Plug-in hybrid Ram 1500 starts testing
In a joint project between Chrysler and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), 10 plug-in hybrid Ram 1500′s will be released into the wild around Yuma, Arizona next week to begin testing in the harsh summer climate. Overall, 140 of these plug-in hybrid trucks will be scattered around the U.S. to prove their viability in the marketplace. The Ram 1500′s are equipped with a 5.7L Hemi V8 and a two-mode hybrid transmission that has been modified in addition to a 12.9kwH lithium-ion battery. However, the Ram is not a range-extended hybrid, the batteries must be plugged in to charge.