It comes as no surprise that the automotive industry will inevitably turn its back on internal combustion engines (ICE) in favor of electrification, but for the likes of Dodge — one of the hallmarks of good ol’ American muscle — to announce it too will join the EV club, may come as a shock to some.
However, there may be light at the end of the tunnel if Dodge has anything to do with it. As The Verge reports, Dodge will not “sell electric cars, it will sell eMuscle” cars instead. By axing the Charger and Challenger by 2024, it makes way for a new era of muscle cars, ones that are powered by batteries.
As recent times have shown, this may not be such a bad thing. The likes of Porsche and Audi have made waves in the performance electric car market, while Mercedes-AMG has shown how it can apply electrification to ICE cars to make stupendously powerful machines. Elsewhere, Tesla has the Model S Plaid which will give any Hellcat a run for its money on the drag strip, which might be just one reason as for why Dodge feels the need to implement electrification.
Dodge Brand CEO Tim Kuniskis spoke on this in detail with Motor Trend, noting its first conceptual electric car will come in 2022 alongside a plug-in hybrid and a yet-to-be-spoken-for third vehicle, before eMuscle cars will go into production in 2024. The same process will be applied to its trucks such as the Ram, which is also set to be electrified, while sister brands Jeep and Chrysler will also develop EVs in the near future.
As for now, Dodge will still make and sell its V8 muscle cars — and we suspect more special editions are to come before their demise.
For more fast EVs, check out Porsche’s new Taycan GTS.
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