It seems like everyone is rushing to build an electric pickup, but Ram has been the notable exception.
Speaking back in August, FCA CEO Mike Manley said “The reason we haven’t spoken much about electric pickup trucks is not because we view that market as nonexistent, but we’ve always had a slightly different view of timing and adoption rates, particularly in North America in terms of full electrification.”
He went on to note the importance of truck sales and promise they’re “not going to sit on the sidelines if there is a danger that our position gets diluted going forward.” Given that statement, many people assumed FCA would take a wait-and-see approach to monitor the response to electric pickups from Ford, General Motors, Rivian and Tesla before jumping into the market.
Also Read: FCA Delays A Number Of Upcoming Models, But Is Open To Electric Pickups
It now appears Manley has seen enough as The Detroit Free Press is reporting he used the company’s third-quarter earnings report to say “I do see that there will be an electrified Ram pickup in the marketplace, and I would ask you just to stay tuned for a little while, and we’ll tell you exactly when that will be.”
That’s still pretty vague, but it seems to suggest an electric or plug-in hybrid Ram is on the horizon. Of course, there’s no word on timing and it’s probably safe to assume they’re a ways off.
Regardless, trucks are massively important to FCA as the company sold 156,157 pickups in the United States in the third quarter alone. Ram trucks were FCA’s best-selling product by a landslide as the company’s second most popular model was the Jeep Grand Cherokee which racked up 56,447 sales in the quarter.
