U.S. Department of Energy to test plug-in hybrid Ram 1500 pickups

Chrysler Group LLC is set to deliver 10 units of the plug-in hybrid Ram pickups to the U.S. Department of Energy next week. The pickups will be delivered to Yuma, Arizona, as a part of a $100 million research projected funded by Chrysler and DOT.

According to PickupTrucks.com, in all, 140 Ram 1500 pickups will be delivered by Oct. 1 across the United States. The plug-in hybrid trucks will be put through a range of tests including extreme temperature testing and minus 25 degrees to 125 degrees testing.

Power for the plug-in hybrid Ram 1500 pickups comes from a 5.7L V8 making 345-hp. The engine is mated to a two-mode hybrid transmission manufactured by General Motors and a 12.9-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery. The pickups are capable of traveling 20 miles on electric-power alone with a total range coming in at 655 miles. The y can two up to 6,000 pounds and have  a 1,000-pound payload capacity.

The program with the U.S Department of Energy will run through June 2014.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: PickupTrucks.com