Light-duty diesel engine arrived in 2014
Expected to be replaced by EV Ram in 2024
Ram is dropping the EcoDiesel engine from its light-duty pickup trucks after 2023. But at least the company is giving you some advanced notice so you can pick up the fuel-sipper before it’s gone for good.
The 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 was introduced in the Ram 1500 for 2014, making it the first light-duty diesel option since GM dropped theirs in 1992. It offered more torque than any other half-ton pickup and with a 28 mpg rating delivered better highway fuel economy than any half-ton ever built (at the time). It even beat the best midsize truck at the time.
For 2020, the diesel engine got some upgrades. Torque was boosted to a whopping 480 lb-ft, and the truck could tow up to 12,560 lbs. Fuel economy got even better, up to 32 mph highway or 29 for a 4×4 model.
But production of the engine will end in January of 2023. The eventual replacement will be an electric Ram pickup, expected to go on sale in 2024. Ram also has mild hybrid versions of its V6 and V8 engines that can deliver up to 24 mpg on the highway.
The 2023 Ram 1500 will offer the EcoDiesel engine on crew cab 4×4 trucks only, and orders are open now. The engine can be had with Tradesman, Big Horn, and the Laramie luxury models.
