A man died Friday morning after crashing into a tree in El Dorado County, the California Highway Patrol said.Officers received a report just before 7:30 a.m. about a crash along westbound Highway 193 at Longview Lane between Georgetown and Greenwood, CHP said. The man, who was driving a black pickup truck, went off the right side of the road and crashed into a tree.CHP said it’s believed the man was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, and he died at the scene. The man has not been identified as officers could not locate an ID card or an address tied to the man.It is unknown if alcohol was a factor in the crash. CHP said it will have to wait for the results of a toxicology report to determine that.While the crash was reported around 7:30 a.m., CHP said it believes the crash might have happened hours before the first call.See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
GEORGETOWN, Calif. —
A man died Friday morning after crashing into a tree in El Dorado County, the California Highway Patrol said.
Officers received a report just before 7:30 a.m. about a crash along westbound Highway 193 at Longview Lane between Georgetown and Greenwood, CHP said. The man, who was driving a black pickup truck, went off the right side of the road and crashed into a tree.
CHP said it’s believed the man was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, and he died at the scene. The man has not been identified as officers could not locate an ID card or an address tied to the man.
It is unknown if alcohol was a factor in the crash. CHP said it will have to wait for the results of a toxicology report to determine that.
While the crash was reported around 7:30 a.m., CHP said it believes the crash might have happened hours before the first call.
See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.
A truck belonging to an Army recruiter was stolen in Hartford on Wednesday during a recruitment event before the driver fled after striking multiple police cruisers during a pursuit in East Hartford.
The owner of the blue Dodge pickup truck, a government-issued vehicle, was tracking the stolen truck when officers were alerted that it was in East Hartford, according to Officer Marc Caruso of the East Hartford Police Department.
The vehicle was found by police in the 400 block of Main Street. When officers attempted to pull the vehicle over, the driver backed into multiple cruisers and took off, Caruso said.
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No injuries were reported.
Police engaged in a short pursuit, according to Caruso.
The truck was later found in Manchester, where the driver took off on foot and could not immediately be found, Caruso said.
Caruso said the pickup truck had initially been stolen at an Army recruitment event in Hartford. Police are still investigating.
The all-electric Ram 1500 REV pickup truck is dead. Long live the extended-range Ram 1500 REV (once called the Ramcharger).
Stellantis, the parent company of Ram, said Friday that it will no longer develop a battery-electric full-size pickup. The company cited low demand for full-size battery-electric trucks as the primary reason, according to a statement sent to TechCrunch and posted on its website.
“As demand for full-size battery-electric trucks slows in North America, Stellantis is reassessing its product strategy and will discontinue development of a full-size BEV pickup,” the company’s statement reads. “As part of this, Ram is renaming its REEV-powered pickup to Ram 1500 REV (formerly Ramcharger). This vehicle will set a new benchmark in the half-ton segment, offering exceptional range, towing capability and payload performance.”
If the name swap is confusing, it’s because it is. But here is what’s worth knowing. Stellantis canceled plans to develop a battery electric pickup and will instead pursue an extended-range truck that gets an estimated 690 miles of range through a novel — but not unheard of — approach of combining a battery with a gas generator.
The Ram 1500 all-electric pickup was part of parent company Stellantis’ U.S. product offensive to sell more than 25 all-new BEVs by the end of the decade. But its future has been in question for months now.
After a splashy reveal at CES 2023, and other showcases in the months that followed, Stellantis wavered on its EV truck plans. Stellantis initially said it would begin producing the vehicle in 2024. That date soon slipped to 2025.
By the end of 2024, Stellantis delayed plans to develop the broad-shouldered pickup loaded with tech, a longer cabin with third-row jump seats, and two massive and industry-busting battery pack options. At the time, Stellantis said it would push its launch into 2026.
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A Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the automaker still plans to begin production of the extended-range Ram 1500 in 2026.
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — A Boulder County boy suffered minor injuries after he crashed his dirt bike into a pickup truck Wednesday morning.
The incident happened in the Safeway parking lot, located at 1601 Coalton Road, around 9:35 a.m. According to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, the boy was traveling too fast on his dirt bike when he collided with the truck “after being unable to stop in time.” The boy was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
BCSO did not provide the boy’s age.
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said this incident “reflects a broader concern: more accidents and illegal riding are being reported in the community, particularly involving juveniles on e-bikes, electric dirt bikes, and gas dirt bikes.”
