Last year, Stellantis introduced the Ram 1500 Special Service Vehicle, a pickup designed for use by park rangers, fire departments, police, and other government agencies, and now the 1500's bigger brother is getting similar treatment with the reveal of the 2027 Ram 2500 Emergency Response Vehicle, which the brand is calling the "first pursuit-capable heavy-duty truck." Like the 1500 SSV, it's aimed at law enforcement, fire, rescue, and emergency response agencies, providing them with the towing and hauling capability of a 3/4-ton truck along with enough performance to keep up with the bad guys. Let's take a closer look.
HEMI V8 Power Helps Ram's ERV Pass Police Tests
Stellantis
The new truck is the first (and thus far only) 3/4-ton truck to complete Michigan State Police vehicle trials, which include 0-60 mph, 0-80 mph, and 0-100 mph acceleration tests, achieving figures of 8.41 seconds, 13.22 seconds, and 20.5 seconds, respectively. Those figures are "within two seconds" of some smaller and lighter 1/2-ton trucks and SUVs, and the 2027 Ram ERV tops out at 103 mph, limited by its tires, a speed it can achieve in under half a mile. Under the hood is a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 delivering 405 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque to a TorqueFlite HD eight-speed automatic transmission, which feeds a selectable two-speed transfer case and a new differential with a 4.10 axle ratio (3.73 is the standard Ram 2500 axle ratio).
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To ensure the truck can handle the occasional bashing, a transfer case skid plate is fitted, and the 18-inch wheels are made of steel. To support all the added equipment that various agencies will need to work with, the truck also gets dual 400-amp alternators and a Vehicle System Interface Module, which adds auxiliary switches and dedicated wiring circuits to make upfitting easy.
Ram's New ERV Can Handle Bends, Too
Stellantis
Michigan State Police Testing also included high-speed maneuverability tests, braking trials, and hot laps at Grattan Raceway, near Grand Rapids, Michigan (the track is currently for sale, by the way). This track has a 160-degree hairpin, a downhill reverse-camber section, and a 3,200-foot straight, so the ERV was certainly put to the test in as many ways as possible, and its passing was partly attributed to its five-link coil rear suspension. Stellantis didn't reveal what the truck costs, but since it's not aimed at civilians, that doesn't matter. The 2027 Ram 2500 Emergency Response Vehicle will be available to fleets from the second half of the year.
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