Plug-In Ram Pickup Trucks

Based on the lack of success from General Motors Hybrid truck efforts, Chrysler scrapped efforts to produce a Hybrid Two Mode Hemi. Instead, The Chrysler Group, who manages the Ram brand, is focusing on fuel-efficiency.

Industry analyst Aaron Bragman of HIS Global Insights said the Hybrid Two-Mode is “a good concept in a too-expensive package.”

Because truck buyers tend to want high-torque, Hemi-based trucks, it made no sense to pursue the hybrid system with “sales potentially below 1,000.”

Chrysler will continue Hybrid research, with plans to “build 140 plug-in hybrid pickup trucks for a three-year demonstration program funded by $48 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.”

The plug-in trucks will still have a 5.7-liter V-8 engine, but will use a larger, 12-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion pack rather than the previous 1.6-kilowatt-hour nickel-metal-hydride battery pack. This should allow the truck to run up to 20 miles on electricity, improving fuel efficiency by more than 65 percent.

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Chrysler Reports Increased Sales Across All Brands

On the first of December Chrysler Group LLC reported that November US auto sales increased 17% compared to the same period last year. Chrysler reported 74,152 vehicle sales against 63,560 units from November 2009. 

Ram truck sales increased 67% and Jeep sales increased 58%. Fred Diaz, President and CEO of Ram Truck Brand and Lead Executive for U.S. Sales said, “we are pleased with the sales momentum that has been building this year, and elated now that we are showing off the vehicles we’ve been talking about.” 

What are the vehicles talked about? Chrysler will launch 11 new or remodeled Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Fiat vehicles during the fourth quarter!