Ram 1500 PHEV Receives Jolt from Canadian Government

July 26, 2010 | by | 1 Comment

Dodge_Ram_PHEV

This past March, the U.S. Dept. of Energy provided a grant for up to $48 million in order for a test fleet of 140 Ram 1500 Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) to be produced in the United States.

 

These Ram 1500 PHEVs will be powered by a 5.7L V8, providing 390 horsepower, 407lb-ft of torque mated to a two-mode hybrid transmission and a 12KwHr lithium ion battery system.

 

This week, the developer of this battery system, Electrovaya, recently received a contribution of $5 million (CDN) by the Sustainable Development Technology Canada as part of the Canadian Government. This funding will support their further research and development needs in high energy density Lithium Ion SuperPolymer® battery systems that will be in this fleet.

 

The vehicle is expected to be able to drive up to 20 miles on pure electric power, resulting in zero emissions. Once the vehicles are completed, these extremely efficient Ram 1500 PHEVs will be utilized for a three-year test program throughout the United States showing how quickly this technology can be brought to market.

  • Dev

    When I was a kid in the 80s I used to pick up the free Deals On Wheels-style magazines and daydream about what kind of car I wanted when I turned 16. My dad was a car enthusiast too so naturally I developed a taste for looks in cars. Over the years I’ve noticed that some cars have great body design but turned out to be flops and vice versa.

    Over 10 years ago I bought my fist truck. I chose an early 90s 4×4 Dodge Dakota because it was a small truck with a powerful engine…just what I wanted. That year of body-style did not have a lot of curves but it still looked good, it looked like a truck. I drove it for nearly 4 years before I was ready for a newer one. I got a used 2000s Dakota, with a another v8, still have it today. I been to the car dealer a half-doze times looking for a newer car but each time I decided I’d rather keep my Dakota.

    I’d say I’m due for another new truck but I’m not too thrilled with the latest Dakota.
    It’s not the worst looking truck out there but it feels like a step in the wrong direction.

    I’m glad to see that Dodge is still making the Dakota given the struggling economy but
    when I compare my early 2000s Dakota to the latest styling, I have to admit it looks like some
    hard corners were cut. Suffice it to say, I won’t be buying a new Dakota anytime soon. Dodge
    still wants around $27K+ for something less of what the Dakota was. I’d be better
    to put half of that into my older truck to make it like new. I rented the newest model
    and the interior alone made me feel like I was sitting in a plastic box, it is unrefined,
    , stiff, plastc-like seats, no cloth on the doors like my cozy SLT, it just felt cheap.

    Comparing the body styling, I would give the previous style, like my current truck, a A to A- and
    the early 90s style a B+. The latest body style, for Ram too, seem to have a few too many sharp jagged angles going on especially in the front. Id give it a C to C-.

    As far as some of the other cars go, they got the Challenger right. They could have done
    better on the Charger. The Charger does not have a bad styling but they should have called it something else. They really should have tried harder to get the Charger looking more like the General Lee. The Dukes of Hazzard movie alone would have sold it.

    I can only hope the economy gets better so they can get back to getting the body styling and the small things right even if it means only getting the body styling right and offering an option for more plush interior like they had in the 80s and 90s.