Why Did Dodge Discontinue The Hellcat Engine?

The V8 engine is strongly intertwined with American car culture and has been for more than a century. Described by enthusiasts, the V8 appeals to U.S. drivers due to its unique sound, performance capability, and its symbol of the consumer freedom to purchase something outrageous. As engine technology developed over the years, advancements allowed for more horsepower and torque output, creating iconic genres like the classic muscle car.

Fast forward to 2006, Dodge brought back its legendary Charger, and two years later the Challenger, after a long hiatus, packed with a potent V8. Gearheads were giddy with excitement at the second coming of the muscle car. However, things really started to heat up in 2015, when the automaker debuted the Hellcat engine, a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 behemoth. While initial output was a monstrous 707 horsepower with a maximum capable speed of almost 200 miles per hour, Dodge would later release even more potent variants like the Hellcat Redeye 6.2L Supercharged Hemi engine.

Then in 2022, came the devastating news that the Dodge Challenger and Charger vehicle models would no longer be produced after 2023. This of course signaled the death knell for the Hellcat engine as well, with muscle car fans lamenting the loss of a signature symbol of American V8 car culture. The reasons for fazing out the muscular V8 Hellcat were due to two factors: A continual tightening of emission standards, and a push from former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares (parent company to Dodge), who wanted to go electric.

Going all the way back to the Clean Air Act of 1970, government regulators have continually targeted larger engines and the pollutants coming from their tailpipes. In order to impose the stipulations outlined in the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency was formed shortly thereafter. These stricter guidelines were partially responsible for the demise of the classic muscle car era, which resulted in automakers scrambling to redesign large and admittedly inefficient big-block V8 engines.

These more stringent requirements have continued to escalate over the decades, with legislation as recent as early 2024, which enacted the most rigid emissions demands for U.S. vehicles to date. It isn't just Dodge that is making changes, just take a look at these performance vehicles listed among every popular car being discontinued in 2024. According to Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis, who spoke with Motor Authority, regarding the Hellcat, "You can still meet emissions with these cars. You're [just] going to pay a lot of compliance fines." So, it was either continue to incur fines for non-compliance, modify the Hellcat without reducing output, or phase it out.

The fines aren't an insignificant amount of money either, with one example being Stellantis getting slapped with $235.5 million for penalties pertaining to 2018 and 2019 models. As a result, the automaker was forced to make a change in an effort to reduce its hemorrhaging coffers.

While there is nothing wrong with exploring alternative energy, and there are plenty of examples of impressive performance capability from the fastest electric cars on the market, EVs aren't for everybody. Unfortunately, reports coming out of Stellantis allege the former CEO Carlos Tavares was combative toward American executives and is cited largely responsible for the discontinuation of the iconic Dodge Charger, in favor of a new electric muscle car. We had a chance to get behind the wheel of the 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EV and noticed an odd disconnect between specifications and in-person output.

No matter how well their new EV muscle car performs, Dodge will have an uphill battle ahead of them, trying to convince V8 gearheads to switch. Since the sound and vibration are hallmarks of the Hellcat engine, Dodge has even developed a Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, designed to fool the ears with their new Daytona. Unfortunately, this alternative fuel genre may not be taking off as expected, with some wondering why more people aren't driving electric cars. 

The future of the Hellcat remains uncertain, however, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis assured Road & Track, "Names are very, very important. [If] it's a BEV [battery electric vehicle] [and] I called it a Hellcat I'd be killed, right?" Essentially, leadership at the automaker won't release a Hellcat if it's not both supercharged and a V8, giving enthusiasts a glimmer of hope it could return someday.