RAM Unveils Promaster EV

[DLTooley]

The 2025 Ram EV pickup is a very interesting evolution of a plug in hybrid. The battery itself only has a range of 70 miles, but it has an onboard internal combustion system motor that can be used ONLY for recharging the battery. As I recall they are claiming a range of 700 miles per fill up.

As most trips are short this vehicle will be an excellent option for many. I don’t know the MPG equivalent of the generator, but it would hopefully be an easier drive train to maintain.

 

[RonDean]

I've owned diesels for years with no problems in the cold of Michigan. In the winter stations go to winter fuel. I put diesel additive to raise the cetane after the gov lowered it & to keep the fuel from gelling. Most have block heaters but some don't need them. I'll never buy a POS EV! When they started making cars they had EVs, fuel & steam. Fuel won then & now!

And I spent a couple Minnesota winters trying to keep a gas-powered car going. After returning to milder climate, I had a kid ask if I had an electric car because he saw the electric plug hiding in the grill. "No," I told him. "It's just a block heater that I needed to keep the car going in the winter." I imagine that people will soon learn how to deal with extreme cold in EVs too. And news or hit piece, I do seem to see a lot of these stories and never ones addressing similar issues with fossil fuel vehicles. Maybe just because we are familial with old tech. But there is also a profit motive for some industries to discourage a more rapid EV change.

 

[Carla618]

... I do seem to see a lot of these stories and never ones addressing similar issues with fossil fuel vehicles. Maybe just because we are familial with old tech. But there is also a profit motive for some industries to discourage a more rapid EV change.

Minus 42 wind chill and nobody in my tribe needed a jump this past week from hell. My 95 f250 started right up daily and all my kids' cars, too. Haven't seen anyone getting jumps on my block or driving around town. I know they are out there, but my point is that it's not that common.... ICE cars not starting in frigid weather.

I know what block heaters are, but have never known anyone who used one Maybe semi drivers?

 

[Gr8ful]

This was my 1st Diesel car, https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15141695/1977-volkswagen-rabbit-diesel-test-review/ I'm sure different years & was in the 1980s '90s. I owned 2 or 3 as did my hunting buddy. We got 55 mpg on them all. We could go 1200 miles to the U.P. & back for $25. 4 door, plenty of room as I'm 6'4 & Jim is an inch or 2 taller. Tires were $99 for 4 installed as it was the 13" lost leader size. I usually buy low milage cheap used. maintain them but drive them till DOA. If I could buy a new or nice one today I would in a heartbeat. Never had any cold starting problems. I've also owned dozers, tractors, Cummins/Dodge 1 ton P/Us & other Diesel equipment. Is anyone making battery Tractors & Dozers?

 

[tx2sturgis]

Here is a long video addressing the EV charging issues in Chicago during this last cold snap.

I think this YouTuber provides a mostly balanced viewpoint, if you ignore the clickbait title.

It comes down to some EV owners not prepping the cars properly in advance, EV charging equipment going down when it is needed most, and heavy congestion and long lines at the charging stations.

I would hesitate to tell all those owners to head over to the nearest campground that has 50 amp service because I doubt most of those cars have onboard Level 2 charging....but that might be a future avenue for some owners in a similar situation.

Again, its a long video, about 35 minutes:

 

[Gr8ful]

Great video! IMHO EVs are in the Pre Model T days, almost toys at this point. I bet Henry Ford could fix it! The old Bush Pilot trick was to have a quick drain & in extreme cold take the oil inside & put on the wood stove so it's hot when you leave. Many planes still use 50 wt oil. Do you know gasonine was a by product of lamp oil & was dumped in rivers or on the ground? So gas cars helped the earth a great deal!

 

[bullfrog !]

I’ve always liked carburetor gasoline cars but hate the chokes needed to get them running when cold. I started installing lower radiator hose heaters in all my higher performance cars to reduce most of the wear that occurs when you start them cold. Plugging in to grid power for 5 or 10 minutes prior to starting definitely decreases warnup times and therefore wear. I also start manual transmission cars in neutral after disabling the clutch petal engaged switch as I don’t like several pounds of pressure on the crankshaft thrust bearing with no oil pressure while cranking. . My cars tend to last longer than most in my opinion because of this.

