Remember Pickup Truck Jump Seats? Ram Is Bringing Them Back
One of many trucks my dad owned was a white, 1980s Dodge Ram with an extended cab and jump seats facing one another. I distinctly remember when my teenage brother and I decided we were too big to both fit back there. It’s been decades since Ram built a truck with jump seats, but now it’s bringing them back with its electric Ram 1500 Revolution concept.
The 2024 Ram 1500 Revolution is an electric concept truck
Ram gave us the first peek at its electric future when it unveiled a battery electric vehicle at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show. The Ram 1500 Revolution BEV is a concept truck, but previews what an electric truck might look like.
Ram’s first electric concept truck showcases some dramatic design elements. It brings back “coke bottle” hourglass styling from the era of the second-generation Dodge Charger. It also features 35-inch tires. But one of the most eye-catching aspects of the Ram Revolution is the layout of its cab.
The Ram 1500 Revolution features a skateboard chassis with a battery tray and an electric motor for each axle. These motors are much smaller than internal combustion engines, allowing Ram to push the truck’s firewall four inches further forward than in its current truck. So while the Ram 1500 Revolution’s bed is the same size as the current Rams’, its cab is even longer. Why would a truck with such a big cab need jump seats? Because the Ram Revolution features three rows of seating.
The Ram 1500 Revolution is bringing back the jump seat
The Ram 1500 Revolution showcases a fully configurable cab with up to three rows of seats. The electric concept truck has front bucket seats, a removable center console, rear bucket seats, and two small jump seats in the very back.
One exciting aspect of the new Ram is that it has a single rail system to attach accessories throughout both the cab and bed. Because of this, you can deploy its jump seats behind the rear bench, or in the bed for tailgating.
The Ram Revolution also features a mid-gate between the cab and bed which allows drivers to open up a continuous 18-foot-long loading platform. Another configurable aspect of the cab is a fold-flat workspace on the center console.
Will Ram continue making gas-powered pickup trucks?
Ram’s parent company, Stellantis, claims that the electric Ram Revolution will “redefine the pickup segment once again,” and will be “part of the future of Ram trucks.” Will the electric Ram 1500 Revolution be the only Ram truck available in 2024? Probably not.
The Ram Revolution rides on Stellantis’ new full-frame architecture, the STLA “Frame” chassis. Stellantis has said this new chassis is engineered for both electric and hybrid powertrains. It is possible that Ram will offer a truck a lot like the Ram Revolution with a new hybrid powertrain. It might even offer its existing mild-hybrid engine.
Ram might also go in a very different direction with its next-generation pickup truck. The company has teased a “range-extended paradigm breaker” technology. This may turn out to be a gasoline-powered generator in the bed of an electric truck. Such a technology might give the new Ram unlimited gasoline-powered range while still offering a better MPG (and more power) than the automaker’s current gasoline trucks.
Next, read about the differences between a range-extended Ram vs a hybrid or watch the Ram Revolution revealed in the video below:
