Photo: Dodge
The Ram 1500 features the eTorque mild-hybrid system, and in the next handful years, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles plans to go even greener. This strategy will not take a toll on the performance-oriented Dodge brand, which includes land missiles such as the Charger and Challenger.
Micky Bly is the global powertrain chief at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and speaking to The Detroit Bureau, he made it clear that “we’re not leaders (in electrification) now, but we will be soon.” This change of heart comes courtesy of ever-stringent emissions regulations, described by Bly as “a tipping point.”
Beyond these buzzwords, what does Fiat Chrysler Automobiles actually plan going forward? Former chief executive Sergio Marchionne pledged more than $10 billion in electrification, and Bly has been tasked to develop an all-inclusive strategy for the next three to five years. Current chief executive officer Tim Kuniskis suggested that electrification is coming to Dodge, and Bly added that this eco-friendly technology “has a role.”
Referencing the 707-horsepower Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody, the powertrain chief is aware that “people want more than (what’s available) today.” To this effect, a mild-hybrid system that offers more than 130 pound-feet of torque in short bursts is one of the possible developments for the 6.2-liter supercharged engine and lesser versions of the HEMI V8.
In the case of the Ram 1500, the 48-volt system improves fuel efficiency by 10 to 12 percent in real-world driving. The 5.7-liter engine consumes 1.7 ounces of fuel at a 90-second stoplight, but on the upside, the eTorque is capable of shutting off the engine for up to 10 minutes at a time. Better still, the short burst under acceleration adds 130 pound-feet of torque at low revs to the already torquey HEMI V8.
Bly further told The Detroit Bureau that all-electric models will have a bigger role in the coming years, greater than mild hybrids, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids. “There are a lot of (electrified) products coming,” he concluded.
Beyond these buzzwords, what does Fiat Chrysler Automobiles actually plan going forward? Former chief executive Sergio Marchionne pledged more than $10 billion in electrification, and Bly has been tasked to develop an all-inclusive strategy for the next three to five years. Current chief executive officer Tim Kuniskis suggested that electrification is coming to Dodge, and Bly added that this eco-friendly technology “has a role.”
Referencing the 707-horsepower Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody, the powertrain chief is aware that “people want more than (what’s available) today.” To this effect, a mild-hybrid system that offers more than 130 pound-feet of torque in short bursts is one of the possible developments for the 6.2-liter supercharged engine and lesser versions of the HEMI V8.
In the case of the Ram 1500, the 48-volt system improves fuel efficiency by 10 to 12 percent in real-world driving. The 5.7-liter engine consumes 1.7 ounces of fuel at a 90-second stoplight, but on the upside, the eTorque is capable of shutting off the engine for up to 10 minutes at a time. Better still, the short burst under acceleration adds 130 pound-feet of torque at low revs to the already torquey HEMI V8.
Bly further told The Detroit Bureau that all-electric models will have a bigger role in the coming years, greater than mild hybrids, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids. “There are a lot of (electrified) products coming,” he concluded.
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