 

[Carla618]

Great video! IMHO EVs are in the Pre Model T days, almost toys at this point. I bet Henry Ford could fix it! The old Bush Pilot trick was to have a quick drain & in extreme cold take the oil inside & put on the wood stove so it's hot when you leave. Many planes still use 50 wt oil. Do you know gasonine was a by product of lamp oil & was dumped in rivers or on the ground? So gas cars helped the earth a great deal!

Great video? He stretched a 10 minute video into 35 minutes

He blames the drivers even after explaining that older model Teslas are selling for $20K so lots of ppl bought them. People who live in apartments without heated garages. And there is the solution: have a heated garage to charge and park your car in.

 

[Carla618]

I’ve always liked carburetor gasoline cars but hate the chokes needed to get them running when cold. I started installing lower radiator hose heaters in all my higher performance cars to reduce most of the wear that occurs when you start them cold. Plugging in to grid power for 5 or 10 minutes prior to starting definitely decreases warnup times and therefore wear. I also start manual transmission cars in neutral after disabling the clutch petal engaged switch as I don’t like several pounds of pressure on the crankshaft thrust bearing with no oil pressure while cranking. . My cars tend to last longer than most in my opinion because of this.

Do cars need to be warmed up? According to the news stories lately it is a myth.

 

[RonDean]

Minus 42 wind chill and nobody in my tribe needed a jump this past week from hell. My 95 f250 started right up daily and all my kids' cars, too. Haven't seen anyone getting jumps on my block or driving around town. I know they are out there, but my point is that it's not that common.... ICE cars not starting in frigid weather.

I know what block heaters are, but have never known anyone who used one Maybe semi drivers?

Carla618, Have you ever spent a winter in Minn. or Alaska, or even the interior (not near any bodies of water) of Canada? I could tell you stories, but suffice it to say there's cold and REAL cold. Block heaters were a necessity where I lived.

 

[bullfrog !]

Older cars were designed to run most efficiently at around 180 degrees. Newer cars are designed to run much hotter to increase fuel economy using a computer controlled fuel injection and ignition timing to decrease warm up time. Many cars today actually shut off cylinders or completely shut off to decrease fuel usage as it has become a priority at the cost of wear and tear on the mechanical, starter and electrical systems. The technology has improved not only the fuel economy but increased their total mileage life span. Older cars can last but not as long or as efficiently as newer cars but only with a lot of care and maintenance.

 

[Carla618]

Older cars were designed to run most efficiently at around 180 degrees. Newer cars are designed to run much hotter to increase fuel economy using a computer controlled fuel injection and ignition timing to decrease warm up time. Many cars today actually shut off cylinders or completely shut off to decrease fuel usage as it has become a priority at the cost of wear and tear on the mechanical, starter and electrical systems. The technology has improved not only the fuel economy but increased their total mileage life span. Older cars can last but not as long or as efficiently as newer cars but only with a lot of care and maintenance.

So does that mean only older cars need to be warmed up? I just found it odd that it kept popping up on the news that it is a myth. And they didn't differentiate between old and new cars.

Then I found out it is illegal in my town (and my daughter's city) to leave your car unattended while running... even to warm it up. Unless you have a new car with auto-start and they can't be stolen.

That means ppl with old cars have to freeze while warming up their cars. Or risk getting a ticket.

 

[Carla618]

Carla618, Have you ever spent a winter in Minn. or Alaska, or even the interior (not near any bodies of water) of Canada? I could tell you stories, but suffice it to say there's cold and REAL cold. Block heaters were a necessity where I lived.

I grew up in the Quad Cities (Moline) in northern Illinois where the mean January temp is 6 degrees warmer than in Minneapolis. So, pretty similar climates.

 

[Gr8ful]

And I spent a couple Minnesota winters trying to keep a gas-powered car going. After returning to milder climate, I had a kid ask if I had an electric car because he saw the electric plug hiding in the grill. "No," I told him. "It's just a block heater that I needed to keep the car going in the winter." I imagine that people will soon learn how to deal with extreme cold in EVs too. And news or hit piece, I do seem to see a lot of these stories and never ones addressing similar issues with fossil fuel vehicles. Maybe just because we are familial with old tech. But there is also a profit motive for some industries to discourage a more rapid EV change.