The sheriff’s office said many of these crashes are linked to speed. Before your child rides, BCSO said they should be able to:
Confidently ride in traffic and at intersections
Use hand signals and avoid hazards like parked car doors
Yield to pedestrians on shared paths
Demonstrate safe habits on a regular bike first
Riders should always wear a helmet, be “smart” about passengers, follow traffic laws and stay visible.
“Fast and powerful bikes can be exciting, but they also carry serious risks,” said Sergeant Dave Salaman in a statement. “We encourage parents to talk with their children, understand the laws, and make sure young riders are ready before letting them hit the road.”
When it comes to riding such bikes in Boulder County, the sheriff’s office said “not all bikes are the same” and could be subject to various laws.
BCSO provided the following legal breakdown:
Class 1 e-bike (pedal assist, max 20 mph) – Allowed on multi-use paths and open space trails.
Class 2 e-bike (pedal assist + throttle, max 20 mph) – Allowed on multi-use paths; not recommended for children under 16.
Class 3 e-bike (pedal assist, max 28 mph) – Restricted to roads and bike lanes. Operators must be 16+, helmets are required under 18, and a speedometer must be installed.
Electric motorcycles and dirt bikes – Classified as motorized vehicles and require a motorcycle endorsement, registration, license plates, and insurance when used on public roads. They are not permitted on sidewalks or multi-use trails.
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Three teenagers were taken into custody after they were found in a stolen vehicle in Shaler Township early Friday, police said.
Shaler police said they were alerted by Franklin Park Police around 1:34 a.m. of a stolen pickup truck heading down Route 8 near Spencer Lane. Officers spotted the truck driving down Route 8 and then turning onto Burchfield Road.
Shaler officers and other surrounding agencies began searching for the vehicle. One officer spotted it near the intersection of Willruth and Jo Alyce drives.
Police said there were four people inside the truck, all dressed in black. One of them, who is believed to be a teenage boy, ran from the vehicle. The three others inside, a 15-year-old boy, a 16-year-old boy and 18-year-old Jameea Matthews, of Pittsburgh’s South Side, were all taken into custody.
Officers continued to search the neighborhood with a police K-9 and drone, but were unable to find the boy who had fled.
Shaler Township Police said they believe the group of teens was in the area to break into cars.
Earlier this week, the department told Channel 11 that they believe a recent uptick in car break-ins in is originating from outside the township. They found that juveniles will get dropped off in stolen vehicles and walk from street to street.
Police are reminding residents to lock their car doors and remove valuables, especially guns.
Measuring about half the length of a Ford F-150, Kei trucks look almost like toys in comparison to your standard pickup truck. But for a car so tiny, you might be surprised at the massive following that they command.
Kei trucks, built to satisfy Japanese light automobile regulations and known as “keitora” (meaning “light truck”) in Japan, are vehicles that have been enjoying a surge in popularity in the automobile market. Sales of Kei trucks tripled in the last five years, with around 7,500 total imported just last year, according to data from Japan Used Motor Vehicle.
Meanwhile, auto experts see the Kei truck craze as a pushback against big trucks by cash-strapped Americans as the average pickup size and average price tag skyrocketed post-pandemic, according to data from Cars.com.
But the cult following of these mini trucks might be better measured by the ubiquity of online spaces that owners and enthusiasts have carved out for themselves.
Instagram page Kei Trucks Appreciation Society (@keitrucksas) sells Kei truck-themed merchandise from hoodies to stickers and posts memes for its more than 95,000 followers. On X, Kei truck fans share pictures of mini trucks they spot in the wild.
There is even a dedicated Reddit forum where over 23,000 members trade tips on truck maintenance and their experiences importing from Japan.
But also common are discussions on the ever-changing legality of Kei trucks by state.
While federal regulation allows the import of mini trucks so long as they are 25 years or older, state laws surrounding on-road use and registration are spotty.
Most states lack Kei-specific regulation entirely, and so far, only 19 states allow Kei trucks on public roads. In New York, where laws are stricter, they can’t be registered or titled.
But despite limitations, demand for Kei trucks continues to grow.
Here’s what makes them so popular.
Tiny but mighty
On the practical end, Kei trucks combine utility and affordability.
“People want the functionality of a truck, but they don’t want the size of it or to spend $60,000 on it,” said George Zotos, owner and CEO of Kei truck brokerage company OIWA.co.
