2027 RAM V8s Get Worse MPG—And Buyers Will Love it

Ram will phase out the 48-volt hybrid system that assists its Hemi V-8 across most 2027 half-ton trucks. But that's not all. Importantly, the automaker has confirmed that the universally hated automatic stop-start function is leaving alongside it. The move was first reported by Motor1 and confirmed to Car and Driver by a Ram spokesperson.

The eTorque system has been paired with the Hemi since 2019, replacing the traditional alternator with a 48-volt battery. The setup provided additional launch torque, improved fuel economy, and smoother restarts while keeping the V-8 at the center of the lineup. For 2027, most buyers (but not all) who want a V8 Ram 1500 will receive a nonhybrid version instead.

"Starting early in the 2027 model year, Ram will phase out the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 eTorque, replacing it with the nonhybridized version of the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8," a Ram spokesperson confirmed. "A limited number of 2027-model-year Ram 1500s will be built with the eTorque powertrain during the production transition."

The change follows the Hemi's brief and well-documented exit from the half-ton lineup. After a single year of retirement in 2025, customer demand returned the engine to service, though it came back still tied to the hybrid system. The 2027 shift moves the Hemi closer to its original configuration, with nonhybrid V8 trucks expected to reach showrooms this fall. Some eTorque versions will remain available during the transition for buyers set on the hybrid setup.

Losing the eTorque system also means losing the stop-start technology bundled with it. The feature automatically shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a complete stop, a function intended to cut idling emissions at stoplights and in heavy traffic. It has proven broadly unpopular with American drivers.

Stop-start was never mandated. The EPA encouraged its adoption by offering off-cycle credits to automakers that installed the feature. That incentive disappeared in February 2026, when the federal government repealed several EPA policies, including the credits tied to stop-start systems.

When the repeal was announced, numerous automakers indicated at the time that the feature would remain in its vehicles. Ram's 2027 decision marks a departure from that position and places the brand among the first automakers to remove the function following the policy change. Will others follow?

The nonhybrid 1500 models begin arriving this fall. Buyers who want the eTorque powertrain should still find limited availability during the production changeover, but the standard V-8 configuration will define the bulk of the 2027 lineup.