Big news in muscle-car land: Stellantis just pumped the brakes on its all-electric future and is revving up the HEMI again. Former CEO Carlos Tavares wanted to electrify everything; new boss Antonio Filosa is flipping the script — bringing V-8 rumble back while still sprinkling in some EVs. Here’s exactly what’s changing and why.
What’s Still Going Electric
- Dodge Charger Daytona — already on sale
- Jeep Wagoneer S — already on sale
- Jeep Recon — the electric off-roader arrives later this year
- Fiat 500e — sticks around
What Got Cancelled
- The pure-electric Ram pickup — replaced by the Ram 1500 REV range-extender hybrid
- A planned Chrysler electric crossover — shelved indefinitely
The Gas-Powered Comeback
This is where it gets interesting. The 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 returns as an option on the Ram 1500. HEMIs are coming back across the Jeep lineup. And Ram is re-entering the midsize truck segment in 2027 — a market it left years ago.
What Leadership Is Saying
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis says they “desperately” need a midsize truck — a tacit admission that walking away from the segment cost Stellantis market share to Toyota, Ford, and GM. Jeep boss Bob Broderdorf went further, vowing to “tap the power and performance of the HEMI” and add more horsepower across the Wrangler, Gladiator, and Grand Cherokee lineups.
Why The Shift?
Two things changed the math:
- EV demand is cooling. Charger Daytona sales have been slower than expected. Wagoneer S inventory is piling up. Buyers who’d grown up on V-8 muscle aren’t converting to electric at the rate Stellantis modeled.
- Tariffs are rising. New U.S. import tariffs on parts and finished vehicles make Stellantis’s European and Mexican EV supply chain more expensive — exactly when domestic V-8 production looks cheaper by comparison.
So Stellantis is hedging its bets — keeping EVs for the buyers who actually want them, but bringing back the burly V-8s that built the brand’s reputation in the first place.
What This Means For Buyers
- Dodge fans: A V-8 Charger isn’t dead — expect HEMI options to return on the next-gen platform
- Jeep fans: More HEMI power is coming back across the lineup
- Ram fans: HEMI is back in the 1500, a midsize truck is coming in 2027, and the REV hybrid replaces the pure EV
- EV buyers: Stellantis isn’t abandoning electric — just pacing it
The Bottom Line
What do you think — should Dodge and Jeep lean back into HEMIs, or push harder on electric? Drop your take below and follow us for more automotive deep dives.
