11/07/2023 - WorldOra's Carbon News

The Hemi fades away as Stellantis electrifies its Ram trucks.

Reuters reports - Stellantis (STLAM.MI) will offer a previously undisclosed plug-in hybrid model of its Ram pickup truck, called Ramcharger, and phase out V-8 Hemi engines as part of its strategy to cut the CO2 emissions of its North American fleet.

Stellantis will no longer offer the popular Hemi V-8 engine in 2025-model light-duty Ram pickup trucks and instead will offer six-cylinder combustion engines, in addition to the previously announced battery-electric Ram REV and the Ramcharger, the automaker said.

Selling more hybrid and electric trucks and improving the fuel efficiency of Ram combustion models is critical to Chrysler parent Stellantis. The company is paying fines for failing to meet U.S. emissions standards, and faces steeper penalties as those rules get tighter.

A Hemi V-8 will still be offered in Ram heavy-duty trucks. The company has not disclosed future production plans for light-duty Ram Classic trucks, which are based on previous generation Ram designs. Hemi engines are currently available on certain Ram Classic models.

Inline six-cylinder engines once were common in U.S. pickup trucks. But the Detroit brands shifted to V-8 engines in the 1980s and 1990s as customers demanded more power. Now, Detroit automakers are moving back to smaller, high-output engines and electrified powertrains to comply with stricter CO2 emissions standards.