for consumers.
At the end of February, Stellantis suspended indefinitely the activity of a Jeep factory in the American state of Illinois, blaming its decision on the high cost of electric vehicles.
Like Europe, which will ban thermal engines in 2035, California only wants to allow sales on its territory of electric or hybrid cars and pick-ups. For this project to succeed, the “Golden State” must receive the green light from the US federal administration of President Jo Biden.
Carlos Tavares also refused to confirm press reports that his group and BMW are in discussions with Panasonic Holdings to join forces in the construction of electric vehicle battery factories in North America.
“We talk to the whole world of battery suppliers. We talk to everyone,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the show, which will open to the public on Friday until April 16.
(Report David Shepardson, French version Kate Entringer and Gilles Guillaume, edited by Tangi Salaün and Jean Terzian)
