I came across some details on the Ramcharger and wanted to break down how its range-extended EV system works. Anyone here have thoughts on it?
From the pictures, it has a 240V, 7KW outlet and a couple of 120V outlets. A hybrid with 140 miles of EV range makes so much sense for towing. This might be the best electric towing truck. I’d rarely need to use gas if I had one. I’m hoping to tow a camping trailer one day.
@Rey
If it’s anything like my Pacifica PHEV, every few months it forces you into ‘fuel and oil refresh mode’ so the gas doesn’t go stale.
Eli said:
@Rey
If it’s anything like my Pacifica PHEV, every few months it forces you into ‘fuel and oil refresh mode’ so the gas doesn’t go stale.
The Volt does something similar, but my friend barely noticed it. He only needed gas once in a while. A feature like that makes sense for a hybrid that prioritizes electric driving.
Eli said:
@Rey
If it’s anything like my Pacifica PHEV, every few months it forces you into ‘fuel and oil refresh mode’ so the gas doesn’t go stale.
Gas can go bad from water contamination, evaporation, or oxidation. That happens fast in open fuel tanks like boats or small engines. But in a modern car, the fuel system is sealed, so gas should last over a year without any issues.
@Rey
If it actually works. Dodge/Chrysler doesn’t have the best track record with electrical stuff.
Parker said:
@Rey
If it actually works. Dodge/Chrysler doesn’t have the best track record with electrical stuff.
Or with cars in general.
Parker said:
@Rey
If it actually works. Dodge/Chrysler doesn’t have the best track record with electrical stuff.
Or with cars in general.
Fair point. I have a Rivian now, and the build quality is great. But towing kills range on all EVs—half of 300 miles is way worse than half of 690 miles. The Scout with a big battery and gas extender is interesting, but I doubt its total range will match the Ramcharger.
@Rey
Yeah, the Scout’s fuel tank is only about 15 gallons—about half the Ramcharger’s. So total range will be a lot lower.
Parker said:
@Rey
If it actually works. Dodge/Chrysler doesn’t have the best track record with electrical stuff.
Wasn’t the Chrysler Pacifica actually pretty decent?
Parker said:
@Rey
If it actually works. Dodge/Chrysler doesn’t have the best track record with electrical stuff.
Wasn’t the Chrysler Pacifica actually pretty decent?
For a minivan, yeah. It gets around 30 miles of EV range, which isn’t bad. But I think it had battery recalls, same as the Chevy Bolt.
I really hope they bring this tech to the Wrangler.
This just seems like a PHEV to me.
Lian said:
This just seems like a PHEV to me.
It’s actually a series hybrid.
Lian said:
This just seems like a PHEV to me.
It’s actually a series hybrid.
That’s a simpler setup than a series-parallel hybrid like the Volt or Prius Prime, but it’s less efficient overall.
@Emerson
True, but at least there’s no transmission involved in EV mode. I like this design better. Also, Nissan’s e-Power system (which is a series hybrid with a tiny battery) seems to use less fuel than a traditional setup.
Lian said:
This just seems like a PHEV to me.
It’s actually a series hybrid.
Yeah, it’s a series hybrid… technically a plug-in series hybrid (PHEV).
It’s kind of annoying that you can’t use the generator to fully recharge the battery. I wish there was an option to control how much battery charge is used.
Mika said:
It’s kind of annoying that you can’t use the generator to fully recharge the battery. I wish there was an option to control how much battery charge is used.
Most PHEVs have a ‘hold’ mode to keep the battery at a set level, and a ‘charge’ mode to top it up. I’d be surprised if they don’t add a setting like that later.
@Tory
A lot of charge modes stop at a certain point though. My Clarity would shut off charge mode once the battery hit 50-60%.