This probably doesn't come as a surprise to you, but people shopping for a hard-working pickup don't necessarily care if it gets 30 miles to the gallon. That's not to say that they're unconcerned with gas mileage, it's just that if you're looking for a powerful truck, you know you're not going to get the same performance out of a hybrid as you would a gasoline powered V8.

That doesn't mean it can't be done, however. Chrysler has been deploying test models of their Ram 1500 PHEV - a plugin hybrid variant of the popular Ram 1500 that you'll find here at Papa's Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram.

For three years, the trucks will be tested by people like the Detroit-area utility company, DTE Energy, who will provide real-world feedback to Ram. The goal isn't necessarily to send the truck into production, but so learn about the real-world implications of a plugin hybrid pickup. It's part of a $48 million partnership with the Department of Energy to learn about the practicality of cutting the fuel-consumption of fleet vehicles.

As far as power goes, the truck is still a Ram! When in electric mode, it can go 20 miles on the 12.9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. After 20 miles, it switches to hybrid mode, powered by a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine. Yup, that's 399 horsepower, 390 lb-ft of torque, and 32 mpg. Not bad for a hybrid, eh?

The latest trucks, delivered in Detroit, are only ten of over 100 vehicles in 16 cities across the country. Abdullah Bazzi, Senior Manager of Chrysler's Advanced Hybrid Vehicle Project says of the latest deployment, "Working with a local energy partner like DTE that is in our backyard offers a great combination of suburban and rural driving, as well as ever-changing Michigan weather, is ideal as a test cycle for these vehicles."¹

Will you see a PHEV Ram 1500 in the Papa's Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in the next few years? It doesn't look like it - but you can be sure that Ram is hard at work developing a powerful and fuel-efficient pickup! With that said, be sure to stay tuned with us for more on this and other Ram news. Or stop by our showroom and test drive any of the powerful new Ram models, now available - we're conveniently located at 585 E Main St New Britain, CT 060651.

Source:¹http://green.autoblog.com/2011/12/16/detroit-utility-gets-plug-in-hybrid-ram-1500s-for-test-fleet/