With the new tighter fuel-economy standards, Chrysler is looking beyond its signature HEMI V8 engine.

“The HEMI is not the powertrain of the future,” Jim Press, Chrysler co-president, told Automotive News. “It’s the powertrain of today.”

Chrysler said that the HEMI V8 engine will still play a major role but said that the new generation of buyers might have to open up to new definitions of power and performance.

One example is the well received the Dodge ZEO Concept that was revealed at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. The concept is powered by a 268hp electric motor that gives it the ability to go from 0 to 60 in less than six seconds. The ZEO has a 64 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that gives it a range of at least 250 miles.

Chrysler will also debut a line of V6 engines in 2009 - the so-called Phoenix engines.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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