The pickup is a key test for a carmaker trying to transform itself from an EV sceptic that made gas guzzlers to a serious electric competitor.
“If Stellantis wants to survive, they’re going to have to beat at least one of the big dogs in trucks,” said Sandy Munro, founder of Detroit engineering firm MunroThe truck brand has done it before – in the beginning of 2019, it seized the No. 2 spot in the lucrative US truck market by putting an Apple iPad-inspired 12-inch touch screen in a redesigned, gasoline-powered Ram 1500, setting a trend its crosstown rivals quickly followed.
Mike Koval, head of the Ram brand, said it will deliver on the attributes truck buyers care about most — from towing and payload to charging time. Photographer: Bridget Bennett/BloombergStorage, ‘shadow mode’ Carmakers have tended to target the higher end of the market with electric models, which are typically pricier than their internal-combustion competitors. General Motors’ electric Hummer goes for more than $US100,000 .