Ron, maybe in your "couple of years" could it be you just didn't get the hang of it? I snowmobiled a lot from my very remote camp on the west end of the U.P. Had to sled in 10 miles & leave the diesel trucks in a North Country Trail plowed out spot. Temps got 30f below. Sleds & trucks always started with no plug ins & you can't use starting fluid on a Cummins/Dodge diesel. Maybe you were the problem as the EV drivers in the video. I lived my entire life in Michigan & winters used to be brutal.

 

[Carla618]

Older cars were designed to run most efficiently at around 180 degrees. Newer cars are designed to run much hotter to increase fuel economy using a computer controlled fuel injection and ignition timing to decrease warm up time.

I looked it up. Seems it's about carburetors...

If you’re in a hurry and just want an answer to the above question, it’s no. You no longer need to warm up your car in winter — for your car’s sake — unless it’s old enough to have a carburetor (unlikely unless it’s at least 30 years old), or it’s electric or a plug-in hybrid.

https://www.cars.com/articles/should-you-warm-up-your-car-in-winter-429809/
Warming up is a great way to maintain engine health. You allow it to lubricate itself and, in turn, prolong its life cycle. However, modern vehicles no longer have carburetors, and lubrication takes 20-30 seconds. So, there is no real need to sit idle much beyond the time it takes to defog the windshield.

https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/do-you-need-to-warm-your-car-up
Why Did We Use to Warm Up Cars?

Allowing cars to warm up on cold days is a tradition that goes back decades to when vehicles had carburetors.

Then, warming up the car made sense, as it could take several minutes for the right blend of air and fuel to be delivered to the engine. Without the correct blend, cars would sputter, stall, and leave drivers stranded.

By the late 1980s and indeed,y no later than the early 1990s, all car manufacturers completed the transition to electronic fuel injection. Sensors working with injectors ensured that the right air-fuel mix was delivered promptly. Therefore, warming up cars equipped with fuel injection systems became unnecessary.

Should a new car still have trouble starting promptly, other factors such as a clogged injector, a frozen fuel line, or a dead battery might be the culprit. But those are issues separate from the topic at hand.

Unfortunately, certain habits are challenging to break, and misinformation is rampant. Chances are,e if you had one of those older models and later sold it, you passed this habit on to the next generation. It is time to lay the fallacy to rest, especially for any car built within the past 25 years.
|
https://www.carfax.com/blog/do-you-need-to-warm-your-car-up
And...

https://www.consumerreports.org/car...-warm-up-your-car-before-driving-a5580016349/

 

[bullfrog !]

^^^Almost all my vehicles are only half my age and over 35 years old and still run well. Last time I bought a new vehicle was ten years ago but my wife didn’t like it as well as her old one so we sold it! Lol!!!

 

[Gr8ful]

Carla,you can get a remote start added. I did to my favorite truck an '85 1 ton cummins/ dodge 4x4 pickup with all the options except remote. It was $69 installed at an independent pace that did sterios, etc. It had a delay for the diesel wait. i carried it on my key ring in my pocket & it started the truck twice by accident. i really liked it on cold mornings.

 

[dhuff]

BTW, I love how conversations wander all over the place on this forum (really...no sarcasm intended). Start talking about an EV full-sized van, end up discussing how various internal combustion engines work in very cold weather...

It's kinda like sitting around a campfire BS-ing with real people and all

 

[maki2]

BTW, I love how conversations wander all over the place on this forum (really...no sarcasm intended). Start talking about an EV full-sized van, end up discussing how various internal combustion engines work in very cold weather...

It's kinda like sitting around a campfire BS-ing with real people and all

No real People here. That is what happens when the AI bots start interacting with each other and try to simulate human conversations. They are programmed to throw in out of context responses.

 

[RonDean]

All I can relate as to block heaters is my personal experience. I probably could have gotten by most days without one. But there were a few times when I absolutely needed one if I wanted to go out an immediately start my vehicle without waiting and messing about. I imagine if I were the only one with this problem, I would have had a much harder time even finding one to buy.

As far as EVs, my main concern is the pollution and resultant health problems to the general population. Some other people believe the only reason to change their behavior is dollars. I suspect I will never be able to convince them differently. However, I also suspect there is a profit motive as well as a bias behind many anti-EV stories.

Them's my opinions and I have yet to find evidence to the contrary.