If you dream of driving an electric or hybrid Ram pickup, well, don’t hold your breath. Fred Diaz, president and CEO of the brand, stated that no hybrid pickup bearing the signature logo will ever see the light of day.
Diaz justified the decision, made in March 2010, by saying that “truckers don’t want to buy hybrids”. Diaz does concede, though, that Ram “should be in a position to address higher fuel economy standards.” Obviously, hybrids just aren’t the way to accomplish that.
The news came as a bit of a surprise in the auto industry today, as many believed the plug-in concept version of the Ram presented at the Washington Auto Show was a manifestation of the company’s desire to go ahead with the project, funded by the American government.
Even Paolo Ferrero, vice-president of Chrysler’s powertrain division, had made certain comments that led to believe that the automaker would market the technology once financing had been confirmed.
He was quoted at the time as saying that “this initiative represents how government, automotive industry, suppliers and key partners are reaching common goals and demonstrates how rapidly this type of advanced technology can be brought to market.”
Source: PluginCars
Diaz justified the decision, made in March 2010, by saying that “truckers don’t want to buy hybrids”. Diaz does concede, though, that Ram “should be in a position to address higher fuel economy standards.” Obviously, hybrids just aren’t the way to accomplish that.
The news came as a bit of a surprise in the auto industry today, as many believed the plug-in concept version of the Ram presented at the Washington Auto Show was a manifestation of the company’s desire to go ahead with the project, funded by the American government.
Even Paolo Ferrero, vice-president of Chrysler’s powertrain division, had made certain comments that led to believe that the automaker would market the technology once financing had been confirmed.
He was quoted at the time as saying that “this initiative represents how government, automotive industry, suppliers and key partners are reaching common goals and demonstrates how rapidly this type of advanced technology can be brought to market.”
Source: PluginCars