During Stellantis’ EV Day, each brand under its umbrella had a short video outlining their respective visions. In the case of Dodge, it was trip down muscle car memory lane with many iconic models including their latest creations like the Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye, the Viper ACR, and the 840-hp Challenger SRT Demon. Next to those models all parked in front of the historic Dodge family home is a car under a black cover, teasing us of its first all-electric model.
The video shows Dodge brand CEO Tim Kuniskis walk among some of its beloved vehicles and talk about where the marque is headed. Known for its tire-burning, high-horsepower V8-powered monsters, the Dodge brand is looking to electrify its performance credentials — literally. You see Kuniskis give us a glimpse of the car under the drapes and all we see is a wide lower front air intake of what appears to be a red performance-oriented model. “Dodge will not sell electric cars,” claims Kuniskis. “Dodge will sell American eMuscle.” He then continues by stating that if a charger can make a Charger quicker, the brand is in. “Our customers purchase an experience, not a technology,” he continues.
For Dodge, electrification is a way to squeeze more performance out of its vehicles. “Dodge doesn’t view EV technology as a revolution,” Added Kuniskis. “It’s a natural evolution of the modern muscle car.” As a result, the brand will embrace electrification as the next step to amplify and define the muscle. In 2024, Dodge will launch the first battery-electric muscle car. At the end of the video, you see a vehicle in the shadows with a new logo and lots of retro design including what appears to be a full-width LED strip. Before you know it, the concealed vehicle does a four-wheel burnout that causes intense amounts of smoke billowing from its four wheels.
If we were to take an educated guess, Dodge’s first battery-electric muscle car will be one of the first to use Stellantis new EV platforms. The particular platform this vehicle could be on will likely be the STLA Medium or STLA large. That means it could have a maximum range of 440 to 500 miles on a charge; however, considering the performance Dodge is planning to extract out of this vehicle, expect it to be closer to the 300-mile mark. The battery used on this model could also be one of the high-density ones, which will be used on performance cars, trucks, and large vehicles across all of the brands under Stellantis.
Based on the quick teaser we got from the video, Dodge’s first EV appears to be a Challenger. However, they could also revive a long-dormant nameplate like the Barracuda, which was historically a Plymouth. Regardless of what the vehicle’s name is, it’ll likely get a dual-motor setup, hence why it can do a four-wheel burnout. A single-motor variant could also be likely but it’s also possible that Dodge can mount two electric motors on the rear axle for an RWD iteration without sacrificing power. The model debuting in 2024 is likely the first of a full lineup so expect a Charger to follow suit along with a crossover of some kind.
