Beat selling out ProMaster City valve following the current model year. The US truck manufacturer has no plans to replace the ProMaster City with a similar model, either in the immediate or distant future. Ram’s parent company, Stellantisdon’t see any point in competing in the small commercial van segment, like Automotive News report, now the segment is dying.
The news of Ram ProMaster City leaving Ram’s lineup is the latest in a slew of pickup trucks from the US market. The Ford Transit Connect disappeared; the Nissan NV200, as well as its sibling, the Chevrolet City Express, finished; and even a little bigger Mercedes-Benz Metris is out.
The 2022 Ram ProMaster City is one of the last surviving small models, but automakers are turning their attention to EVs in the commercial segment.
Arguably, small cargo vans are fuel efficient. They offer more miles per gallon at the cost of cargo capacity than larger models like Ram ProMasterwill remain in existence after the ProMaster City ceases production and the last few models are sent to dealers in early 2023.
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Although these minivans have Practical vehicles, theirs biggest strength is lower fuel cost, and automakers believe electric vehicles will make smaller gas-efficient vans obsolete. Amazon has committed to a small team EV ProMasters.
Of course, that ignores the fact that production of small EV commercial trucks is completely within reach; size and electrification are not mutually exclusive. A smaller EV delivery van could use a smaller battery and would be practical for last-mile deliveries in cities. I bet at some point – at least, I hope – smaller EVs will return to being attractive for the same reason as in the past: efficiency.
Despite their strengths, demand for small commercial trucks has is declining for several years. Ram ProMaster City peaked in 2016 with 15,972 deliveries but this number gradually decreased until reaching 10,409 in 2020. Automotive News reported a 40% spike in 2021 acquired ProMaster City.
The small cargo van was supposed to be discontinued in 2021, but a spike in sales extended its life to the first quarter of 2023. I suspect the small cargo vans are not well made. It only took them a year, or two, until the automakers realized that electric cars and minivans might be a good fit.
