DETROIT – Stelllantis Returns its popular V-8 HEMI engine for its RAM 1500 vans from this summer, the company announced on Thursday.
The return of the 5.7-liter engine comes after the company interrupted the powertrain in the middle of the tightening regulations of the fuel economy and a thrust on the company's scale to electric vehicles and more effective engines last year under the CEO Ex-Stellantis Carlos Tavares.
The CEO of RAM, Tim Kuniskis, who was not retired from the car manufacturer at the end of last year, admitted that the decision to cancel the Hemi engine for its popular RAM 1500 focused on consumer was a mistake.
“Everyone makes mistakes, but the way you manage them defines you. Ram has messed up when we dropped the hemi – we have it and we have corrected it,” Kuniskis said in a press release. “We are not just a legendary V8 engine, we ignite an assertive product plan and expanding freedom of choice in the motorcycle group for our customers.”
This is the latest reversal of car manufacturers this year, because the adoption EV has been slower than expected, and the Trump administration has sought to relax many initiatives by former president Joe Biden to keep the automotive industry from internal combustion engines Godus.
The CEO of RAM, Tim Kuniskis, during a media event, to reintroduce the HEMI V-8 engine at the North American headquarters of Stellantis in June 2025.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
The announcement of Hemi, which intervenes while the automaker, the plans of its electric trucks, are part of a new product recovery plan by Kuniskis which includes 25 ads of products over a period of 18 months.
RAM sales have been struggling for years in the midst of price increases and production accidents, as well as the car manufacturer killing the HEMI engine – a basic food from the automaker and its predecessors since the 1950s.
Kuniskis said it expects HEMI to represent 25% to 40% of sales of RAM 1500 vans. RAM continued to offer HEMI engines in larger vans.
The RAM has interrupted HEMI in exchange for a more effective double turbocharger engine, online at six cylinders, called the hurricane. This engine will continue to be offered, the HEMI as an option of $ 1,200 on most models. A 3.6 -liter V6 engine is standard on entry -level models.
Kuniskis said his absolute priority when he returned in December was to bring Hemi back to Ram Trucks. He first declared that the estimates took 18 months, which the company reduced in six months through a special project team – the Coded F15 name.
The 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 offers 395 horsepower and 410 feet of torque. The hurricane which replaced it at 420 horsepower and 469 torque book, while a broadband version of the hurricane engine is evaluated at 540 horsepower and 521 pounds of torque.
Dodge Ram Display is seen at the New York International Auto Show on April 16, 2025.
Danielle Devries | CNBC
Unlike previous generations of the truck, the vehicle will not include “Hemi” on the side on the vehicle. Instead, the company has created a new badge which has a head of ram coming out of a Hemi engine which he calls his “protest symbol”.
The new logo and the name are an effort to regain customers who may have decided not to buy a RAM truck because the company has tried to push more efficient engines and electric vehicles on them.
“They hate the fact that we removed freedom of choice,” Kuniskis said at a press briefing. “We, as Impsians, probably even more truck buyers, we hated the fact that we said:” This is the choice you get. “”
Kuniskis said that the automaker should possibly offer electric or hybrid vans to help meet emissions and requirements of the fuel economy for RAM, but he refused to disclose a period updated after several delays.