Prices for the Ford F-150 Raptor, one of the line’s higher-power models, start at $78,440. And the high-end 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country starts at $68,495.
The new Ford 2024 F-150 Raptor makes its global reveal at the 2023 North American International Detroit Auto Show on September 12, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. – Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
According to Zotos, the sticker price for Kei trucks sold in the can range anywhere from $500 to $6,000. Research by CNN shows that they can go for even more than that in good condition.
Tetsu Ichino, owner of Japanese grocery store Maruichi in Rockville, Maryland, told CNN that he bought his Kei truck for $5,000. Adding shipping and taxes, his total came to $8,100.
“I was able to buy it with my credit card. I’ve never bought a car with a credit card, so that was a first for me,” he said.
Ichino, a lifelong truck enthusiast, sold his full-size pickup Toyota Tundra in March because he didn’t use it often enough but later missed the utility it provided. He told CNN that while he originally planned to buy another similarly sized truck, he found himself caught up in the Kei truck hype.
The engine on Ichino’s 1998 Honda Acty is smaller than that of a motorcycle, but he says it’s still one of the most practical trucks out there. And in Maryland, where there are no Kei-specific rules, he mainly uses it for transporting supplies to his store.
“For the majority of what I do, I will be able to do with the Kei truck,” he said.
According to Andrew O’Bright, managing member of Japanese auto import company JDM Imports CT, most mini trucks have the same roughly 6-foot bed size as the F-150, Ford’s full-size pickup truck line known for its towing capacity and powerful engine.
“They have the utility of an F-150 while getting 30 to 50 miles to the gallon on top of cheaper insurance, cheaper gas,” he said. “Everything about them tells consumers this is the way to go.”
Novelty factor
But efficiency isn’t the Kei truck’s only point of appeal. Their unique, toy-like image also lends them a sense of novelty.
“It is hard to quantify other than people just have a fascination with this micro vehicle,” Zotos said.
He also points to the truck’s versatility as another reason why they appeal to such a wide demographic.
“We’re talking about people who are just turning 16 and getting their driver’s license,” he said. “I had another customer in Chicago who got a truck just to wrap it for advertising.”
The cuteness factor of the Kei truck has proved advantageous for Melissa Torre, founder of Philadelphia-based soap and skincare company Vellum Street.
As a small business owner, Torre is a regular at farmers markets where vendors are usually allotted a 10×10 space.
To avoid the hassle of carting her merchandise back and forth between the parking area and the market lot, she began looking into trucks she could operate her business out of. But the milk vans and box trucks she originally considered were much longer, and she would need to buy two spaces to set up shop.
Melissa Torre, founder of soap and skincare company Vellum Street, customized her 1996 Daihatsu Hijet to match her branding. – Melissa Torre/Vellum Street
In her research process, Torre came across Kei trucks, which run less than 11 feet in length.
“They would fit exactly in the allotted space that I had been using. It was just a perfect transition without having to increase my cost,” she said. “I get to just pull up and set right up in the back of my truck. So it’s made life a lot easier.”
She told CNN that she even spray-painted bubbles on her 1996 Daihatsu Hijet to match her company’s branding.
“People who may not have stopped before to talk to me at markets will stop and talk about the truck. It’s a driving billboard, but in a fun way,” she said. “Kids love it. Adults love it. People are always surprised that I actually drove it there.”
Smaller and simpler
But for all their popularity, auto experts don’t see Kei trucks becoming mainstream.
“It’d be hard to imagine,” said Mark Schirmer, director of corporate communications at Cox Automotive. He pointed to the failure of Mercedes’ Smart brand in the US but their success in Japan as an example of smaller vehicles performing better in countries with smaller roads. Smart cars, small vehicles built with only two seats and minimal trunk space by Mercedes-Benz, were introduced in 2008 but exited the U.S. market in 2019 due to weak sales.
“I think Americans are just used to space,” Schirmer added.
And non-profit organizations like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have been vocal about their opposition to on-road use of mini trucks, citing concerns about the safety of low-speed vehicles.
Still, he sees the popularity of more compact – if not quite small – truck models like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz as a sign of Americans’ appetite for a smaller truck segment.
