By Danielle Collis

Copyright news

The full-sized American pickup was supposed to be the brand’s flagship EV, originally promised to Australia by former Ram boss Mike Koval in early 2023.

The model was repeatedly pushed back, first to 2025, then to 2026, and now the idea is dead altogether.

“As demand for full-size battery electric trucks slows in North America, Stellantis is reassessing its product strategy and will discontinue development of a full-size BEV pickup,” the company wrote in a statement.

The automaker isn’t completely giving up on electrification. It has plans to rebadge its range-extended hybrid, once called the Ramcharger, as the Ram 1500 REV.

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The ute will look, drive and feel like an EV but with one crucial difference: instead of relying solely on battery power, its battery can be charged by a petrol engine while driving.

“This vehicle will set a new benchmark in the half-ton segment, offering exceptional range, towing capability, and payload performance,” the company said.

Stellantis states the Ram 1500 REV can achieve more than 1100km and has 730Nm of torque.

This is not the first move by Stellantis to wind back its electrification.

The company’s “Dare Forward 2030” plan was once a declaration of their commitment to going green but now Stellantis admits “Many of our Dare Forward 2030 targets have become increasingly challenging in view of current trends in market dynamics, government policy and regulation.”

At an economic conference in Paris last week, Stellantis CEO Antonia Filosa admitted the brand has been losing marketing share while trying to go green.

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“We lost a lot of market share,” he told the audience.

“Why, because we decided in the past years to phase out very important nameplates.”

Filosa said those models included the Jeep Cherokee, Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300, all of which delivered hundreds of thousands of sales.

“Those nameplates meant to us, on average, 30,000 units per year and a lot of profit. So business growth starts by launching products our consumers are waiting for,” he said.

Filosa insisted the move to axe the electric Ram is not a sign of failure.

But an opportunity for the company to be a “pioneer” in the introduction of range-extended pickups in the United States.

“The Ram 1500 will be the first large pickup truck on the market with a range-extended powertrain,” he said.

For Australia, the long-promised electric ute won’t be arriving in showrooms, but the country may receive the petrol-hybrid version instead.