Ram’s Plug-in Hybrid Pickup Testing Resumes

By Author: Marty Vergel Baes
Total Articles: 423
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The news about the arrival of the plug-in hybrid pickups from Chrysler’s independent division RAM has finally started. The arrival of these pickups marks RAM’s goal to test its plug-in hybrids in the US. This preliminary testing is part of the division’s plan to gather more data about its hybrid pickup that would eventually be released in the US market to cater to the needs of car finders who prefer to purchase pickup trucks with better fuel efficiency. Although the RAM pickup’s testing period is expected to last for about three years, this vehicle would be used by chosen individuals as a way of exploring the pickup’s possible weaknesses.

As a quick start, 10 units of plug-in hybrid pickups from RAM arrived at Yuma, Arizona. This makes the state of Arizona as the first area to receive the hybrid pickups since the company plans to distribute a total of 150 units all over the US. This simply means that the remaining 130 units offered for the dry run would be distributed from one coast to another covering the 12 cities identified by RAM and the US Department of Energy.

Although ...
... this pickup model look huge, Chrysler and RAM have see to it that this will never consume larger amounts of fuel that most conventional pickups would be consuming. Its producer has made-sure that this will receive an efficient fuel rating by placing an alternative electric motor that would propel the vehicle in special occasions. Given this feature, RAM expects that buyers who wish to own a hybrid pickup with better fuel economy would be willing to obtain different types of auto loans so as to purchase this vehicle as soon as its price is included on the company’s new car prices list.

Due to this expectation, the burden of making sure that the combination of the vehicle’s 5.7liter Hemi V8 engine and the 12.9-kWH battery pack would go out just fine is placed on the shoulders of its producer. However, every data obtained from the 3-year test would surely be considered by RAM in improving their pickups’ performance on the road since the testing was designed to identify the flaws that their pickups possess.