‘Party’s Over’: Stellantis CEO Effectively Kills the Hemi
The end of an era is upon us, and difficult times are ahead, and that means difficult decisions over at Stellantis.
Last month, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares announced a major policy shift with far-reaching effects for beloved high performance models. According to Mopar Insiders, Stellantis avoid hefty emissions-based government fines by purchasing “carbon credits” from “green” manufacturers such as Telsa.
If the entire concept sounds ridiculous to you, it’s because it is. With that said, we almost can’t blame Tavares for his announcement that Stellantis would no longer buy credits to offset their carbon footprint. The goal moving forward will be to emphasize electric vehicles and discontinue vehicles with increased emissions.
Given the recent announcement of the all-electric Charger, this should come as no surprise. However, it points to a limited future for the Hemi, at least as we know it. Apparently, Stellantis is pretty serious about this goal, and is re-assessing projects on a month-to-month basis to ensure environmental compliance.
Tough Choices for Tough Times
We’re not sure how well this strategy will work long term. Given the massive budgets and the length of product development cycles, it’s probably not a great idea to open the door to major changes every single month. However, in light of the recent financial troubles faced by Stellantis, they may be running out of options. Drastic measures are necessary if they want to survive. Dodge has been here before, after all. The company has faced financial trouble of one kind or another nearly every decade of its existence.
With the Challenger gone and the Charger an electrified shell of its former self, it seems that we may have reached the end of Mopar’s second muscle car era. It’s a real shame to see it end like this, but given the political, social, and financial climate of the 2020s, it seemed almost inevitable.
So who is to blame? Do we blame the new CEO’s cutthroat approach to renewable energy? Do we blame politicians who instituted the entire concept of “carbon credits” in the first place? Does it even matter at this point?
We knew the fun wouldn’t last. At the very least, many of us made the most of our time with the Charger, Challenger, and the beloved Hemi. Here’s to shredded tires, burned gas, and loud exhausts. The Hemi is dead; long live the Hemi.
Photos: Stellantis
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