[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by 6spdhyperblue

Care to explain your thought on the nacs?

That covers a lot of ground. What aspect of NCAS would you want my thoughts?

Never mind… re-read your question and I get what you’re asking.

My thinking is if I’m GM and I’m looking at a portfolio of vehicles that are using CCS charging solutions, the quality and reliability of them is variable by hardware manufacturer and by charging network provider. If I am looking at NACS they are like Coke. You know what’s in the bottle (even if the bottlers are regional). Additionally, by being able to adapt to the NACS standard, in one fell swoop you’ve added 24,000 charge points (and growing) to the accessible chargers for GM EVs.

[ChevyRules]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

That covers a lot of ground. What aspect of NCAS would you want my thoughts?

Never mind… re-read your question and I get what you’re asking.

My thinking is if I’m GM and I’m looking at a portfolio of vehicles that are using CCS charging solutions, the quality and reliability of them is variable by hardware manufacturer and by charging network provider. If I am looking at NACS they are like Coke. You know what’s in the bottle (even if the bottlers are regional). Additionally, by being able to adapt to the NACS standard, in one fell swoop you’ve added 24,000 charge points (and growing) to the accessible chargers for GM EVs.

Going NAC's does bring Tesla superchargers into play for non-Tesla's and the availability and reliability with them. But EA and other vendors will just change over to NACs plugs and still bring their crappy reliability.

Hopefully from having to now compete with the superchargers, EA and co actually care about reliability and do something about it......

[KMPrenger]

Finally, someone introduced a hybrid "series" vehicle that actually makes sense in a class of vehicle where full EV is the wrong answer. This is the answer...my opinion, this is what all manufactures should be pushing today instead of EV in all classes of vehicles except for perhaps ones that are billed as short commuter vehicles.

RAM introduce the RamCharger today: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a4...harger-towing/

It's basically a bigger Chevrolet Volt. It goes 145 miles on full battery. Enough that most people will never have a need to use gas most of the time...which should please those zero or near-zero emissions folk. After that, a gas engine kicks in to power the battery (not the wheels) and is even able to keep the battery charged while towing with the only anxiety being when you need to fill it up with more gas to keep going.

The only downside I see (which is of course pretty significant) is that it will likely cost way more than the full ICE truck, but should be cheaper than the full EV truck the RAM REV.

[ChevyRules]

Since it is a series hybrid with the engine just being a generator, diesel would be ideal since the generator would be running at a steady RPM, but I imagine that would just make it even more expensive due to the added costs diesels bring these days.

[KMPrenger]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeROC

Close, but oh so far. A next gen HEMI hybrid that puts power down using both powertrains (somewhat similar to the E-Ray) would have been PERFECT. With what they have here, you might as well save money and get either an I6 or EV version. Or if you REALLY want to tow, maybe a diesel.

But the intent is to be able to drive the majority of the time on electric only and only use ICE when needed, which this more or less provides. Eray is awesome, but it pretty much uses the gas engine on every drive.

[Devstrike]

https://www.thedrive.com/news/2025-r...range-extender


Look at that if I understood it right the V6 just charges the electric power train and you can just fill it with gas or charge it. I would personally just fill it with gas its faster.

[90503]

Originally Posted by KMPrenger

Finally, someone introduced a hybrid "series" vehicle that actually makes sense in a class of vehicle where full EV is the wrong answer. This is the answer...my opinion, this is what all manufactures should be pushing today instead of EV in all classes of vehicles except for perhaps ones that are billed as short commuter vehicles.

RAM introduce the RamCharger today: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a4...harger-towing/

It's basically a bigger Chevrolet Volt. It goes 145 miles on full battery. Enough that most people will never have a need to use gas most of the time...which should please those zero or near-zero emissions folk. After that, a gas engine kicks in to power the battery (not the wheels) and is even able to keep the battery charged while towing with the only anxiety being when you need to fill it up with more gas to keep going.

The only downside I see (which is of course pretty significant) is that it will likely cost way more than the full ICE truck, but should be cheaper than the full EV truck the RAM REV.

Not so sure about that....The way I read it the engine powered generator powers the wheels after the battery shoots most of its wad, and uses what's left in the battery occaisionally when needed for extra power...Not sure the generator charges/powers the battery only. That would not provide any extra hp or towing power. I don't think it kicks in the gas engine and generator just to charge the battery. That gets a little ancillary charging from down hills and braking.

(I don't think diesel/electric locomotives use charged batteries...They generate electricity straight to the wheel-driving electric motors.

Could be wrong, dunno. It's a unique combo, but like all EVs, it's the answer to a question that never needed to be asked....lol. God help the early adopters on this one...lol

[Iron Lung Jimmy]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeROC

Close, but oh so far. A next gen HEMI hybrid that puts power down using both powertrains (somewhat similar to the E-Ray) would have been PERFECT. With what they have here, you might as well save money and get either an I6 or EV version. Or if you REALLY want to tow, maybe a diesel.

The E-Ray uses the electric motor almost solely as a power adder. That is great for a Corvette... I would love to have one... but not really for a truck.

The setup on this truck is, in my opinion, perfect. Most of the time you have an EV truck with gobs of power. Go on a trip, though, and there are no worries about range. And there is plenty of towing capacity even for the outlier who needs to pull 14,000 pounds.

If it works as advertised I call it a home run.

