While an appetite for smaller pickups has been growing in recent years, Ram has been cultivating the art of suspense about delivering the goods to the U.S. market.
The Stellantis-owned brand has let it be known that a smaller pickup than the full-size Ram 1500 is in the works. But the brand seems keen to keep the suspense alive by limiting the amount of clues it provides.
Speaking to Motor Trend, Ram CEO Chris Feuell would only confirm that the truck “will be brought to market,” that a platform to build it has been chosen, and that we will be “surprised by the choice.”
Feuell went on to say that the truck will offer “performance and affordability” and that the vehicle would not cater to a niche market. The Ram CEO provided perhaps the biggest clue by saying the truck will be offered with a choice of powertrains: Ram’s STLA platforms are made for flexible production to deliver internal combustion engine, hybrid, or fully electric vehicles.
It’s also very possible that, instead of a well-conceived marketing technique, Ram has simply been unable to provide clearer information.
Parent company Stellantis has been locked in negotiations with the United Auto Workers Union since January about reopening its Belvidere assembly plant in Illinois. The plant where the midsize truck would likely be assembled is expected to become functional again only by 2027.
As for the truck’s name, Feuell confirmed media speculation that the Dakota nameplate was being considered but that a final decision had not been made. Former parent company Chrysler discontinued the Dodge Dakota compact pickup in 2011.
Putting all the clues together, it’s not too far of a stretch to imagine the midsize pickup would offer hybrid and fully electric options. Should the new truck turn out to be an EV, it’s not going to be such an earth-shattering announcement: The RAM 1500 REV, which is set to become Ram’s first-ever electric truck, has already stolen the thunder in that realm. Ram might as well continue to hold us in suspense.
Meanwhile, Digital Trends says the larger electric Ram 1500 REV, with a launch delayed to early 2025, is set to “be one of the most desirable electric trucks out there, thanks not only to the Ram name but also to its high-end specifications.”
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.