The Ram Brand debuted the battery-electric version of its ProMaster van back in January. Seven months later, industry media got an exclusive look and driving opportunity of the delivery version of the EV that will first to roll out to customers.
Ram ProMaster EV features
The Ram ProMaster EV features a 200kW motor with an output of 268 hp and just over 300 lb.-ft. of torque—nearly equivalent to the ProMaster powered by an internal combustion engine, which offers 276 hp and 250 lb.-ft. of torque. The ProMaster EV’s 110kWh battery can produce a range of 162 miles when calculating the range at 50% average loaded vehicle weight capacity. Calculating the range this way is “predictive of how the customer is going to use the vehicle,” Dave Sowers, director of Ram Commercial Vehicle product marketing, said during his presentation at the event.
Last-mile delivery drivers “start off the morning with a van full of packages,” Sowers explained. “They return at night empty. By definition, it's 50% payload. So this 162 [range] is going to be very predictive of how it actually works for the customer in normal operating conditions.”
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An EV built for last-mile delivery
The first rollout of the Ram ProMaster EV will be in a delivery configuration, and Ram designed this new ProMaster EV specifically for last-mile delivery applications.
Ram designed the ProMaster EV starting from the internal combustion version of the ProMaster. Because the ICE ProMaster is front-wheel drive, the EV version essentially replaces the front-wheel-drive powertrain with an electric drive motor. The platform, or skateboard, places the battery under the cargo floor and doesn’t intrude into the cargo space, which enables Ram to maintain complete cargo capacity from the ICE to the BEV ProMaster.
Sowers expressed the need to grant last-mile delivery customers a turnkey solution within the ProMaster EV, including delivery-specific upfits and features. Every ProMaster EV in the first rollout will be equipped with a high roof, and the typical passenger side door is replaced with a pocket door, increasing safety and improving ingress and egress.
The van also comes equipped with a roll-up door in the rear and a standard step across the back of the van for easy access to packages. In addition, the cargo area features LED lighting to ensure visibility throughout the shift, from morning to night.
ProMaster EV’s safety and tech features
The ProMaster EV is equipped with standard forward collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, standard drowsiness detection, and standard traffic sign information. Available features include a digital rear-view mirror, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control with lane centering.
The ProMaster EV features technology perks such as a standard 10-inch Uconnect infotainment screen, standard keyless push Start/Stop, a standard charging station, and standard EV Dynamic Trip Energy Prediction. This feature gives drivers a look at operating conditions, how the vehicle is achieving its range, and its projected path—and it’s all displayed on the navigation system, Sowers said.
“The customer can see–on their route–how far they can go,” Sowers explained. “One of the things they're going to want to know is where the charging locations are, and we have the ability to show that. We can even indicate what the charging costs are at each one of those locations so that they can optimize their trip.”
Additionally, all ProMaster EVs feature a 7-inch digital cluster, a rotary shifter, and control for multiple settings on the infotainment screen. These control settings will eventually include the ability to change the intensity of the regenerative braking to a “one-pedal driving” mode, which would produce the most energy efficiency and help with range.
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Driving the ProMaster EV
The ProMaster EV that was offered up for media test drives was the high-roof van spec’d for last-mile delivery. The route driven was roughly seven minutes long around the neighborhood of Stellantis North America’s corporate headquarters. It included a short stint on the interstate and gave a good indication of how the vehicle drives.
The noticeable difference between the ProMaster EV and the ICE version was in the vehicle’s torque—much to be expected from an electric vehicle. Another electric vehicle perk was in the quiet operation of the ProMaster EV. Yet aside from that, the EV version of the Ram van handled very similarly to its ICE counterpart. The standard regenerative braking system wasn’t jarring as some EVs, and drivers of ICE vehicles should have no problem getting acclimated to the ProMaster EV.
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Ram’s vision for the future
Since 2018, Ram’s commercial business has grown by more than 40% and gained market share in 2023. Ram announced its commercial vehicle business unit, Ram Professional, at Work Truck Week in March of this year. Chris Feuell, Ram and Chrysler brand CEO said the Ram Professional is critical for the brand’s product planning and growth strategy.
“As a key driver of customer focus, we're also relaunching our Ram Professional counsel to engage directly with our commercial customers of all fleet sizes,” Feuell said during the media event. “This will ensure that we're understanding and meeting their needs and helping them to be as efficient and successful as possible.”
Ram’s additional future planning includes enhancements to production. The brand “took some downtime” this past year to upgrade its manufacturing facility, Sowers said. The upgrades will enable Ram to increase its throughput by more than 60%. The brand also upgraded its painting system and outbound system, which will allow Ram to “deliver that extra volume and get it to the customer in a timely fashion,” Sowers explained.
Feuell said the addition of the Ram Professional division and enhancements to Ram’s commercial vehicle products will help Ram achieve a record sales year in 2025.
