Ram first introduced the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 to its light-duty 1500 lineup in 2014. Now, after nearly a decade of providing high torque output with decent efficiency, it’s time to bid the EcoDiesel farewell.
Ram this week announced that the EcoDiesel V6 will cease production in January 2023. But it’s not done quite yet, so the automaker is making a last shout out to prospective buyers, to let them know the end is nigh.
The 2023 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is only offered in the pickup’s crew-cab, four-wheel-drive configuration. But it can be added to a number of trims, including Tradesman, Big Horn, Lone Star, Laramie, Limited Longhorn and Limited. The 3.0-liter V6 currently puts out 260 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque, and it connects to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
In addition to allowing for some prodigious torque figures, the EcoDiesel V6 is also surprisingly efficient. According to Environmental Protection Agency estimates, a Ram 1500 4WD equipped with the EcoDiesel can return up to 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined. That’s between 2 and 5 mpg higher than what a similarly equipped Ram 1500 with a 3.6-liter gas V6 can muster.
Like many other discontinuation stories in 2022, the looming specter of electrification is the primary reason for the EcoDiesel’s departure. Ram will launch a battery-electric 1500 in 2024, followed by additional electrified vehicles in 2025, before eventually offering electrification in every segment it serves by 2030. All we’ve seen of the upcoming electric Ram 1500 is a teaser, showing off some interesting angles and some massive running lights, and we’ll likely get more information as we move into 2023 and beyond.
