The Hemi fades away as Stellantis electrifies its Ram trucks
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[November 07, 2023] By
Joseph White
DETROIT (Reuters) - Stellantis 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.
The plug-in hybrid Ramcharger model, scheduled to go on sale by 2025, is
a bet that many Detroit brand buyers are not ready for an all-electric
pickup like the Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T, Ford's F-150 Lightning or
the all-electric Chevy Silverado from General Motors.
GM and Ford have scaled back production plans for their electric trucks
as demand has fallen short of earlier goals.
For the near term, most Ram trucks will be powered by combustion
engines. Starting in the first quarter of 2024, the eight-cylinder Hemi
that has been central to light-duty Ram pickup marketing since 2003 will
be phased out.
Instead, 2025 light-duty Ram trucks will be powered by 3.0-liter, inline
six-cylinder "Hurricane" engines - including one version rated at 540
horsepower - or an older 3.6-liter V-6, Ram officials said during a
media briefing.
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The Ram 1500 Revolution electric concept pickup truck is unveiled
during a Stellantis keynote address at CES 2023, an annual consumer
electronics trade show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. January 5, 2023.
REUTERS/Steve Marcus/File Photo
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.
Ford said in September it plans for up to 20% of its redesigned
F-150 lineup to sell with hybrid powertrains.
GM offers four-cylinder and eight-cylinder gas engines and a diesel
powertrain in its Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks. GM is
ramping up production of all-electric Silverado and Sierras but has
not announced plans for hybrid models.
Stellantis has previously said it will sell an all-electric Ram
pickup called the Ram Rev starting in late 2024. Stellantis
executives said the Ramcharger will be a more affordable and
practical alternative for customers who want better fuel economy but
are worried about driving range, access to charging and towing
capability.
The Ramcharger will use a six-cylinder gasoline engine as a
generator to recharge the truck's 92 kWh battery pack. The
all-electric Ram REV has a 168 kWh battery pack in the base model
that costs thousands more.
"Think of the cost per kilowatt-hour," Ram brand chief Tim Kuniskis
said in a media briefing, though he would not give a precise figure
for the cost difference.
(Reporting by Joe White in Detroit; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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