Mike Manley, the CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, said yes (sort of) in an interview with The Detroit News at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). According to Manley, the technology used in the supercharged V-8 that so many have come to know and love from the Hellcat/Demon won’t be used past the mid-2020’s. Instead, Dodge is going to make the move towards more emissions-friendly and weight-reductive technologies in order to satisfy more stringent government standards while still maintaining a high performance output. That means electric motors along with an update to the body and chassis.
That doesn’t mean you won’t still get that American muscle car rumble from under the hood. Electric motors have been used as a way to increase power and torque in cars and trucks for years. They provide you with supplemental power that, in a lot of cases, can be delivered faster than more traditional methods.
Manley didn’t go into specifics but said, “I think that electrification will certainly be part of the formula that says what is American muscle in the future. What it isn’t going to be is a V-8, supercharged, 700-horsepower engine.”
The twin-turbo V-6 is a popular choice and one that many think Dodge will add to newer models using electric motors as a power supplement but we’ll all just have to wait and see.
For the full interview with Mike Manley, head over to The Detroit News.
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