Automakers are adding V8s back to some truck and performance-car plans, but the announcements do not amount to an industrywide retreat from electrification. Ram says customer input helped bring the HEMI back to the 2026 Ram 1500; General Motors has announced new V8s for next-generation 2027 pickups. Ford, meanwhile, is shifting investment among gas, hybrid, extended-range electric and full-electric vehicles. The evidence supports a story about offering more powertrain choices and reassessing product economics—not a measured national backlash against EVs.
What automakers have announced
Ram: the HEMI returns for the 2026 Ram 1500
In a June 5, 2025 announcement, Stellantis said the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 with eTorque would return to the 2026 Ram 1500. Ram’s 2025 lineup had moved to six-cylinder engines. CEO Tim Kuniskis attributed the decision to customer sentiment and said, “Everyone makes mistakes, but how you handle it defines you. Ram screwed up when we dropped the HEMI — we own it and we fixed it.”
The HEMI eTorque pairs the V8 with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system: a motor-generator, a 430-watt-hour lithium-ion battery, regenerative braking and engine start/stop. It is a gas engine with mild-hybrid assistance, not a full-electric powertrain. Ram’s announcement said European ordering would begin in July 2025, with first dealership arrivals expected the following winter; that schedule is specific to Europe and should not be read as a U.S. delivery timetable.
Ram’s release included the following Europe-oriented manufacturer figures. They should not be generalized to other markets or test cycles:
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| Engine in Ram’s comparison | Power | Torque | CO2 | Fuel consumption |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 eTorque | 395 hp | 556 Nm in table; 555 Nm in release prose | 362 g/km | 16 l/100 km |
| Hurricane Standard Output | 420 hp | 636 Nm | 311 g/km | 13.1 l/100 km |
| Hurricane High Output | 540 hp | 706 Nm | 338 g/km | 14.2 l/100 km |
The figures are Ram’s published comparison, not an independent test. In that table, both Hurricane versions have higher listed power and lower listed fuel consumption than the HEMI; the High Output version’s listed CO2 is lower than the HEMI’s but higher than the Standard Output’s. The small torque discrepancy in Ram’s release is preserved above rather than silently resolved.
Kuniskis later told ABC News, “It wasn’t so much that people didn’t like the T6 [turbocharged six cylinder engine], they hated the fact that we didn’t give them a choice.” That is the CEO’s account of customer sentiment, not a representative survey. ABC also reported Ram’s announced plans for a 2027 Rumble Bee and TRX with V8s; those are forward-looking product plans, not evidence that the models have already reached buyers.
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GM: two new V8s for next-generation 2027 pickups
On September 17, 2026, General Motors announced Gen-6 5.7-liter L76 and 6.6-liter L78 V8s for its next-generation light-duty truck portfolio, including the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500. GM says the engines bring 350- and 400-cubic-inch displacements back to the Small Block family.
| Announced GM truck engine | Displacement | GM-listed output |
|---|---|---|
| Gen-6 L76 V8 | 5.7 liters | 402 hp; 428 lb-ft |
| Gen-6 L78 V8 | 6.6 liters | 481 hp; 501 lb-ft |
GM calls the 6.6-liter the segment’s most powerful naturally aspirated V8. That is the company’s claim, not an independent comparison. GM also lists a maximum available Silverado 1500 tow rating of 13,700 pounds when properly equipped; the qualifier matters because not every configuration will have that rating.
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GM says development teams expected to complete more than 1.5 million miles (2.4 million km) of real-world, on-road validation by the time the next-generation trucks reached dealerships. This is a planned manufacturer validation figure, not independent long-term reliability evidence. GM also announced a separate 6.7-liter LS6 V8 for 2027 Corvette Stingray, Grand Sport and Grand Sport X models.
Does this prove an EV backlash?
No. The announcements show that some manufacturers see value in restoring or expanding V8 choices, and Ram explicitly connected its HEMI decision to customer input. They do not quantify how many buyers prefer V8s, establish that EV opposition is widespread, or show that the V8 announcements were caused by a broad public backlash. The available product announcements and company explanations are not a representative survey of vehicle buyers.
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The distinction matters: a manufacturer can respond to requests for a particular engine, or decide that a powertrain better fits a truck’s expected buyers and business case, without reversing its entire electrification strategy. Kuniskis’s comments frame Ram’s move as a choice issue. Ford’s explanation for changing parts of its EV plans emphasizes demand, costs and financial returns. Those are company statements about company decisions, not proof of one nationwide consumer trend.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.V8 announcements coexist with broader electrification plans
Ford’s revised strategy still includes hybrids, extended-range electric vehicles and full EVs. It plans to move capital toward trucks, vans and hybrids, an extended-range F-150 Lightning, and a smaller affordable EV platform, while shifting some planned larger-EV investment and production. Ford said lower-than-expected demand, high costs and regulatory changes had weakened some larger EV business cases.
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Ford also announced about $19.5 billion in EV-related special items and forecast that hybrids, extended-range EVs and full EVs would make up about 50% of its global volume by 2030, up from 17% in 2025. These are Ford’s announced financial items and forecast, not realized results. Its earlier strategy had already described increasing powertrain choices and reducing the share of annual capital expenditure dedicated to pure EVs from about 40% to 30%, citing growing hybrid demand. In 2024, Ford also described future Super Duty propulsion options as including hybrid, electric and other electrified choices.
Taken together, the plans point to a mixed powertrain portfolio rather than a simple switch from electric back to gasoline. The particular mix can differ by vehicle and buyer: a V8 option in a pickup does not cancel out planned hybrids, extended-range EVs or full EVs elsewhere in a manufacturer’s lineup.
What the 2026 EPA rule does—and does not establish
The EPA identifies a final rule published February 18, 2026, rescinding the greenhouse-gas endangerment finding and motor-vehicle greenhouse-gas standards. The agency says manufacturers no longer have future obligations under that action for greenhouse-gas measurement, control and reporting for highway vehicles and engines. It also says the action does not affect traditional air-pollutant regulations.
The rule is relevant regulatory context, but timing alone does not show that it caused Ram’s HEMI return or GM’s new truck-engine plans. The announcements described above do not establish that causal link. Nor does the EPA’s description of the action answer questions about its subsequent litigation status.
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How to read the V8 comeback story
- Separate announced plans from vehicles on sale. Ram’s HEMI return is for the 2026 model year; GM’s announced truck engines are for next-generation 2027 pickups. Ram’s reported 2027 performance models remain forward-looking plans.
- Keep regional numbers in context. Ram’s fuel-consumption and CO2 comparison is Europe-oriented and manufacturer-published; it is not a universal result for every market or test cycle.
- Distinguish output claims from measured ownership evidence. GM’s power, towing and planned validation figures are manufacturer statements; they do not by themselves establish real-world fuel economy, reliability or towing performance across configurations.
- Do not turn company explanations into a market-wide statistic. Customer input is Ram’s stated rationale, while the evidence here does not quantify V8 demand or EV opposition across U.S. buyers.
- Track all powertrains in a company’s plans. A V8 returning to one truck is compatible with continued investment in hybrid, extended-range electric and full-electric vehicles.
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