Selling 8000 pickup trucks is no easy feat. Just ask an automaker like Toyota - it sold less than 8000 Tundras in the month of January - Ram sold more than that between the afternoon of February 7th and the morning of February 10th. Even more impressive is the fact that most of Ram's customers haven't even had the chance to drive the new diesel-powered Ram yet, and yet they've still placed 8000 orders for the new truck.

Initial sales of the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel shouldn't be surprising, especially given the fact that customers have been asking automakers for more fuel-efficient full-size pickups for years. The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is equipped with a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 making 240 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, paired with the only eight-speed automatic transmission in the segment, which allows the Ram to tow up to 9200 pounds, while still achieving an EPA-estimated 20/28/23 mpg city/highway/combined.

The first 8000 Ram 1500 EcoDiesels account for more than half of Ram 1500 orders. Ram says the first batch of trucks will be closely scrutinized to make sure quality is up to par, before being shipped in March. Ram will begin taking orders for the EcoDiesel again in early March. Priority will be given to customers who special order the diesel-powered Ram, with dealer stock to be taken care of after customers get their trucks.

Source: Ram