It would appear as though the small (by American standards) diesel revolution for half-ton pickup trucks has run its course. They’re turning the lights off and sweeping the paper streamers off the floor, and according to an announcement made on Tuesday, Ram is discontinuing its excellent EcoDiesel V6 in January of 2023.
In case you’re wondering what the big deal is, the EcoDiesel V6 is/was a great engine with respectable power and torque output, especially for those who liked to tow. Add in a totally bananas four-figure cruising range thanks to a big ol’ fuel tank and good overall engine efficiency – 32 mpg highway is nothing to sneeze at in a full-size truck — and you have a recipe for a good time.
The engine made its debut back in 2014 and presaged the introduction of smaller diesel engines from GM (the 3.0-liter Duramax in the Silverado) and Ford (the Powerstroke V6), and while it outlived the Ford, it’s survived by the Duramax. It got an update in 2020 with even better fuel economy.
“Our Ram EcoDiesel V-6 engine has delighted consumers with the highest half-ton diesel torque rating and towing capability while being the first to exceed 1,000 miles of range,” said Mike Koval Jr, Ram brand CEO, in a statement. “As we quickly pivot toward an electrified future, we wanted to celebrate this last EcoDiesel milestone by offering our loyal light-duty diesel enthusiasts a final opportunity to order the truck they love.”
If you want to get your EcoDiesel 1500 while the getting is good, you’ll have to head down to your local Ram dealer ASAP and order a four-wheel drive crew cab model in either Tradesman, Big Horn/Lone Star, Laramie, Limited Longhorn or Limited trims.