Could the Dodge Challenger Hellcat go hybrid?

Insiders claim it's part of FCA's electrification strategy.

In 2019, the name Hellcat represents a massive amount of horsepower generated by an explosive combination of raw displacement and forced induction. In the 2020s, the badge could denote a high-performance hybrid.

Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) wants to add more electrified cars to its line-up. The next Fiat 500 will allegedly be electric-only, and Alfa Romeo is planning to make hybrid power available on many of its current and future models, but insiders told The Detroit Bureau that even the Dodge Challenger Hellcat (pictured) will receive a gasoline-electric drivetrain. The sources that spoke to the publication pointed to a 48-volt, mild-hybrid setup similar to the one available on the Jeep Wrangler. It will add about 130 pound-feet of torque, while keeping the V8's fuel economy in check.

If the information relayed by the sources is accurate, the hybrid Hellcat won't be the only new electrified model announced in the near future. The Detroit Bureau learned FCA wants to position itself as one of the industry's electrification leaders over the next 12 to 18 months. Making that happen will be easier said than done; as it stands, FCA lags behind most of its rivals when it comes to making cars with plugs.

Micky Bly, FCA's powertrain chief, echoed the comments made recently by Klaus Frölich, BMW's head of research and development. He said "government compliance" is forcing FCA to add more electrified products to its line-up, not customer demand. There's little indication motorists want electrified cars, especially in the United States where fuel is relatively cheap, according to the executive.