Ram Killed Its Electric Truck. That's The Smartest Thing It's Done In Years

"Stellantis (née Fiat Chrysler, née Daimler Chrysler) has existed in a near-perpetual state of crisis for at least 20 years. Even so, the company's current predicament looks pretty bad. It has leveraged its future to bet on its past, leading to a lineup that is old, inefficient and expensive, with the souring sales and vanishing profits to prove it. The company needs to invest more in its Ram and Jeep brands, bring competitive electric vehicles to market and convince consumers that it is still relevant in a rapidly changing automotive industry."

"So when it announced on Friday that it was killing the all-electric Ram 1500 REV after repeatedly delaying it, the peanut gallery proclaimed that it was just another in a long line of bad decisions. It's not hard to see where they're coming from: An electric Ram pickup truck would be an investment in the brand, likely a competitive EV and certainly a step forward for a brand that has lost its mojo. It would still have been the wrong product at the wrong time. Stellantis was right to kill it."

"Betting it all on the range-extender version is a smarter move. Formerly called the Ramcharger, this gasoline-powered EV now picks up the mantle of Ram's electric truck efforts-and the 1500 REV name too. Moreover, the Ram REV saga underscores the biggest challenge facing Stellantis as a whole: Faster, nimbler competitors have already saturated the EV market, and now it must fight for scraps with far less real-world EV experience than its peers."

Stellantis has been in near-perpetual crisis for about 20 years and currently faces souring sales, vanishing profits, and an outdated, inefficient lineup. The company must invest in Ram and Jeep, produce competitive electric vehicles, and restore consumer relevance. The decision to cancel the all-electric Ram 1500 REV followed repeated delays and criticism, but the timing made the EV the wrong product. Pivoting to a range-extender Ram, formerly called the Ramcharger, is a smarter, more pragmatic approach. Faster, more nimble competitors have already saturated the EV market, leaving Stellantis with less real-world EV experience and intense competition.

Read at InsideEVs