Every few months, I get the itch to buy a van and jump headfirst into the whole van life thing. I watch all of the YouTube videos that talk about the pros and cons of the lifestyle and, as someone who lives more minimalist, the idea of having all of my possessions in one mobile home that I can explore the country with is kind of appealing.
Of course, the biggest part of van life is the van itself, and the Ram ProMaster is one of the most popular vans used to create these mobile homes. Now, the company is continuing its battle against Mercedes and Ford in the van life space with the next big step for van life — going electric.
Today, Ram announced an all-electric version of the Promaster commercial van. Tim Kuniskis, Ram brand CEO – Stellantis, called the new EV the “ultimate van in zero-emissions performance, commercial capability, and advanced technology.”
“The introduction of the Ram ProMaster EV represents another major milestone on our electrification journey as we continue to evolve without sacrificing capability. Ram’s first available electric vehicle is a game-changer, offering commercial customers, large and small, the ultimate van in zero-emissions performance, commercial capability and advanced technology.”
Of course, the van can and will be used largely out of the van life crowd. Commercial vans are everywhere, and the EV version of the Ram ProMaster will certainly get picked up for a number of uses across small and large businesses. That might be where it needs to stay for now since the EV version of the van will only be capable of up to 162 miles of “city driving.”
The new Ram ProMaster EV will be available in two mission-specific configurations, including the delivery model and two cargo models. The Ram ProMaster EV cargo model will be available in two configurations, including a 12-foot cargo length and an extended 13-foot cargo length (both with 159-inch wheelbases).
In comparison, the gas version of the van features a much longer range and can reach up to 400 miles on a single tank. While going electric for van life is incredibly appealing, that 162-mile range is going to be a tough obstacle to get over and one that I think will keep van lifers in the gas version — until Ram can recreate that kind of range with an EV version.
While Ram is expanding into the EV market with its vans and Rivian already has commercial EV vans on the road with Amazon and soon AT&T, another automaker is leaning into the gas-powered version of the van life business. A while ago, Ford announced a Trail version of its Transit van that is purpose-built for van lifers. The Transit Trail features a standard lift, all-terrain tires, medium- and high-roof cargo van configurations, and a heavy-duty towing package.
“No matter the task at hand – delivering packages or enjoying life off the grid – customers can rely on their Transit to get the job done,” said Ted Cannis, Ford Pro CEO. “Our decades of experience in the motorhome industry and insights from the van-life community helped us design a vehicle that makes it easier for adventure seekers to start their next journey.”
It’s interesting to see how both the business and van life industries are getting more van options in both gas and EV options. The biggest thing for both groups, at least so far, is to figure out how to break the mileage barrier that currently exists for the EV versions of these vans.
In the meantime, perhaps I’ll look into this Ford Transit Trail if I ever make the jump into the van life world.
Correction (January 17, 2024): Removed mention of Dodge from the article as Ram is it’s own brand
