Ram truck has small, electric secret inside

“Mild” is not a word that’s usually associated with brawny pickups. But Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is betting it can sell more Ram 1500s by turning its famous V-8 HEMI engine into a mild hybrid, and clean up its industry-worst emissions record in the process.

Some 2019 Ram pickups equipped with the company’s eTorque system, which features a small electric motor, are trickling into dealerships now. The extra battery power gives the truck a little more oomph after the engine shuts off rather than idling at a stoplight. The technology is key to the automaker’s electrification strategy: Rather than creating all-new electric or full-hybrid models, it’s slipping motors into popular, profitable vehicles like Jeep Wranglers and Chrysler minivans to boost overall fleet mileage.

“It’s fuel efficiency and power coming on at the same time,” said Jim Morrison, who leads Ram in North America. “You start with very proven powertrains and supplement that with eTorque technology that you add in, and customers get to have their cake and eat it, too.”

Fiat Chrysler is rolling out the greener version of its top seller just as Detroit’s truck wars are heating up. General Motors has just started sending its new Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups to dealers, and both companies are trying to take a bite out of Ford Motor’s dominant F-Series. They’re duking it out in a segment that represents profits of at least $10,000 per truck compared with just a few thousand dollars for passenger cars, according to Morningstar Inc.