New vehicle prices are near record levels, especially in the full-size truck market. But don’t expect Ram to bring back the cut-rate Classic version of the big 1500 model. “The $40,000 truck is dead,” said CEO Tim Kuniskis during a background briefing on Tuesday. Kuniskis recently returned to Ram after a brief “retirement,” and said the brand will make 25 product-related announcements in the coming months, and that’s likely to include more on a new midsize pickup, as well as details on the rollout of both the EV and range-extender versions of its full-size Ram 1500. More from Headlight.News.
The Ram 1500 Classic gave truck buyers a more affordable option but has since been dropped.
“We have a lot of stuff brewing,” said Tim Kuniskis, the once and current CEO of Ram during a brand background briefing on Tuesday.
The 57-year-old executive recently returned to Ram after a brief retirement, lured back to help the brand reverse a sharp decline in sales and earnings. During his first media meet-and-greet since rejoining the truckmaker, Kuniskis revealed that Ram has “25” product-related announcements set to be revealed in the coming months.
One thing you won’t see coming, however, is a new version of the old “Ram 1500 Classic.” While Kuniskis readily acknowledged that many potential buyers are being priced out of the new vehicle market, “The $40,000 truck is dead,” he declared, adding that, “Anyone telling you otherwise is selling a fantasy or losing money.”
“A gap in the market”
Sales of key RAM products, like this 1500, initially lagged expectations.
Prices for the big Ram 1500 took a big jump when the latest-generation truck was introduced in 2024. That and other buyer concerns led to an unexpectedly sharp slump in sales. Normally the third best-selling vehicle in the U.S. market, the 1500 was unceremoniously ousted from that slot in 2024 by the Toyota RAV4.
Since rejoining Ram, Kuniskis has lined up a series of steps to rebuild demand, starting with an “employee pricing” campaign that’s shaved a few thousand dollars off the price of key Ram products.
When it comes to pricing, “We know there’s a gap in the market,” he said. But don’t expect the discount program to last much longer. “Otherwise,” he explained, it would “simply become the regular price.
Instead, look for more affordable special editions, like the Warlock. But don’t expect to see anything come close to $40,000, he stressed, noting that today’s trucks don’t have enough room to cut costs due to all the technology buyers want – and federal regulations mandate. “A truck that hits $40K today would need to be built like it’s 2007 and that’s not legal, let alone desirable.”
What about Slate?
“Cool idea,” said Kuniskis, when asked about the new Slate truck. But he questioned whether it will really be as affordable as promised.
While Ram – and competitors like Ford and Chevrolet – insist there’s no way to deliver a cut-rate truck, at least one automotive start-up is trying. Suburban Detroit-based Slate recently revealed a compact offering it suggested will start around $25,000 when it comes to market – skeptics would say “if” it comes to market – in 2027.
That project is “super-interesting….a really cool idea,” said Kuniskis, adding that Ram officials have “talked about that idea a number of times.”
The all-electric Slate truck will be a stripped down package with no infotainment system, and retro features like crank windows. It is expected to roll out of the factory with just one option: a choice of battery packs.
But Kuniskis cautioned that Slate plans to offer a wide range of do-it-yourself aftermarket options, including a kit to convert it to an SUV. Factor those in, the Ram CEO said, and he expects the typical Slate buyers will actually spend something more like $35,000 – or above.
More Ram News
- Ram Ends Production of Value-Focused 1500 Classic Pickup
- Ram Launching Range-Extender Before All-Electric 1500
- Ram RHO Roars
New Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa. He initially served as Jeep brand boss.
More products coming
After a years-long delay, Ram has finally committed to bringing a midsize pickup to the market. Don’t expect it to be just a rebadged version of the Jeep Gladiator, Kuniskis indicated.
It will be based on an entirely new, flexible platform, sources at Ram’s parent Stellantis have indicated. That raises the potential to offer the truck with a variety of different powertrain technologies, much as Jeep plans to do with its line-up going forward.
Antonio Filosa, the newly announced Stellantis CEO last year told Headlight.News that the company has six different powertrain technologies in its tool kit, five of them battery-based: from mild hybrids to EVs.
The RAM 1500 REV making its debut at the NY Auto Show. Both the all-electric and range-extended versions of the 1500 have been delayed.
EVs and range-extenders
But what about the electrified versions of the Ram 1500 already announced? “We’ve pushed (them) back,” Kuniskis confirmed, noting that Ram needs to first focus on “high-margin” versions of the full-size 1500 for the moment. But despite some reports that the all-electric REV and range-extender packages are dead, Kuniskis told Headlight.News “pilots…are running down the line right now,” at the truck plant in Warren, Michigan.
The automaker abandoned plans for a super-long-range version of the all-electric Ram REV. The requisite battery would simply add too much cost. That’s where the range-extender package comes in. It will still add reasonable all-electric range but then let motorists keep running as long as there’s gas in the tank.
The all-electric model has been pushed back, Kuniskis noting the range-extender always “should’ve been first.” While he declined to give a solid on-sale date, a Ram spokesman subsequently added that “we’ll be producing them this year” in retail form. Look for the first ones to reach U.S. showrooms late in 2025 or very early in the new year.
I think the bloom is off the rose at RAM. They only sold well when they cut prices heavily, but that can only last soo long.
Goodbye!