It seems to be yet another sign that hybrids are leading the charge forward as sales of electric vehicles (EVs) slow.
Giant auto group Stellantis is reshuffling the planned launches of two much-awaited Ram models. The brand’s first electric pickup truck has been postponed to 2026, while the Ramcharger plug-in hybrid (PHEV) will take center stage next year.
“The decision to launch Ramcharger first was driven by overwhelming consumer interest, maintaining a competitive advantage in the technology and slowing industry demand for half-ton (battery EV) pickups,” Stellantis says in a statement.
Orders for the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger will open in the first half of 2025.
Sales of hybrids powered gains in overall EV sales in the third quarter, reaching a record 10.8% of U.S. light-duty vehicle sales. And hybrids are now considered to be as reliable as gas-powered vehicles, according to a Consumer Reports survey. They also offer a more affordable option than purely electric vehicles while freeing drivers from having to worry about finding available chargers.
Meanwhile, consumer hesitations over EV charging and lifestyle changes explain why RAM delayed the launch of its all-electric pickup truck, seen as a potential rival to Tesla’s Cybertruck and the Ford F-150 Lightning, to 2026.
As for the new Ramcharger, it promises innovations, even in the realm of plug-in hybrids. It’s basically an EV with an electric range of 145 miles, but its gas generator extends the range up to 690 miles. It features a 92-kilowatt-hour battery pack, paired with an onboard 130 kW generator, sending power to 250 kW front and 238 kW rear electric drive modules (EDMs).
The new Ramcharger also allows vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-home bidirectional charging, giving it the flexibility to charge another Stellantis battery EV or provide power back to the grid.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.