- Ram Charger
- Midgate-Through-Frunk
- 28 Inches Of Touchscreen
- Vehicle Personal Assistant
- Shadow Mode
- Augmented Reality Head-Up Display
- External Projector
Ram put some real effort into making its electric truck stand out.
The Ram 1500 Revolution electric truck finally made its debut today in concept form, and we spent multiple hours poring over the press release and stock images. Ram didn't provide power figures, but there's still loads of time before it goes on sale in 2024, and a production version will still be shown later this year.
It doesn't really matter because the main focus of the official unveiling was to show how much knowledge Ram gained by sitting back and watching the first batch of electric trucks launch and fail in several departments. In addition to waiting, Ram also turned to an extremely valuable source of information. Instead of relying on shock-and-awe features dreamt up by the marketing department (we're looking at you, Gesture Control), Ram came up with a host of features that will improve the ownership experience significantly.
These are the five coolest features of the new Ram EV, and we hope all of them are standard or at least optional on the production model.
Ram Charger
Don't you just hate getting home and having to plug in your car? Nope, us neither. And yet engineers have been trying for years to automate the charging experience so the owner can get out and go on with their life, as they would with an ICE car. Tesla even tried a creepy autonomous snake-like creature at one stage.
Ram has come up with a solution based on inductive charging. Charging an EV on the move may be tricky, but it's easy when the car is stationary.
The Ram Charger is a robot (think iRobot Roomba) that automatically detects the car and then aligns itself underneath. It's an intelligent charger and will do most of its charging during off-peak times, saving the owner some money. The Ram Charger should provide enough power overnight, as EVs rarely have to charge from empty to full.
Midgate-Through-Frunk
Rivian was the first electric truck builder to realize that a lack of mechanical components results in loads of open spaces. The Camp Kitchen and Gear Tunnel was a brilliant idea and is a genuinely useful feature.
Ram took it a step further and realized there was nothing mechanical above the skateboard platform, so the interior designers had more room to play around, figuratively and literally. Include the famous Ram Midgate, and you have a loading space that stretches all the way from the frunk to the tailgate, which is a full 18 feet. That's 216 inches, which is just 12.9 inches shy of the overall length of an ICE Ram Quad Cab. With a bed extender and fold-out fencing on the split tailgate, this is a new level of practicality.
28 Inches Of Touchscreen
The Ram's interior has a full 28 inches of screen on the inside. That, by itself, is not worth boasting about. The BMW i7's Theatre Screen is much bigger, and that's just one of many, many screens on the inside.
But Ram's screen is smarter, thanks to the brilliant rail system on the inside. You can read more about that in the full reveal article, but, in short, the rails on the floor, frunk, and bed allow you to adjust the interior almost infinitely.
The lower half of the screen is detachable and can be moved on a rail to the rear passengers, who can then use it to watch movies or play games. When the kids aren't using it, it simply slides back and becomes part of the central infotainment system again.
Vehicle Personal Assistant
Ram has equipped this truck with an artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant that you can interact with inside and outside the car.
It comes with a 3D avatar that acts as a face, and it responds to various voice controls. We've had systems like this for years, but not on this level. It can plan trips based on your schedule, and it can learn things about you. Let's say you're a fan of Taco Bell, and there's one around the corner. The AI will let you know. You can also command it to close the windows, play music, take a picture, and tell the car to follow you around while you go for a walk.
That brings us nicely to the next feature.
Shadow Mode
Think of Shadow Mode as a more advanced version of the summon function in a Tesla.
You get out of the car and tell it to follow you. Like a faithful dog, it will comply. Why? We can think of multiple examples. You can tell the truck to follow you as you pick up tools at a job site. On a ranch, it will tag along as you pick up hay. Or if you want to walk in a wide-open field and don't want to walk back, get the truck to follow. Heck, you can even treat it like a dog and take it for a walk if you're not in the mood for scurrying around alone.
The Ram will follow its owner safely and use sensors and cameras to navigate obstacles.
Augmented Reality Head-Up Display
Head-up displays are one of the biggest innovations in modern safety systems, letting you keep your eyes on the road at all times. But using the various camera systems, the Revolution concept adds augmented reality (AR) functionality yo this, adding objects to the field of view that wouldn't usually be there. From navigation to advanced warning systems or even highlighting road imperfections like potholes, we can think of a plethora of ways such a feature would be advantageous.
External Projector
When you think projectors on a car, you probably think of the wing-mirror projectors that display a welcoming puddle light on the ground of the car's logo. But the Ram 1500 Revolution Concept goes a step or six further with multiple built-in projectors that visually communicate with the user. This will likely take the form of charging information and other warnings, but Ram says the projectors can double up as a movie theater, letting you have your own private movie night or drive-in theater wherever you go. Camping will never be the same again.
Keyword: 7 Coolest Features Of The Ram 1500 Revolution Electric Truck