Ram Natural Gas Ride and Drive

A Ram 2500 HD crew cab 4x4 bi-fuel pickup, capable of operating on both gasoline and CNG.

The 5.7 liter Hemi V8 engine powering the 2500 HS bi-fuel pickup features redesigned cylinders and modified valves and seals so it handle by gasoline and CNG.

A little more than half of the 2500 HD's 8-foot bed is taken up with twin 130-liter CNG tanks, leaving 4-ft 8-inches of available space for cargo.

The two CNG tanks are housed in a 50-ksi strong steel case for protection.

The CNG capacity on the 2500 HD is about 18.2 gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE); one gallon of gasoline equals about 14.5 liters of CNG at a pressure of 3,600 psi.

Narrow roads packed with hair pin turns make the drive through the Santa Monica mountains hair raising at best.

It's a long way down to the Pacific Coast highway and there are few if any guardrails along the way.

The bi-fuel 4x4 crew cab Ram 2500 HD offers some 1,580 pounds of payload capacity, 7,650 pounds of towing capacity, and retails for around $47,000.

Sandy yet steep mountainsides mark some of the sights along the Pacific Coast highway.

In the background is a familiar knob of rock, often seen in many automobile commercials as Rt. 1 is favored for its sweeping ocean vistas; when there is no fog that is.

More sedate and flat farmland is found as the Pacific Coast highway heads north beyond the Santa Monica mountain range.

Heading back into the mountains towards Thornton Farms, staging area for the Ram Truck ride and drive.