Whereas the Ford F-150 offers 5.5-foot, 6.5-foot and 8-foot bed options, the Maverick is only available in a 4.5-foot bed. But sales numbers hit 40,420 through the first half of 2024, according to data from Ford. And data from Edmunds showed that Americans were trading in more midsize and large pickup trucks for compact trucks than vice versa.
Ivan Drury, Edmunds’ director of Insights, says climbing costs for trucks, coupled with high interest rates, are at the heart of this shifting preference toward smaller trucks.
“I think people have always liked the utility of trucks, but unfortunately, when they found out that they liked trucks 10 years ago, the price just started going through the roof,” he said. “With all the features and add-ons, you look at how much a truck has changed over the last 10 years, they’re nothing like what they used to be.”
MINUTES. ALL RIGHT, KIM, THANK YOU. IN OCALA, TWO PEOPLE GOT HURT AFTER A PICKUP TRUCK CRASHED INTO A SCHOOL BUS THAT THEN CRASHED INTO A HOME. TAKE A LOOK AT THE DAMAGE AT THAT HOUSE ON 31ST AVENUE ROAD IN MARION OAKS STATE TROOPERS SAY A PICKUP TRUCK RAN A STOP SIGN AND CRASHED INTO A SCHOOL BUS THAT SENT THE BUS INTO THE HOUSE. BOTH THE PICKUP DRIVER AND THE BUS DRIVER WERE HURT, BUT THEY’RE EXPECTED TO BE
Crash sends school bus into house in Marion County
Updated: 3:59 PM EDT Jun 26, 2024
A Marion County school bus crashed into a home Wednesday morning after officials say a pickup truck ran a stop sign. Florida Highway Patrol said the crash happened when the pickup truck driving southbound on SW 31st Avenue Road failed to stop at a stop sign at Marion Oaks Trail and hit the right side of the bus. The bus then collided with the home located on 31st Avenue Road, FHP said. Minor injuries were reported. No students were on the bus at the time of the crash, FHP said. An elderly couple was inside the home. Their son-in-law, Elvis Silberio, said they were home but did not get hurt. “They both in panic,” Silberio said. “Thank God nothing serious happened. I mean damage that can be fixed.”Silberio said a third resident in the home usually sleeps in the bedroom that crumbled after the bus crashed into it. says this could’ve had a very tragic ending because someone usually sleeps in that bedroom that is now crumbled into pieces. (HENDERSON0398 – ANNMARIE DELFINO, NEIGHBOR 00:35 – 00:40) “Praise God he was at work. Praise God, there were no children on that bus.”Marion County School District says the bus was heading to Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks to pick up students in summer school.The driver of the pickup truck was cited with a stop sign violation. No one was seriously hurt, but the school bus driver and an aide were checked at a hospital.(HENDERSON0398 – ANNMARIE DELFINO, NEIGHBOR 00:14 – 00:17) “I started to cry. You become – your neighbors become your family… (1:47 – 1:52) There’s so much speeding that goes on here. I mean it’s terrible. So much that I don’t even go out this way anymore.”In Marion County, Senait Gebregiorgis, WESH 2 News.}
MARION COUNTY, Fla. —
A crash at an intersection sent a school bus into a house in Marion County on Wednesday morning, Florida Highway Patrol said.
It happened when a vehicle driving southbound on SW 31st Avenue Road failed to stop at a stop sign at Marion Oaks Trail and hit the right side of the bus.
The bus then collided with the home located on 31st Avenue Road, FHP said.
Minor injuries were reported. No students were on the bus at the time of the crash, FHP said.
The new 2025 RAM 1500 RHO is a new behemoth from Dodge with a high-output 540-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0 liter Hurricane inline-six. While that is mouthful, the RHO is here to fill the gap left from the TRX. While it doesn’t have the V8 as the TRX, it still possesses formidable power under the hood. It compromises for loss of power with a lighter body, Baja-ready suspension, better weight and balance and improved fuel economy.
“Anybody ever hear of Hannibal Lecter?” former President Donald Trump asked last night. “He was a nice fellow. But that’s what’s coming into our country right now.”
The leader of the Republican Party—and quite likely the 2024 GOP nominee—was on an extended rant about mental institutions, prisons, and, to use his phrase, “empty insane asylums.” Speaking to thousands of die-hard supporters at a rally in South Florida, Trump lamented that, under President Joe Biden, the United States has become “the dumping ground of the world.” That he had casually praised one of the most infamous psychopathic serial killers in cinema history was but an aside, brushed over and forgotten.
