Fiat Chrysler CEO Wants to Keep Building V8s

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) CEO has no intentions of giving its V8 engines the axe.

Recent rumors suggested that Dodge would axe the HEMI V8 and Hellcat engines from its lineup to meet strict fuel economy regulations. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne however has no plans of killing the V8, despite lagging behind every other major automaker in fleet fuel economy and emissions. FCA is the industry’s largest buyer of emissions credits for the 2013 model year, purchasing most of its credits from Tesla.

In order to sell cars in the U.S., you must have a certain amount of credits, which can be earned by building fuel-efficient cars or they can be bought.

SEE ALSO: Dodge Might Axe Hellcat, HEMI V8s from SRTs in 2019

“We offset. I mean, every time we do one of these things, we offset,” Marchionne told Automotive News. Rather than looking at downsizing engines, Marchionne admits that his biggest challenge currently is to “find a truly compact and midsize car solution that is actually [greenhouse gas] positive, by a stretch.”

So for now, it at least appears that FCA and more importantly, Dodge, will continue outfitting sports cars with massive V8 engines.

[Source: Automotive News]

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