Dodge CEO Foresees The End Of Hellcat V8 Due To Fuel Economy

Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis recently conducted an interview where he talked about the future of the iconic V8 cars Dodge produces. The bad news is that the executive foresees a time when Dodge V8 models, like the Hellcat line with supercharged V-8 engines, will come to an end due to tightening fuel economy requirements.

This has already happened with Dodge confirming that the Durango Hellcat won't return for the 2022 model year because it doesn't meet the platform's emissions requirements. However, all isn't lost as Kuniskis says that EVs, be they hybrids or all-electric, can save muscle cars. Dodge may begin producing fully electric vehicles under its new parent company Stellantis.

There are several hypercars on the market that boost performance significantly using hybrid power. While the V8 might go away, performance won't, and that is a good thing indeed. Kuniskis says the days of an iron block supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 are numbered. He said that they're numbered because of compliance costs, but the performance generated by those vehicles isn't numbered.

He sees the potential for vehicles like hybrids with a less powerful engine or all-electric vehicles to save what he has dubbed the "Golden Age of muscle cars." He also refers to electrification as "Performance 2.0," predicting that it will occur once EV technologies come down in price and go more mainstream.

The executive also took time to talk about Hellcat products saying that they have gone beyond initial expectations. He says that they have gone well beyond what traditional, very high-end trim does, noting that the company has sold over 50,000 Hellcat models in the last five years or so. Considering how expensive the Hellcat models are, selling 50,000 units in five years is impressive.