A Stellantis Super Bowl commercial called “Premature Electrification” features images of Ram’s production REV EV truck. And while Chevrolet and GMC found enough in their budgets to create an entirely new truck, Ram chose to go the route that Ford got its Lightning. The EV is based on the gas-powered Ram 1500. 

Why doesn’t the Ram REV look like the concept?

So much for the cool-looking concept shown just last month. It becomes harder to reconcile how automakers can tease a concept, then pull the rug out from under you. But that is, apparently, OK with Ram. We hoped for some of the more interesting features of the concept to be available in production form. 

From the outside, the main differences between the two Ram trucks are the unique fascia, wheels, and taillights. Only the wheels and portions of the front end are similar to the concept. Under the skin is a different story. Ram uses the STLA EV platform for the REV. It is the Stellantis EV platform for its body-on-frame vehicles. 

Though we don’t get much of a view of the interior, with the REV using most of the Ram 1500 body, we expect a similar presentation in the cabin. So no third-row seating or pillarless egress and ingress. Ram hyped these two dramatic features as well with the concept. 

What is the Ram REV Super Bowl theme?

The comedic theme of the commercial takes a negative and turns it into a marketing plus. Since Ram was late to the EV truck game, it posits that the wait is worth it. “We have an incredible truck that’s electric that can really deliver on what truck people want a truck to do, so ‘wait, wait and see’ is the meaning of the ad,” Stellantis Chief Marketing Officer Olivier Francois told CNBC. “That’s our pitch.”

With the release of the commercial, Ram CEO Mike Koval released a statement saying, “We are on an exciting electrification journey that will see Ram push past the competition in areas customers care about the most, range, payload, towing, and charge time.”

Are prices and specifications now available?

Adding to the REV push, after the Super Bowl Ram will begin taking reservations on an exclusive website. Placing a deposit for the EV get’s you into what Ram calls REV Insider+. More on that and also specifications and pricing are happening within the week. 

When the concept debuted, Ram said it can charge at 350 kW and that a 10-minute charge adds 100 miles of range. Rear wheel steering was also promised. The concept was also hyped that Level 3 autonomous driving was available, with a retracting steering wheel in autonomous mode. Those features may also be only for the concept. 

The EV won’t begin production until 2024 with its debut late in the year.