Ram 1500 REV: Prevailing Over Battery Demands

Photo Source: Ram

Many of the new electric vehicles hitting the market or coming soon are pickups and SUVs with large and heavy batteries designed to offer drivers a compelling range. Nonetheless, these batteries can be staggeringly expensive, accounting for up to nearly a third of an electric vehicle’s price, a new study reveals. Even though the actual costs are complex to determine since automakers tend to keep this information close to the vest, Visual Capitalist was able to calculate the replacement cost of different types of batteries in six existing and upcoming electric vehicles. 

The most mind-boggling example is the 2025 Ram 1500 REV. According to data compiled by Visual Capitalist, the cost of replacing the battery in the next-generation Ram 1500 REV could exceed $25,000 in components alone. This estimate was based on information from Benchmark Minerals Intelligence, which analyzed the cost of numerous electric vehicle batteries. The Ram 1500 REV pickup’s top-tier 229 kilowatt-hour pack was found to be the most expensive, coming in at $25,853, which is close to the price of a brand-new Toyota Prius, starting at $27,650 MSRP (Plus destination fee). 

Battery Types

The discussion surrounding the cost of supremely massive car batteries has raised questions about the sustainability and efficiency of electric vehicle battery capacity. As mentioned, the Ram REV pickup truck’s battery capacity is 229 kilowatt-hours, equivalent to almost four VW ID.4 batteries (62 kilowatt-hours) in a single vehicle. This raises concerns about the amount of materials utilized to construct one vehicle and the environmental impact of these batteries. 

The 2025 Ram REV relies on nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) chemistry for its battery with cells from LG Energy Solution, which falls in the middle range in terms of cost per-kilowatt-hour. It sits between premium nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA) batteries and more affordable lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells. To that end, the Ram’s battery pack was by far the most expensive one in the comparison. The battery pack alone is estimated to make up almost 32 percent of the cost of the entire vehicle.

Delivering Power

Readers must understand that pickup trucks like the Ram 1500 REV face engineering challenges in delivering the expected capacity and capability on an electrified platform. Other electric pickups, such as Ford’s F-150 Lightning and Rivian’s R1T, have also encountered challenges in meeting towing range expectations. However, Ram claims to have the best-in-class total payload rating for an electric pickup truck at 14,000 pounds and is likely to provide the best overall towing range given its large battery capacity. 

Dominating Obstacles

The high cost of the RAM 1500 REV automobile’s battery raises concerns about the affordability and sustainability of electric vehicles. For example, the amount of battery cells used in the vehicle is enough to build three or more mainstream electric cars. Even though advancements in battery chemistry and lightweight composites are expected to improve the efficiency of electric pickups, the current perception of their wastefulness persists. 

That said, it is worth noting that high-voltage batteries typically have a long life cycle. Most are backed by an eight-year/100,000 mile warranty, but they can easily last over 186,000 miles. In fact, some have been shown to last over 248,000 miles. If the potential of the 2025 Ram 1500 REV has piqued your interest, please come visit Miami Lakes Automall, where we have an impressive selection of pickup trucks for you to choose from. Browse our new vehicle inventory and rely on our sales team to help pick out the automobile for you.