Ram Trucks Australia has been selling left-hand drive pickup trucks in Australia since 2016. However, Stellantis, the parent company of Ram, is exploring options to boost its sales, which includes the potential production of factory-built right-hand-drive trucks for future generations. This move would replace the current practice of shipping left-hand drive models and converting them to right-hand drive at the Walkinshaw Automotive Group facility located in Melbourne, Australia.
Ram’s interest in exploring the possibility of factory-built right-hand-drive production is fueled by the brand’s growing popularity in Australia and the company’s desire to expand its global reach. However, it should be noted that this potential shift is still uncertain and may not happen until the end of the decade, as emphasized by Mike Koval, the global head of Ram.
“Nothing has been confirmed,” Koval told Australia’s Drive recently. “But if you were in my shoes and I think about the… growing the brand globally… I want to be able to sell everywhere. That’s just an honest statement.”
Read: RAM Expands Australian Facility To Convert 20,000 Trucks Annually
The automaker currently sells five trim levels of the Ram 1500 in the country, including the TRX, as well as the 2500 and 3500. Pricing for the trucks start at $98,950 AUD ($66,088 USD at current exchange rates), while prices for the uber powerful Ram 1500 TRX start at $219,950 AUD ($146,904 USD), reports carexpert.com.au.
Despite the high MSRPs, Ram Trucks Australia has been a success since being launched in 2016. Last year, the brand sold more than 6,000 trucks. By comparison, just 2,400 Chevrolet Silverados were sold in the same period.
That was enough to justify the expansion of its conversion facility, which was upgraded to be able to convert 20,000 vehicles per year since October. For now, though, that’s not quite enough to warrant an investment in factory right-hand drive production.
“That’s what we’re studying right now, to be honest. And probably not. It might not [work],” said Koval. “These are just ideas, whiteboard-type things. Obviously if we were to do right-hand-drive from the factory – which I can’t do today – that might change certain things of course.”
