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Stellantis unveils 2025 Ram 1500 ‘Ramcharger’ with gas tank and battery

Credit: Stellantis

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Stellantis has unveiled its new 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger, which features both battery-electric motors and a gas engine to recharge on the go.

According to a press release shared by Stellantis on Tuesday, the Ram 1500 Ramcharger will feature 250-kW front and 238-kW rear electric drive modules, as powered by a 130-kW generator and a 92-kWh battery. Between these and a 3.6-liter, V6 gas engine, the truck is expected to offer up to 690 miles of range, with the gas-powered hardware turning on to charge the truck once the battery runs out of power.

The partially electric truck will essentially function like a plugin hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

The Ramcharger also boasts a 0-60 mph acceleration of 4.4 seconds, along with 663 horsepower, 615 lb.-ft. Of torque, and up to 14,000 pounds of towing with payloads up to 2,625 pounds. The company says that the truck will be able to gain 50 miles of range in just 10 minutes using 400-volt fast charging at a capacity of up to 145 kW.

“With unlimited battery-electric range, the Ram 1500 Ramcharger is the pinnacle of the light-duty pickup truck segment and the ultimate electric truck,” said Tim Kuniskis, Ram brand CEO for Stellantis. “The new Ramcharger is a beast of a light duty – 663 horsepower, 615 lb.-ft of torque, 4-second 0-60 mph, 14,000 lbs. of towing… and zero need for a public charger.”

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The partially electric pickup will be built on the Stellantis STLA Frame platform, and it will feature advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) capabilities, including the Level 2 hands-free highway assist. The vehicle is also set to include regenerative driving modes, a set of e-shifter buttons, a 1,228-watt Klipsch audio system with 23 speakers and more.

It will include adjustable driving modes and air suspension with the following settings:

Driving Mode settings for the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger

  • Auto
  • Sport
  • Tow
  • Snow
  • Off-Road

Air Suspension settings for the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger

  • Entry/Exit
  • Aero
  • Normal
  • Off-Road 1
  • Off-Road 2

The electric pickup will also include a 400-volt DC fast-charging port on the front quarter panel on the driver’s side. It also has a power tailgate and interior features such as a 14.5-inch front touchscreen, a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch passenger screen, a digital rearview mirror, a Head-Up Display (HUD) and more.

Those who are interested in buying the Ram 1500 Ramcharger can reserve a spot here with just a $100 refundable membership charge.

You can see a few more images of the forthcoming Ramcharger below.

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Credit: Stellantis

Credit: Stellantis

Credit: Stellantis

Credit: Stellantis

Earlier this year, Stellantis announced the fully electric Ram 1500 REV, which reportedly ran out of reservation spots a little over a week after it went live. The upgraded trim of the electric pickup is expected to have a 229 kWh battery pack offering up to 500 miles of range, while the standard range option will feature a 168 kWh battery with up to 350 miles of range.

The announcement arrives amidst increased competition in the electric pickup sector, including direct Ram 1500 REV competitors like the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Chevy Silverado EV and the Rivian R1T. Although it’s a less conventional electric truck, the Tesla Cybertruck will also begin deliveries later this month.

Lucid Motors adopts Tesla’s NACS, leaving only Volkswagen and Stellantis

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.

Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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USDOT Secretary visits Tesla Giga Texas, hints at national autonomous vehicle standards

The Transportation Secretary also toured the factory’s production lines and spoke with CEO Elon Musk.

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Credit: Elon Musk/X

United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Sean Duffy recently visited Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas complex, where he toured the factory’s production lines and spoke with CEO Elon Musk. In a video posted following his Giga Texas visit, Duffy noted that he believes there should be a national standard for autonomous vehicles in the United States.

Duffy’s Giga Texas Visit

As could be seen in videos of his Giga Texas visit, the Transportation Secretary seemed to appreciate the work Tesla has been doing to put the United States in the forefront of innovation. “Tesla is one of the many companies helping our country reach new heights. USDOT will be right there all the way to make sure Americans stay safe,” Duffy wrote in a post on X. 

He also praised Tesla for its autonomous vehicle program, highlighting that “We need American companies to keep innovating so we can outcompete the rest of the world.”

National Standard

While speaking with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the Transportation Secretary stated that other autonomous ride-hailing companies have been lobbying for a national standard for self-driving cars. Musk shared the sentiment, stating that “It’d be wonderful for the United States to have a national set of rules for autonomous driving as opposed to 50 independent sets of rules on a state-by-state rules basis.”

