At AEC, we don’t just sell products – we provide solutions. That means offering highly capable vehicles at a highly competitive running cost. Many people love our full-size pickup trucks for their capability, performance, and size – attributes that you don’t necessarily connect with a good fuel economy. Nonetheless, our RAM 1500 can be driven for the same price as an average Diesel car. Let us show you how.
Up to 395 horsepower, enough space for five adults to sit comfortably, unlimited hauling capabilities in the cargo area, and a towing capacity of 3.5 tons: the RAM 1500 really is a high-performance machine perfect for almost any intended use. And thanks to its intricate efficiency features, like cylinder deactivation, an active air-dam and grille shutters up front, and a lightweight structure, fuel consumption for a RAM 1500 is usually a lot lower than you might expect. When equipped with optional air suspension (standard in some trim levels), the truck automatically lowers itself to further reduce drag at highway speeds. The result is a surprisingly good fuel economy, contrary to popular belief about big pickup trucks.
That all sounds great – but how exactly do we do it? To start, our team of homologation experts converts our RAMs to run on alternative fuels with cleaner combustion. After arriving at our Vehicle Processing Center in Belgium, our specialists prepare our RAM engines and fuel systems for either E85 fuel or liquified petroleum gas (otherwise known as LPG), depending on their intended destination. E85 is cheap and readily available in countries like France, Belgium, Finland, or Sweden, whereas most other parts of Europe offer a tight net of LPG stations (find a station near you here), so customers can choose their preferred fuel type. E85 and LPG conversions are ordered on almost every RAM truck we sell in Europe.
The great news about this is that trucks using E85 or LPG consume a much smaller amount of fossil fuels overall. E85 stands for the addition of ethanol – usually this is sustainable bioethanol – to regular gasoline. This mixture of fuel has a maximum ratio of 85:15 percent ethanol to gasoline. LPG on the other hand is a byproduct of gasoline and diesel production that burns exceptionally clean. Since it emerges as a byproduct, it’s also relatively cheap. Because of their emission advantage in combustion, both fuels are tax-promoted and thus cost a lot less than conventional fuels.
Let’s take a look at the RAM 1500 to see what this really means. Our RAM 1500 DT with the bestselling 5.7 Hemi V8 has a combined fuel consumption of 13.7 L/100 km. With LPG, a RAM V8 consumes 20-30% more than with gasoline, so the estimated consumption of a RAM with LPG is over 17.9 L/100km. And since LPG is on average 40-50% cheaper than Diesel, that means the RAM’s overall fuel cost is comparable to that of a Diesel-fueled SUV or pick-up with an average fuel consumption of around 7.5 l/100 km.
If that’s not enough of a financial incentive for you, there’s another major economic benefit to driving a RAM, compared to more conventional cars. Due to its large cargo area, the RAM is considered a light commercial vehicle and is, therefore, taxed by weight instead of engine displacement in most European countries. This results in roughly the same annual road tax that you would have to pay for a small city car.
Although fuel efficiency may not be the first thing you think about when it comes to a pickup truck, with the RAM 1500, all of that is possible. And it’s not just the RAM that performs better than expected: defying expectations, our Dodge Durango actually has fewer fuel costs than a compact gasoline-powered car like the Mercedes GLC. Find out how in this recent article from the major German-language magazine, AutoBild, or find an AEC dealer near you today to get started with your very own RAM truck.