This was a dystopian, at times gothic speech. It droned on for nearly 90 minutes. Trump attacked the “liars and leeches” who have been “sucking the life and blood” out of the country. Those unnamed people were similar to, yet different from, the “rotten, corrupt, and tyrannical establishment” of Washington, D.C.—a place Trump famously despises, and to which he nonetheless longs to return.
His candidacy is rife with a foreboding sense of inevitability. Trump senses it; we all do. Those 91 charges across four separate indictments? Mere inconveniences. Palm trees swayed as the 45th president peered out at the masses from atop a giant stage erected near the end zone of Ted Hendricks Stadium in Hialeah. He ceremoniously accepted an endorsement from Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, his former press secretary. He basked in stadium-size adulation and yet still seemed sort of pissed off. He wants the whole thing to be over already. Eleven miles away, in downtown Miami, Trump’s remaining rivals were fighting for relevance at the November GOP primary debate. “I was watching these guys, and they’re not watchable,” Trump said. His son Donald Jr. referred to the neighboring event as “the dog-catcher debate.”
Though not a single vote has been cast in this election, Trump’s 44-point lead and refusal to participate in debates has made a mockery of the primary. And though many try to be, no other Republican is quite like Trump. No other candidate has legions of fans who will bake in the Florida sun for hours before gates open. No one else can draw enough people to even hold a rally this size, let alone spawn a traveling rally-adjacent road show, with a pop-up midway of vendors hawking T-shirts and buttons and ball caps and doormats and Christmas ornaments. Voters don’t fan themselves with cardboard cutouts of Chris Christie’s head.
Multiple merchandise vendors told me that the shirts featuring Trump’s mug shot have become their best sellers. Some other tees bore slogans: Ultra MAGA, Ultra MAGA and Proud, CANCEL ME, Trump Rallies Matter, 4 Time Indictment Champ, Super Duper Ultra MAGA, Fuck Biden. “Thank you and have a MAGA day!” one vendor called out with glee. As attendees poured into the stadium, some of the pre-rally songs were a little too on the nose: “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” “Jailhouse Rock.” Kids darted up and down the aisles between the white folding chairs, popping out to the snack bar for ice cream and popcorn. The comedian Roseanne Barr, who a few years ago was forced out of her eponymous show’s reboot after posting a racist tweet, took the stage early and thanked the MAGA faithful for welcoming her in. “You saved my life,” she said. Feet rumbled on the metal bleachers. People danced and embraced. In the hours before the night’s headliner, this felt less like a political event and more like a revival.
I saw the GOP operative Roger Stone and his small entourage saunter past the food trucks to modest applause. Onstage, Trump complimented Stone’s political acumen. (Stone, who is sort of the Forrest Gump of modern American politics, has played a role in seemingly every major scandal from Watergate to January 6, not to mention the Brooks Brothers riot that helped deliver Florida to George W. Bush in the 2000 election.)
That afternoon, seeking air-conditioning at a nearby Wendy’s, I met Kurt Jantz, who told me he’s been to more than 100 Trump rallies. Jantz had driven down to Hialeah from his home in Tampa. His pickup truck is massive, raised, and wrapped in Trump iconography. (He has an image of Trump as Rambo with a bald eagle perched on one shoulder, surrounded by a tank, a helicopter, the Statue of Liberty, and the White House, plus a background of exploding fireworks. That’s only one side of the truck.) Jantz has found a niche as a pro-MAGA rapper—he performs under the name Forgiato Blow. Tattoos cover much of his body, including a 1776 on the left side of his face. He rolled up his basketball shorts to show me Trump’s face tattooed on his right thigh. “Trump’s a boss. Trump’s a businessman. Trump has the cars. Trump has the females. Trump’s getting the money. He’s a damn near walking rapper to the life of a rapper, right? I want a Mar-a-Lago.” Jantz said he’s met and spoken with Trump “numerous times,” as recently as a couple of months ago at a GOP fundraiser. Trump, he said, was aware of the work Jantz was doing to spread the president’s message, not only through his music. “I mean, that truck itself could change a lot of people’s ways,” he said.
