Dodge Likely to Adopt Mild Hybrid Drivetrain for Muscle Cars

While Dodge’s Hellcat cars are highly sought-after, their future remains unclear as emissions laws continue to get stricter and fuel economy becomes a bigger factor for consumers.

But according to several sources, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is working on a possible workaround so the Dodge Chargerand Challenger can keep their 700+ horsepower drivetrains.

The company is said to be considering the possibility of adopting a mild hybrid drivetrain for its muscle cars like the one used on the Jeep Wrangler. A mild hybrid system will keep the cars running fast while also allowing the brand to meet government policies on emissions.

FCA’s Global Powertrain Chief Micky Bly also told The Detroit Bureau that over the next 12 to 18 months, the company is planning to reposition itself as an industry leader in electrification.

“We’re not leaders now, but we will be soon,” he said.

While he did not mention any of FCA’s specific plans, the company was recently revealed to have signed a deal with German company ZF to supply 8HP transmissions for FCA’s rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models that have front-longitudinal drive configurations.

ZF CEO Wolf-Henning Scheider said, “We are pleased with being nominated as global transmission supplier by FCA. This is our second major order for the new 8HP and it confirms our strategy to focus on plug-in hybrids as an everyday solution and to develop attractive products in these areas.”

The said ZF transmission will also reportedly be used by BMW in its next-generation hybrid and plug-in hybrid models.

Current generations of the Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcat are already equipped with a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, so it is very likely that the 8HP will be used on the cars’ hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions. ZF is scheduled to start production of the new transmission at its Saarbuecken plant in 2022 with the United States and China to follow.