Ram admitted it screwed up by killing a legacy American-made engine known for its raw power — and is revved up to bring it back after facing major backlash.
The automaker had discontinued the beloved HEMI V-8 engine from its 2025 Ram trucks as part of a “woke” pivot by the since-ousted CEO of parent company Stellantis Carlos Tavares,
But new Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis, who came out of retirement last last year, offered up a mea culpa over the decision to pull the plug on the engine that powered the top-selling truck for decades.
In a newly-released ad, Kuniskis publicly acknowledged the misstep and said Ram is reversing course by bringing back the gas-guzzling HEMI engine in 2026 models.
“We own it. We got it wrong. And we’re fixing it,” Kuniskis announces in the commercial.
Ram ditched the HEMI as part of its broader push toward meeting stricter emissions regulations enacted by the Biden administration as well as its goal of improving fuel efficiency across its lineup.
President Trump administration has pushed to scrap many of Biden’s green initiatives.
“When Ram made the decision to discontinue production of the iconic HEMI V-8, the internet erupted, and lifelong loyalists voiced their outrage across social media,” Lindsay Fifelski, head of Ram brand advertising, told Fast Company.
“We knew we couldn’t market our way around this moment; we had to meet it head-on.”
The Ram ad also features screeching tires and Kuniskis narrating over the roar of engines as drives the Ram Truck on a NASCAR track.
“You hear that? That’s our HEMI, and it’s saying, ‘I’m back,’” he bellows, as the truck blazes down the track.
A fan chimes in: “Did he say what I think he said? That thing’s got a HEMI!”
“Hell, yeah, it does!” another said.
Later, amid tire smoke and cheering crowds, Kuniskis leaned into the hype.
“You want more? Buckle up. Ram’s coming back to NASCAR,” he said.
He offered up one last rallying cry — “Let’s f–king go!” — then ended the commercial with a promise: “We’re back in America’s motorsport. The HEMI’s back. And we ain’t going anywhere.”
Ram and its parent brand Dodge left NASCAR after the 2012 season.
The commercial, created by ad agency Argonaut, doubles as an apology and a reintroduction of the HEMI, which is named for the hemispherical shape of the engine’s combustion chambers.
The HEMI is unique in that the shape of its chambers allows for better airflow, higher efficiency and greater power output. The engine delivers up to 717+ horsepower in supercharged variants and is prized for its durability, low-end torque and distinctive rumble.
The iconic engine was replaced by the new Hurricane lineup of more powerful and efficient 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six engines during the refresh of the fifth-generation Ram 1500 light-duty truck.
The move aligned with parent company Stellantis’ global electrification and downsizing strategy, which emphasized smaller, more efficient powertrains like the Hurricane.
The company positioned the Hurricane as more powerful and fuel-efficient than the outgoing V8 — but the decision sparked backlash from loyalists who valued the HEMI’s iconic rumble, durability, and cultural significance.
Ram’s overall sales dropped more than 18% year over year in 2024.
Kuniskis told CNBC that he expects the HEMI to account for 25% to 40% of Ram 1500 pickup truck sales in 2025.
The renewed interest suggests the company’s about-face could deliver not just goodwill, but a needed boost at the dealership level.
Stellantis, the fourth largest automaker in the world — whose portfolio of brands includes Ram, Dodge, Fiat, Chrysler, Peugeot and Jeep — is just the latest automaker to scale back the push toward electrifying its fleet of cars and trucks.
Several major car companies — including Ford, GM and Mercedes-Benz — have scaled back or delayed their electrification plans due to weaker-than-expected consumer demand, high production costs and charging infrastructure concerns.
Ford is pivoting toward hybrids and GM postponed several EV launches.
By late 2023, electric vehicle inventory was piling up on dealership lots, with EVs taking more than three times longer to sell than gas-powered cars, signaling a sharp slowdown in consumer demand.
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