Ram just killed its half-ton oil burner. You’ll only have until January 2023 to get Ram’s 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6. It might have killed it already, if not for loyal diesel buyers. It thought it would give Ram 1500 customers one last chance at ordering an EcoDiesel. If you weren’t sure about Ram’s intentions to go electric, this is your wake-up call.

Why is Ram killing the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine?

“Our Ram EcoDiesel V-6 engine has delighted consumers with the highest half-ton diesel torque rating and towing capability while being the first to exceed 1,000 miles of range,” says Ram brand CEO Mike Koval Jr to Truck Trends, KJ Jones. “As we quickly pivot toward an electrified future, we wanted to celebrate this last EcoDiesel milestone by offering our loyal light-duty diesel enthusiasts a final opportunity to order the truck they love.”

The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel has been available in Ram pickups for nine years. Currently, this latest, last version is its third generation. It will only be available in crew-cab Tradesman, Big Horn/ Lone Star, Laramie, Limited Longhorn, and Limited models. And only with four-wheel drive. 

Where are all of the diesel engines going?

The EcoDiesel was originally manufactured by VM Motori in Italy. It was shifted in-house for the third-gen version in 2020. Hooked to an eight-speed transmission, its 420 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm beat the competition. It also towered over all half-ton pickups for fuel economy, hitting 28 mpg in its initial offering. In its current form, the EcoDiesel offers a segment-leading 12,560 lb towing capacity. It also touts 22 mpg City and 32 mpg Highway fuel economy numbers for High Fuel Efficiency models.  

Ram pickups aren’t the only Stellantis vehicles that come with the EcoDiesel. Jeep also has it available in its Wrangler and Gladiator models. It just announced the EcoDiesel is being discontinued for them as well.

And Ram isn’t the only manufacturer that has dropped its diesel offerings. Ford killed its 3.0-liter PowerStroke V6 diesel option in 2021. And GM recently dropped the 2.8-liter Duramax four-banger for both 2023 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize trucks. 

One truckmaker still has a diesel engine for 2023

GM, on the other hand, is soldering on with its 3.0-liter Duramax straight-six turbodiesel engine. It will be available in the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra hooked to a ten-speed automatic transmission. It is also seeing more power added from the current Duramax. Yes, the ups and downs of diesel engines can be a bit bewildering. 

So as of now, if you have wanted a new Ram 1500 EcoDiesel-powered truck, Jeep Wrangler or Gladiator, you need to step up by January. Otherwise, there are plenty of used EcoDiesel Rams, though their prices just increased with the news of Ram killing it off.