Ram's First Available EV Is A Rebadged Fiat Van With A 162-Mile Range

After first teasing it during the Super Bowl, Ram unveiled the electric 1500 REV pickup truck in April, which will do battle with the likes of the Chevy Silverado EV, Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T. The Ram REV will go on sale by the end of 2024, but it won’t actually be the first fully electric vehicle available from the Ram brand — that crown will go to the Ram ProMaster EV, which was revealed today and touted as the ideal van for last-mile deliveries.

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Regardless of where in the world you live, you’re likely aware of the ProMaster. It’s a rebadged version of the third-generation Fiat Ducato van, which was first launched in 2006. The ProMaster wasn’t brought to the U.S. until 2013, and since then it has received two different facelifts. 2023 was the best sales year ever for the ProMaster with more than 81,000 vans sold, and in addition to the Fiat and Ram versions, the van is sold all around the world under the Citroën, Peugeot, Opel, Toyota and Vauxhall brands.

The electric E-Ducato has been around in Europe since 2019, and that’s what the new ProMaster EV is based on. Regardless of configuration it uses a 110.0-kWh battery pack and a single electric motor putting out 268 horsepower and 302 pound-feet of torque to the front axle. Ram says the ProMaster EV has a city driving range of up to 162 miles, and it can fast-charge at up to 150 kW using a Level 3 DC charger or at up to 11 kW using the on-board Level 2 charger. The battery is positioned at the center of the van under the floor, so the standard van’s flat floor and cargo capacity are unchanged.

Photo: Ram

Ram will offer the ProMaster EV in delivery and cargo versions, with the delivery model available now and the cargo launching later. The delivery van has a roll-up rear door made from aluminum and a pocket side door, while the cargo van has more traditional rear barn doors and a sliding side door. Ram says the ProMaster EV has a 159-inch wheelbase, and it will eventually be offered with two different roof heights and two cargo lengths (12 feet and 13.5 feet).

In the cargo configuration the ProMaster EV has a payload of 3,020 pounds, while the delivery model is limited to 2,030 pounds. Ram says the ProMaster EV’s 524 cubic feet of storage space is the best in its class, as are its cargo height and cargo width, the last of which is largely thanks to the van’s unibody construction and front-wheel-drive setup. Ram says the ProMaster EV “can be upfitted for virtually every conceivable commercial need,” with all of the primary vehicle systems placed ahead of the cargo area.

The ProMaster EV has a 10.1-inch touchscreen running Uconnect 5, which has navigation, built-in Alexa, Bluetooth capability for two phones, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Ram’s Telematics software has improved fleet management functions, real-time vehicle diagnostics and over-the-air updates. The last-mile navigation system can also send walking directions from the nav system to their smartphones, to make delivery runs even easier.

Photo: Ram

Other newly standard features include an electronic parking brake, front and rear parking sensors, multiple backup alarm sounds, LED headlights and foglights with automatic high beams, forward collision warning, crosswind assist, a driver drowsiness monitor, keyless entry and pushbutton start. Ram says that the most-requested feature was better visibility, so the ProMaster EV has an improved backup camera, and a 360-degree surround-view system and a digital rear-view mirror are optional. Also optional are a wireless charging pad, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, rain-sensing wipers, lane-keeping assist, and a Level 2 Active Driving Assist system with hands-on lane-centering.

Ram says the ProMaster EV is available to order now, but pricing and an exact on-sale date have yet to be announced. Expect it to cost at least a few thousand dollars more than the gas-powered ProMaster’s $46,955 base price, though Ram does say the ProMaster EV might qualify for the federal commercial clean vehicle tax credit.