Though people travel great distances to experience Trump in the flesh—I spoke with one supporter who had come down from Michigan—many attendees at last night’s event were local. Dalia Julia Gomez, 61, has lived in Hialeah for decades. She told me she fled Cuba in 1993 and supports Trump because she believes he loves “the American tradition.” Hialeah is more than 90 percent Hispanic and overwhelmingly Republican. Onstage last night, Trump warned that “Democrats are turning the United States into Communist Cuba.” People booed. Some hooted. He quickly followed up, seemingly unsure of what to say next: “And you know, because we have a lot of great Cubans here!”
Trump won Florida in 2016 and 2020. His closest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has just been endorsed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, but has otherwise been struggling to connect with voters for months. Trump has already secured many key Florida endorsements, including from Senator Rick Scott. (Senator Marco Rubio has yet to endorse.)
The night was heavy on psychological projection. “We are here tonight to declare that Crooked Joe Biden’s banana republic ends on November 5, 2024,” Trump said. Later, he vowed to “start by exposing every last crime committed by Crooked Joe Biden. Because now that he indicted me, we’re allowed to look at him. But he did real bad things,” Trump said. “We will restore law and order to our communities. And I will direct a completely overhauled DOJ to investigate every Marxist prosecutor in America for their illegal, racist, and reverse enforcement of the law on day one.”
He seemed to tiptoe around the idea of January 6, though he did not mention the day, specifically. Instead, he said: “We inherit the legacy of generations of American patriots who gave their blood, sweat, and tears to defend our country and defend our freedom.” Earlier in the day, I spoke with Todd Gerhart, who was selling Trump-shaped bottles of honey, with a portion of the profits going to January 6 defendants (Give the “Donald” a Squeeze: $20). Gerhart lives in Charleston, South Carolina, and is among the vendors who follow the Trump show around the country. He told me that Mike Lindell, the MyPillow guy, is a fan of his product, as is General Michael Flynn. He introduced me to a woman from Tennessee named Sarah McAbee, whose husband, Ronald, was convicted on five felony charges related to January 6 and is currently awaiting sentencing. She told me she’s able to speak with him by phone once a day. Yesterday she informed him she was going to the Trump rally. “It’s a one-day-at-a-time sort of thing,” she said.
About 100 yards away, people were lining up to meet Donald Trump Jr., who was scheduled to sign copies of his father’s photography book, Our Journey Together. Junior smiled and scribbled as his fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, snapped selfies with fans. Walking around yesterday afternoon, I heard a rumor: Not only had Trump already picked his next vice president, but there was no one it could conceivably be besides his loyal namesake, Don Jr.
A little while later, I saw Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, milling about. I asked him about this rumor explicitly. He gave me an inquisitive look. “President Trump’s not ready to announce his VP pick yet,” he said. “Can you even have someone from the same family? I know you can’t have two people from the same state. So that rules it out right there.”
Family remains a confounding part of the Trump story. His daughter Ivanka spent the day in Manhattan testifying in the case that could demolish what’s left of the family’s real-estate empire. Trump himself had taken the witness stand on Monday. The occasion seemed to still be weighing on him, and at the rally, yielded a microscopic moment of familial self-reflection. “Can you believe—my father and mother are looking down: ‘Son, how did that happen?’” (For this he did an impression of a parental voice.) He quickly pivoted. “‘We’re so proud of you, son,’” he said (in the voice again). It didn’t make much sense. He rambled his way to the end of the thought. “But every time I’m indicted, I consider it a great badge of honor, because I’m being indicted for you,” Trump told the crowd. “Thanks a lot, everybody.”
During my conversation with Miller, I asked him if the campaign had discussed the logistics—or practicalities—of Trump getting convicted and having to theoretically run the country from prison. “There’s nothing that the deep state can throw at us that we’re not going to be ready for,” he said. “We have a plane, we have a social-media following of over 100 million people. We have the greatest candidate that’s ever lived. There’s nothing they can do. Nothing is going to stop Donald Trump.”
What about something like a house arrest at Mar-a-Lago?
Ram is making the biggest changes in its lineup history. The sixth-generation Ram 1500 will go on sale next year as a 2025 model year truck and feature no V8 or diesel engines, but will have a battery-electric model with a range extender.
Electric power without range anxiety
Ram will be the first automaker to offer an electric truck with a range extender. This powertrain set up sees a battery and engine work together to continously charge the battery, allowing owners to have access to far more range than they would typically get from a battery-electric truck. It will be called the Ram 1500 Ramcharger.
This model is not to be confused with the Ram REV all-electric truck, which will come with electric motors and battery like a Ford F-150 Lightning, competing directly with it and the forthcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV.
