(Bloomberg) -- Stellantis NV said it will delay its first all-electric truck to 2026 to prioritize an extended-range pickup called the Ram 1500 Ramcharger.
The company is shaking up its strategy amid slowing demand for electric vehicles and the election of Donald Trump, who has pledged to cut incentives for EVs.
The all-electric truck, the Ram 1500 REV, had already been pushed back once, to the first half of 2025, as the company struggled with multiple launches of new electric vehicles.
The Ramcharger will be open for orders in the first half of 2025 and arrive in the second half as planned, the company said in a statement Wednesday. Extended-range vehicles, or EREVs, can be plugged in like a conventional EV, but have an on-board gas generator to boost range and towing capacity. Stellantis said the truck will have as many as 690 miles of range and 663 horsepower.
Stellantis is shaking up its powertrain strategy after the ouster earlier this month of Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares, who was determined to sell more EVs and avoid paying regulatory fines for failing to comply with tighter emissions standards. Tim Kuniskis, a 30-year company veteran and former head of the Dodge and Ram brands who had retired earlier this year, announced his return to the company shortly after Tavares’ exit.
“The decision to launch Ramcharger first was driven by overwhelming consumer interest, maintaining a competitive advantage in the technology and slowing industry demand for half-ton BEV pickups,” Stellantis said in a statement, referring to battery electric vehicles.
Ford Motor Co. in October said it would shut down the Michigan factory that produces its F-150 Lightning plug-in pickup truck, its signature electric vehicle, through the end of the year as demand for EVs continues to wane.
Sales for Ram — one of Stellantis’ main US profit drivers — were down 24% in the first nine months of the year and the company has been increasing incentives to clear aging inventory. The Ramcharger will be made at the company’s plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.