Electric pickup trucks are slowly becoming a thing. Major companies like Ford, General Motors, and Tesla have already announced electrified trucks, but smaller brands like Rivian and Lordstown are also working on their own competitors for this niche. And now it seems that Ram Trucks is also joining in, as confirmed by Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley. The EV was announced during the company's third-quarter earnings conference, but there's no timeline yet.

Ram is finally going all-electric

Speaking at the company's third-quarter financial conference, Mankey said that "there will be an electrified Ram pickup in the marketplace." He did not provide specific information as to when it might arrive, but he added that "I would ask you just to stay tuned for a little while, and we'll tell you exactly when that will be."

The statement comes only a few days after General Motors showcased a pre-production version of the GMC Hummer EV}. The brand's first all-electric truck, the GMC Hummer revives the nameplate that was popular in the 1990s and 2000s as both a truck and SUV. Ford recently revealed that it would build a new factory to produce an electric version of the F-150, leaving FCA as the only Detroit-based giant without specific plans for such a truck.

When will Ram release its all-electric pickup truck

But with many companies already on their way to release production electric trucks, Ram is probably upping the ante in that direction and we might see the first signs for a Ram EV as soon as 2021 in prototype or concept form. However, a production model won't arrive before 2022 or even 2023, depending on the company's resources.

In a couple of years, we should already have access to all-electric trucks from General Motors, Tesla, and Ford. Tesla's Cybertruck is already underway, while the GMC Hummer is scheduled to go into production 2021. Ford's electrified F-150 could also break cover toward the end of 2021. But unlike GMC, which will position the Hummer EV in the premium market, Ram will compete against Ford and Tesla with an entry-level model priced at around $40,000.

FCA is expanding its electric vehicle portfolio

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which currently owns Ram Trucks, is already expanding into the electric vehicle market. While brands like Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, and Dodge are still relying solely on combustion engines, Fiat, Jeep, and Maserati have already taken small step into electrification. Fiat offered the 500e in California for a few years and a more mainstream, next-generation model is in the works. Maserati is now selling a hybrid version of the Ghibli, while Jeep unveiled a hybrid version of the popular Wrangler for 2021.

FCA's recently announced alliance with the PSA Group could mean that Ram will have access to new electric motor and battery technology. PSA is now offering electrified vehicles through the DS brand, including a hybrid variant of the DS 7 Crossback and an all-electric version of the DS 3 Crossback. The alliance is called Stellantis and includes no fewer than 15 vehicle brands from Italy, France, the United States, and Great Britain.