After years of adding technology to make the venerable 5.7 liter HEMI V8 cleaner and more efficient, Ram is making an unusual move for 2027. The Ram 1500 HEMI will lose its 48 volt eTorque mild hybrid system and engine stop start (ESS) system, returning to a simpler time with less electronics.
A limited number of trucks will still be built with eTorque during the transition in early 2027, but Ram says the 5.7 liter HEMI will eventually be offered without the hybrid hardware. The conventional engine continues to produce 395 horsepower and 410 pound feet of torque.
What is eTorque?
The eTorque system was introduced with the current generation Ram 1500 in 2019. It replaced the traditional alternator with a belt driven motor generator connected to a 48 volt battery. The system could provide up to 130 pound feet of supplemental torque during initial acceleration, recover energy during deceleration, and provide exceptionally smooth engine restarts.
On paper, it was an elegant solution that should have increased efficiency. In the real world, however, the benefits were tiny at best. Fuel economy did improve marginally, but the system added heavy batteries and a mountain of extra wiring, electronics and cooling equipment to an engine that many buyers specifically chose because they wanted a “basic” V8.
Engine Stop Start (ESS)
Since it first appeared in vehicles in 2012, automatic engine stop start has become an especially divisive feature. Familiar to anyone driving a vehicle built in the last decade, the engine shuts off whenever the vehicle stops moving in an attempt to reduce fuel consumption. Often an additional battery and complicated electronics are used to run vehicle systems like air conditioning, heated seats and in-vehicle entertainment. Once the driver releases the brake pedal, the engine automatically restarts. While the system does result in reduced fuel consumption during EPA mileage testing, the results in the real world are less clear. Many drivers find the the repeated engine shutdowns irritating, particularly in traffic, while towing, or when maneuvering slowly. Many also worry about the added wear and tear on engine components from so many start cycles.
With many people resorting to aftermarket programming or OBD dongles to disable the system entirely, I’m sure many will be more than happy to say ‘good riddance’ to the entire ESS era.
A whole new EPA
These two changes have been enabled in part by the federal government roll back of several vehicle emissions policies, including rules that encouraged manufacturers to adopt technologies such as stop start. The EPA specifically criticized those requirements as creating restrictions on consumer choice and hidden costs. The regulatory changes give manufacturers considerably more flexibility in deciding which fuel saving technologies are worth their cost and complexity, and which they can simply delete.
Ram has not explicitly said the regulatory changes are the reason eTorque and ESS are being removed, though from an outsider’s perspective it’s the most logical reason.
The HEMI is one of the most recognizable V8 engines in the truck world, and buyers who specifically asked Ram to bring it back were looking for the traditional V8 simplicity they remember from years gone by. Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis previously predicted that HEMI take rates could reach between 25 and 40 percent, suggesting substantial demand for the engine.
With skyrocketing gas prices the move comes at a tricky time, and the removal of both systems will likely cost some efficiency, although the exact 2027 EPA figures have not yet been released.
There is no doubt that every additional electrical component represents another potential failure point in the backcountry. Eliminating eTorque makes the HEMI powertrain mechanically and electronically simpler, hopefully leading to increased reliability and problems being easier to diagnose if they do crop up far from a dealership.
After years of increasingly complicated trucks, RAM have made a clear decision to bring back simple. Hopefully others follow suit.
Read more: Field Dented :: 2026 Ram 1500 Warlock
Images: Ram
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