I get it, a PHEV that can go “forever” with a gas powered generator, but how far and under what loads? We dog EVs with their range degredation under stress, but has anyone questioned the effectiveness of the 1500s generator to recharge the batteries under heavy, long distance towing? Maybe at Max towing weight?
On a level 2 30A charger I can barely add charge to my Tesla while running the AC blasting in summer time.
https://insideevs.com/news/695276/2025-ramcharger-unlimited-ev-range-no-charging/
You must log in or register to comment.
The “extender” is a cool off-the-shelf 700hp heavy pickup engine. None of what you’re saying is a concern.
On a level 2 30A charger I can barely add charge to my Tesla while running the AC blasting in summer time.
If you think summer time is bad, try at -30°C lol.
I too want to know this. I would like to use the Ramcharger for pulling an RV and would like to know if the generator will be able to keep the battery in a reasonable range to know it is there if you need it. The generator makes 130kW and the motors together consume 480kW. So if you were to get to zero battery you would probably be going under 40MPH with your flashers on.
The engine can output 130kw constantly (more at peak). Heavy towing on the highway is typically around 1mi/kWh, but can get as low as 0.5mi/kwh when going uphill. 70mph at 0.5mi/kwh for an hour uses 140kWh. The engine can output 130kWh in that time frame (more if running at peak, which it would be in this scenario.) The engine along with the battery buffer can easily handle even the worst case scenario and that’s partially why they use the V6 engine.
Yup. In a PHEV when towing once the battery goes flat you still need a full sized truck engine to provide power.
Great analysis thanks. I’ll personally be excited when these types of PHEVs come to large family size suvs.
level 2 30A is 5.76kW max. I think that Tesla may be using the heat pump AC unit to cool the battery as well as the cabin so when cooling the cabin at full blast the battery may not be getting cooled down enough.
The Ramcharger is using Chryslers 3.6L Pentastar engine which is 292hp or 217kW. I think it will have plenty of power as it is basically a full size truck engine and is already being used in Ram pickups. Of course the drawback with using a full size pickup motor is that the engine is fairly heavier and fuel efficiency in generation mode will be around 20mpg.
Realistically it won’t be running anywhere near peak horsepower. It will be tuned extremely differently to a gasoline engine since the engine’s operating speed is not relevant to wheel speed. Overall efficiency should be ok.
I would have wished to see a small I3 or I4 engine optimized for generating power and reduced weight.
The 3.6L Pentastar engine only weighs like 80lbs more than a Prius engine. Hardly a rounding error in a full size truck.
The weight savings would be about 100lbs. That’s negligible in a 9000lb truck.
It’s not a new idea that’s the same way the chevy volt worked with a 84HP 4 cylinder. The Outlander also works like this with the ICE mainly driving a generator.
A 30A charger takes about 7200 watts, you can get a small generator at harbor fright that will do that with a 420CC 12HP motor. The standard 3.6L will put out 292HP and the battery acts as a buffer so the EV motors can put out more power then the 3.6 can deliver.
This is perfect for my desired use case, a rural home with power on 38 acres that is many miles from the nearest gas station, let alone any charging station. There is no charging infrastructure in that area, none.
Enough EV range to get weeky groceries and fart about locally. Enough range with gas to tow (because yes, I tow, often, a livestock trailer, a hay trailer, an equipement trailer, an RV), make the five hour round trip to the nearest Costco. Enough torque, HP and capacity to displace a heavy duty truck. It may be expensive for a light duty pickup but it’s a game changer for people who are otherwise forced to buy a heavy duty truck. Imagine if it had a PTO.
People think range anxiety is limited to EV’s. Not so. This solves a huge problem for people far from a gas station but have access to electrical power. It’s as big for people really working remote as Starlink internet is, and helps shift the power dynamic away from big oil.