“I would call this the ultimate battery electric vehicle. Think about the business side of that: a 92-kilowatt-hour battery that never worries about range or towing. It functions as a pure battery-electric truck, with all the instantaneous torque, all the power, but without any of the downsides,” said Tim Kuniskis, head of the Ram brand.
“I think it becomes obvious to a customer because there’s so many advantages to a battery electric vehicle. But there are certain things that are slowing people down. And if I can say the things that are slowing you down are charge time and range anxiety and infrastructure, you don’t have to worry about it with this.”
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The 2025 Ram 1500 adds a Tungsten trim to the top of the lineup. Stellantis
Ram says the combination powertrain in the Ramcharger will deliver 663 horsepower (hp) and 615 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque with a tow rating up to 14,000 pounds. It thinks this is the bridge truck buyers need to ease into electric vehicle ownership.
“It’s an electric vehicle because the power is flowing from the battery, or the 130-kilowatt generator through electric drive modules. There’s no connection between this generator assembly and the wheels like one might find in even a plug-in hybrid. All the propulsion is electrical,” Doug Killian, Ram chief engineer said at the launch event.
The generator is powered by a 3.6-liter V6, known as the Pentastar engine, which parent brand Stellantis has been putting in everything from Jeep to Dodge since its inception in 2010.
Ramcharger will offer owners 145 miles of all-electric power, with a total range of 690 miles when the battery and engine team up. This is designed to help alleviate some of the consumer anxiety surrounding towing with electric vehicle power.
The 2025 Ram 1500 RamCharger has an all-electric range of 145 miles. Stellantis
The truck’s liquid-cooled battery pack is positioned under the floor in the center of the truck.
The 400-volt electrical system works with DC fast charging stations to add 50 miles of all-electric range in approximately 10 minutes.
Heavy-duty presence of a light-duty truck
Ram designers said they had three main pillars of upgrades in mind for the next generation of its 1500 pickup truck.
“The first was to increase and amplify the heroic presence that the Ram has been known for. So what we wanted to do was bring a measure of the heavy-duty presence into the light duty space with this truck. We also wanted to increase the visual modularity of the trucks through the use of technology. So on the exterior we do that we do that typically through lighting technology,” said Jeffrey Ross, chief exterior designer for the Ram truck brand.
“As designers we know that lighting technology and lit signature elements are very powerful ways to telegraph brand identity and brand equity, really making the trucks recognizable as Ram products. And thirdly, we wanted to amplify the most no-compromise, upscale, aspirational luxury truck in the market,” he said.
The 2025 Ram 1500 RamCharger offers an illuminated Ram badge. Stellantis
The new look encompasses a fresh fascia, with different styling cues for different Ram models, along with a new logo treatment and new rear end. The Ram insignia is bigger on all models than in the previous generation, and offered with illumination on the Ramcharger. Ram says this truck is more aerodynamic than its predecessors.
A new ultra-premium Tungsten model joins the 2025 Ram 1500 lineup that also includes Tradesman, Big Horn/Lone Star, Laramie, Rebel, Limited Longhorn and Limited grades.
In addition to the Ramcharger’s powertrain, Ram will offer the Pentastar V6 as a standalone engine option. Buyers can also opt for a 3.0-liter Hurricane engine that’s rated at 420 hp and 469 lb-ft. of torque or the new High Output Hurricane that’s rated at 540 hp and 521 lb-ft. of torque.
The high-output pickup comes with a maximum towing capacity of 11,580 pounds, a maximum payload of 2,300 pounds and up to 24-inches of water fording.
The 2025 Ram 1500 RamCharger comes with screens for both driver and passenger. Stellantis
The cabin features a familiar layout with added luxury touches. Ram will offer new 24-way adjustable, massaging seats as well as the Uconnect 5 infotainment system with a new 14.5-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a segment-first 10.25-inch passenger screen.
The passenger screen is shuttered so the driver can’t see what’s playing. This is similar to how similar technology is presented in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and in the Grand Wagoneer.
A digital rearview mirror, head-up display (HUD) and a Klipsch Reference Premiere audio system are also available.
Pricing and fuel efficiency numbers for the new-generation Ram 1500 are expected to be revealed closer to the truck’s on sale date.
Deliveries of the 2025 Ram 1500 will begin in the first quarter of 2024.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