[1fastz28]

Originally Posted by KMPrenger

Finally, someone introduced a hybrid "series" vehicle that actually makes sense in a class of vehicle where full EV is the wrong answer. This is the answer...my opinion, this is what all manufactures should be pushing today instead of EV in all classes of vehicles except for perhaps ones that are billed as short commuter vehicles.

RAM introduce the RamCharger today: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a4...harger-towing/

It's basically a bigger Chevrolet Volt. It goes 145 miles on full battery. Enough that most people will never have a need to use gas most of the time...which should please those zero or near-zero emissions folk. After that, a gas engine kicks in to power the battery (not the wheels) and is even able to keep the battery charged while towing with the only anxiety being when you need to fill it up with more gas to keep going.

The only downside I see (which is of course pretty significant) is that it will likely cost way more than the full ICE truck, but should be cheaper than the full EV truck the RAM REV.

I think these types of applications, plug in hybirds, are a fantastic stop gap until battery technology gets to an energy density that rivals gasoline. Right now they just aren't there and these PHEV are the perfect stop gap for people who do drive long distances but also appreciate running on electric on normal day to day around town driving.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by Devstrike

https://www.thedrive.com/news/2025-r...range-extender


Look at that if I understood it right the V6 just charges the electric power train and you can just fill it with gas or charge it. I would personally just fill it with gas its faster.

It would also be less efficient and would also not be taking advantage of the real characteristics of the engine. You’d be converting combustible energy and kinetic to electric energy (at some minimal efficiency loss) then converting the electric energy to kinetic energy (at some minimal loss of efficiency). On one hand, the ICE has minimal emissions, since it will be pretty much operating at constant, possibly minimal load. On the other hand, peak power and pearl torque will likely never be achieved. Output would be limited to what the battery can accept and/or what is needed to power the electric motor. I’m curious why Stellantis isn’t using a less powerful, less expensive engine for the job.

The Chevrolet Volt operated under the same principle. It was almost always driven by the electric motor. Even when the engine (one of the cheapest, lowest powered engines in the GM portfolio at the time) was running, it pretty much droned at mid-range rpm and charged the battery. The engine wasn’t powerful or efficient because it didn’t need to be.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by 90503

Not so sure about that....The way I read it the engine powered generator powers the wheels after the battery shoots most of its wad, and uses what's left in the battery occaisionally when needed for extra power...Not sure the generator charges/powers the battery only. That would not provide any extra hp or towing power. I don't think it kicks in the gas engine and generator just to charge the battery. That gets a little ancillary charging from down hills and braking.

(I don't think diesel/electric locomotives use charged batteries...They generate electricity straight to the wheel-driving electric motors.

Could be wrong, dunno. It's a unique combo, but like all EVs, it's the answer to a question that never needed to be asked....lol. God help the early adopters on this one...lol

If that part is true it would explain the rationale of using the L6 instead of a cheap placeholder L4. Thing is the article specifically states that the engine is in no way connected to the wheels.

[90503]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

If that part is true it would explain the rationale of using the L6 instead of a cheap placeholder L4. Thing is the article specifically states that the engine is in no way connected to the wheels.

That is correct. The engine is connected to a generator that supplies the 175-225 or whatever hp to the electric motors that drive the wheels in addition to any power that comes from the battery. (I think, lol...)

"Those 145 miles of battery range will likely drop to less than half that when towing, but the generator keeps the rig rolling after that. The generator in question is rated at 174 horsepower of continuous output. That doesn't sound like any way to keep up while towing 14,000 pounds, but a Ram powertrain engineer we spoke to says this is plenty. On generator power, you can cruise a flat interstate at 65 mph with a max load trailer until the fuel tank needs to be refilled. Tow something like 7000 pounds, and it only gets better.

The ups and downs of rolling terrain are covered by dipping into the unused portion of the battery on the upslope, then shuffling some power back into the battery when easing off and regenerating on the downslope. If the load gets more intense, the system can run the generator up to its peak output of 255 horsepower. But there's always battery power standing behind that, so the occasional short bursts that need more power than that should always be possible.

eaded for the mountains? Select Tow mode, and the charge-sustaining set-aside percentage is increased to 35 percent, up from the normal 16 percent. The V-6 engine and generator set will come online earlier, and the generator will run closer to peak output more of the time. Between that and the enlarged Tow mode battery reserve, Ram says the Ramcharger should be more than able to tackle the kind of long, steep grades found in the mountain West.

That checks out, because we've towed up long western grades with EVs, and the upslopes don't last nearly as long as you imagine. Electricity use certainly spikes up, but we're not talking dozens of miles at a time with no letup. There are always ups and downs, and there's always more left at the summit than we expected. Here an engine and generator have your back, and you'll gain a lot back on the way down the other side."

So, it does partially charge the battery as well, but not exclusively. Enough to supply some extra power if needed from the battery for a short burst.

[Martinjlm]

But the engine is not connected to a drivetrain. It is only connected to electric motor(s) and so the power drawn from the engine does not go directly to the wheels. It goes to the electric motor which can operate at their own power capacity.

[FarmerFran]

Did we hit on this yet?

Well what do you know...https://www.yahoo.com/news/electric-...002712095.html

"RAM is making...It's called the Ramcharger, a pickup that can travel 145 miles (235 kilometers) on electricity, with a 3.6-liter V6 gas-powered engine linked to a generator that can recharge the battery while the truck is moving."