Dodge has released some of the details about its 2010 Dodge Ram Hybrid pickup that is going to be in dealerships sometime next year.
The 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid is going to combine Chrysler’s Multi-displacement System (MDS) and two-mode hybrid technology to improve fuel efficiency over the regular Dodge Ram. The 5.7L HEMI V8 mated to the hybrid system will improve fuel efficiency up to 40 percent in the city and 25 percent overall. This same system is going to be used in the 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid and 2009 Chrysler Aspen HEMI Hybrid.
Pricing has not been released.
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PRESS RELEASE:
All-new Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid
The Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid, available after 2009, will be the latest addition to Chrysler LLC’s fuel-efficient lineup, joining clean diesel, HEMI and flex-fuel vehicles.
Combining Chrysler’s Multi-displacement System (MDS) and two-mode hybrid technology to greatly improve fuel economy, the 5.7-liter HEMI Hybrid V-8 offers performance and efficiency with up to 40 percent fuel economy improvement in the city and 25 percent overall. The two-mode hybrid system is currently being introduced in the company’s 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid and 2009 Chrysler Aspen HEMI Hybrid.
The two-mode hybrid system uses electric motors to allow the HEMI V-8 to remain in four-cylinder mode more often, improving fuel economy.
In the first mode – at low speeds and with light loads – the vehicle may operate on electric power only, on engine power only, or any combination of the two. The Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid may operate in electric-only mode during slow starts (city driving) up to 25 mph, further conserving fuel and reducing emissions. In addition, the HEMI V-8 can shut down when the vehicle comes to a stop or during deceleration, to conserve fuel and then seamlessly restart when power is necessary.
The second mode, used primarily at highway speeds, augments electric assist with full power from the 5.7-liter HEMI when conditions demand it.
The Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid also features regenerative braking, which recycles electric energy that would normally be lost during braking or deceleration. This energy is reused to power the vehicle.
The Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid will also benefit from Dodge Ram’s best-in-class aerodynamics, which allows a greater operating range of MDS.
