DETROIT — Stellantis is resurrecting its well-liked V-8 Hemi engine for its Ram 1500 full-size pickup vans starting this summer season, the corporate mentioned Thursday.
The return of the 5.7-liter engine comes after the company discontinued the powertrain amid tightening gas economic system laws and a companywide push towards electrical autos and extra environment friendly engines final yr beneath ex-Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares.
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis, who unretired from the automaker late final yr, admitted the choice to cancel the Hemi engine for its well-liked consumer-focused Ram 1500 was a mistake.
“Everybody makes errors, however the way you deal with them defines you. Ram screwed up after we dropped the Hemi — we personal it and we fastened it,” Kuniskis mentioned in a press launch. “We’re not simply bringing again a legendary V-8 engine, we’re igniting an assertive product plan and increasing the liberty of alternative in powertrain for our clients.”
It is the medical science reversal in automakers’ plans this yr, as EV adoption has been slower than expected, and because the Trump administration has sought to unwind a lot of former President Joe Biden‘s initiatives to push the auto trade away from gas-guzzling inner combustion engines.
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis throughout a media occasion to reintroduce the Hemi V-8 engine at Stellantis’ North American headquarters in June 2025.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
The Hemi announcement, which comes as the automaker delays plans for its electric trucks, is a part of a brand new product turnaround plan by Kuniskis that features 25 product bulletins over an 18-month interval.
Ram’s gross sales have been struggling for years amid worth will increase and manufacturing mishaps, in addition to the automaker killing off the Hemi engine — a staple of the automaker and its predecessors because the Nineteen Fifties.
Kuniskis mentioned he expects Hemi to characterize 25% to 40% of the Ram 1500 pickup vans’ gross sales. Ram has continued to supply Hemi engines in bigger pickup vans.
Ram discontinued the Hemi in trade for a extra environment friendly twin-turbocharged, inline-six-cylinder engine known as the Hurricane. That engine will proceed to be supplied, with the Hemi as a $1,200 possibility on most fashions. A 3.6-liter V-6 engine is commonplace on entry-level fashions.
Kuniskis mentioned his high precedence when he returned in December was to get the Hemi again into Ram vans. He initially mentioned estimates had been for it to take 18 months, which the corporate lower down into six months by way of a particular mission group — codenamed F15.
The 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 delivers 395 horsepower and 410 foot-pounds of torque. The Hurricane that changed it has 420 horsepower and 469 foot-pounds of torque, whereas a high-output model of the Hurricane engine is rated at 540 horsepower and 521 foot-pounds of torque.
Dodge Ram show is seen on the New York Worldwide Auto Present on April 16, 2025.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Not like earlier generations of the truck, the car is not going to characteristic “HEMI” on the aspect on the car. As a substitute, the corporate has created a brand new badge that contains a Ram’s head popping out of a Hemi engine that it is calling its “Image of Protest.”
The brand new emblem and title are an effort to regain clients who could have determined to not purchase a Ram truck as a result of the corporate tried to push extra environment friendly engines and EVs upon them.
“They hate the truth that we took away the liberty of alternative,” Kuniskis mentioned at a press briefing. “We, as Individuals, in all probability much more so truck consumers, hate the truth that we mentioned, ‘That is the selection you get.'”
Kuniskis mentioned the automaker remains to be anticipated to finally supply electrical or hybrid pickup vans to help in assembly emissions and gas economic system necessities for Ram, however he declined to reveal an up to date time-frame after a number of delays.