The best electric vehicle? Ram1500 ramcharger?

[180ls1]

It's not the technology it's the moronic mentality that you can save money spending $100k on a vehicle.

I believe you are both correct.

Spending more to save money almost never works out. Like you are saying.

Electric/hybrid vehicles are inherently more efficient than ICE engines but the tech isn't there yet to offset the cost.

 

[Weldor]

Like I say, it’s a boost not a hybrid so 23mpg is pretty good especially for the engine output of a 1/2 ton. 430hp and 570ft lbs torque. There are some nice features outside of gas mileage and power. 7200kw onboard electric generator, can run AC and heat for hours with very limited, minutes, engine idle time. The engine cost $2600 more the standard 3.5L EcoBoost. Not the $10-$12k+ to get into diesel and it gets the same mileage. Not to mention more affordable normal gas engine maintenance costs and fuel costs vs diesel. With Poweboost engine you get a larger gas tank and locking 3.73ls differential. $1k worth of upgrades. So for folks where those things matter and don’t need a diesel that’s why you bother. Unless I was towing large loads regularly I’d have to ask why bother with a diesel? Everyone has their use case.

I doubt 30 amps at 240 will run ac or a house, but like you said your choice. I'll stick with Diesel proven power plants. My MQ Diesel gen with clean power will run 2 houses for 24 hrs easy on one tank of fuel and my vechicle won't be tied up powering my house and it neither cost 100k. I like to keep my money for other things like hunting LOL.

 

[z987k]

All sounds good until it is 110 degrees and 30 mile of grades. with AC on and a load on it. I just can't see a advantage over a diesel. JMHO

If you're actually towing a lot, you should always buy the diesel. It's too bad these aren't diesel electric.
30 miles of steep grades(plural) isn't too much for this truck. First, there's nowhere in the US with 30 miles of pure 7-8% grade. That would be a total elevation change of 11-12,700ft. Nowhere in the US has anything close to that. There are significant downhill and or non 8% grades mixed in where you get regenerative braking, and the generator would have time to put even more into the battery.

The advantage is for people who use their truck 85+% of the time in the city. And on worksites with the onboard generator capable of powering multiple houses.

The vehicle will probably be $100k. Maybe you should buy one to "save money on gas".

No new vehicle ever makes sense from a fuel saving perspective. Should you replace a 8mpg gas guzzler you own outright and is reliable for a new 40k+ vehicle that gets 40mpg? No. It will take the whole life of the next car to pay for itself. But if you want or must buy another or new vehicle, it does make sense to care about the cost of operation.

They say the Ram will be 60-90k options depending. The only diesel comparison left is the 3L from GM, which starts at 45 for the ultra base and get up in the 70s at the top end. 3.0 from GM has better MPG numbers than the Ramcharger, except if you are charging every night and running pure electric all the time.
So not only is the diesel cheaper, unless you use the Ramcharger for it's specific use case(almost all city driving), the diesel is cheaper to buy and operate.

 

[Weldor]

It's a 4.8 kw gen not going to power any house. max is 7.2 according to ram. It's made to power battery's for tools, computer ,lights. You can read all about on their site. No big deal, they will discontinue it in a year or 2. Best light truck they had was the eco-diesel and they dumped that.

 

[gbflyer]

23 mpg. that's it? My megacab 6.7 gets 22-23 all day long. why bother? Maybe if it was 45-50 mpg.

My 6.7 doesn’t get close to that. 19 at best on a road trip long ago. What’s the secret? It’s a ‘08 deleted.

 

[Weldor]

My 6.7 doesn’t get close to that. 19 at best on a road trip long ago. What’s the secret? It’s a ‘08 deleted.

2018, 4x4 . cap. I drive normal, no hot footed driver here. I can tell you this when I go to Texas leaving from Southern AZ. I will drop to 19 going through new mexico. Then as soon as I re-fuel in Texas it goes up to 23-24. I beleive it has something to do with the fuel? Here my highway is 22-23 all day long. I use dino valvaline as recommeded every 5500 , fuel filters at oil changes. Otherwise it is a totally stock truck. I did see a dip of about 1-1/2 mpg when I went to at tires. When these wear out going back to ms for sure.

 

[LookinforDirt]

My 6.7 doesn’t get close to that. 19 at best on a road trip long ago. What’s the secret? It’s a ‘08 deleted.

The secret is to make it up and then post it on the internet.

 

[gbflyer]

2018, 4x4 . cap. I drive normal, no hot footed driver here. I can tell you this when I go to Texas leaving from Southern AZ. I will drop to 19 going through new mexico. Then as soon as I re-fuel in Texas it goes up to 23-24. I beleive it has something to do with the fuel? Here my highway is 22-23 all day long. I use dino valvaline as recommeded every 5500 , fuel filters at oil changes. Otherwise it is a totally stock truck. I did see a dip of about 1-1/2 mpg when I went to at tires. When these wear out going back to ms for sure.

Definitely something to the fuel. When we go through bio fuel mandated states the mileage dropped big time. It was best in Canada, good fuel and lower speed limits. Best we ever saw was 19 in Canada. Mine is a SRW 1 ton with a 6-speed. Where I live it’s all short trips, no better than a gasser.

I like the diesel - electric idea. I don’t know how the added extra weight will ever be addressed though.

 

[gbflyer]

The secret is to make it up and then post it on the internet.

I don’t know about all that. Sometimes that overhead console is full of shit with regard to fuel mileage. Some folks believe it and never do the math.