For the second consecutive year, the fuel-saving 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine with eTorque in the Ram 1500 pickup has been named to Wards 10 Best Engines and Propulsion Systems list.
The Pentastar V-6 engine with eTorque electrification, rated at 305 hp and 260 lb.-ft. of torque and paired with the TorqueFlite 845RE eight-speed automatic transmission, is the standard powertrain in the popular Ram 1500.
“The standard eTorque system delivers better fuel economy without compromising power or capability,” says Micky Bly, Head of Global Propulsion Systems.
The eTorque mild-hybrid system replaces the traditional alternator on the engine with a belt-driven motor generator unit that performs several functions. The motor generator unit works with a 48-volt battery pack to enable improved fuel efficiency, drivability, performance and value. Six different modes of operation include quick, seamless stop-start functions and energy recovery with brake regeneration used to support increases in towing capacity and payload.
eTorque delivers nearly unnoticeable engine restarts by sending up to 90 lb.-ft. of supplemental torque to the engine crankshaft during stop-start maneuvers. Torque to the wheels travels within 400 milliseconds, more than twice as fast as many starter-motor-actuated engine stop-start systems.
“There are lots of drivers who dislike stop-start systems because the engine may turn back on with a shudder, or they might think the engine won’t restart at all. But the Ram 1500’s 48-volt eTorque system is so smooth, quiet and consistently reliable that truck owners will appreciate the technology—and the money they can save at the pump,” says Tom Murphy, WardsAuto managing editor.
The 2020 Ram 1500 with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine and eTorque is rated at 20 (city)/25 (highway)/22 (combined) mpg in rear-wheel drive and 19 (city)/24 (highway)/21 (combined) mpg in four-wheel-drive models by the U.S. EPA. The city mpg rating is an 18 percent improvement and the combined mpg rating a 10 percent improvement from the previous-generation model.
With the engine running, eTorque’s motor generator unit feeds 48-volt current to a 430 watt-hour lithium-ion nickel manganese cobalt graphite battery. The battery pack includes a 3-kW DC-to-DC converter to maintain the battery’s state of charge and convert 48 volts to 12 volts to power the Ram 1500’s accessories and charge its conventional 12-volt lead-acid battery.
In addition to spinning the engine for restarts to help launch the vehicle, eTorque also recaptures energy during deceleration and braking to charge the battery pack. eTorque also enhances the driving experience by adding torque to the crankshaft during gear changes to minimize noise, vibration and harshness.