Duffy agreed with the CEO’s point, stating that, “You can’t have 50 different rules for 50 different states. You need one standard.” He also noted that the Transportation Department has asked autonomous vehicle companies to submit data. By doing so, the USDOT could develop a standard for the entire United States, allowing self-driving cars to operate in a manner that is natural and safe.

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Tesla posts Optimus’ most impressive video demonstration yet

The humanoid robot was able to complete all the tasks through a single neural network.

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Credit: Tesla Optimus/X

When Elon Musk spoke with CNBC’s David Faber in an interview at Giga Texas, he reiterated the idea that Optimus will be one of Tesla’s biggest products. Seemingly to highlight the CEO’s point, the official Tesla Optimus account on social media platform X shared what could very well be the most impressive demonstration of the humanoid robot’s capabilities to date.

Optimus’ Newest Demonstration

In its recent video demonstration, the Tesla Optimus team featured the humanoid robot performing a variety of tasks. These include household chores such as throwing the trash, using a broom and a vacuum cleaner, tearing a paper towel, stirring a pot of food, opening a cabinet, and closing a curtain, among others. The video also featured Optimus picking up a Model X fore link and placing it on a dolly.

What was most notable in the Tesla Optimus team’s demonstration was the fact that the humanoid robot was able to complete all the tasks through a single neural network. The robot’s actions were also learned directly from Optimus being fed data from first-person videos of humans performing similar tasks. This system should pave the way for Optimus to learn and refine new skills quickly and reliably.

Tesla VP for Optimus Shares Insight

In a follow-up post on X, Tesla Vice President of Optimus (Tesla Bot) Milan Kovac stated that one of the team’s goals is to have Optimus learn straight from internet videos of humans performing tasks, including footage captured in third person or by random cameras.

“We recently had a significant breakthrough along that journey, and can now transfer a big chunk of the learning directly from human videos to the bots (1st person views for now). This allows us to bootstrap new tasks much faster compared to teleoperated bot data alone (heavier operationally).

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“Many new skills are emerging through this process, are called for via natural language (voice/text), and are run by a single neural network on the bot (multi-tasking). Next: expand to 3rd person video transfer (aka random internet), and push reliability via self-play (RL) in the real-, and/or synthetic- (sim / world models) world,” Kovac wrote in his post on X.

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Starship Flight 9 nears as SpaceX’s Starbase becomes a Texan City

SpaceX’s launch site is officially incorporated as Starbase, TX. Starship Flight 9 could launch on May 27, 2025. 

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spacex-starship-flight-9-starbase-city
(Credit: Jenny Hautmann/Wikimedia Commons)

SpaceX’s Starbase is officially incorporated as a city in Texas, aligning with preparations for Starship Flight 9. The newly formed city in Cameron County serves as the heart of SpaceX’s Starship program.

Starbase City spans 1.5 square miles, encompassing SpaceX’s launch facility and company-owned land. A near-unanimous vote by residents, who were mostly SpaceX employees, led to its incorporation. SpaceX’s Vice President of Test and Launch, Bobby Peden, was elected mayor of Starbase. The new Texas city also has two SpaceX employees as commissioners. All Starbase officials will serve two-year terms unless extended to four by voters.

As the new city takes shape, SpaceX is preparing for the Starship Flight 9 launch, which is tentatively scheduled for May 27, 2025, at 6:30 PM CDT from Starbase, Texas.

SpaceX secured Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for up to 25 annual Starship and Super Heavy launches from the site. However, the FAA emphasized that “there are other licensing requirements still to be completed,” including policy, safety, and environmental reviews.

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On May 15, the FAA noted SpaceX updated its launch license for Flight 9, but added: “SpaceX may not launch until the FAA either closes the Starship Flight 8 mishap investigation or makes a return to flight determination. The FAA is reviewing the mishap report SpaceX submitted on May 14.”

Proposed Texas legislation could empower Starbase officials to close local highways and restrict Boca Chica Beach access during launches. Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr., opposes the Texas legislation, insisting beach access remain under county control. This tension highlights the balance between SpaceX’s ambitions and local interests.

Starbase’s incorporation strengthens SpaceX’s operational base as it gears up for Starship Flight 9, a critical step in its mission to revolutionize space travel. With growing infrastructure and regulatory hurdles in focus, Starbase is poised to become a cornerstone of SpaceX’s vision, blending community development with cutting-edge aerospace innovation.

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