The teaser of the car in question appeared in a video released in July 2021. But then the boss of the company, without going into details, promised to launch the world’s first electric muscle car in 2024.
During the Los Angeles Auto Show, representatives of Motor Authority and Motor Trend spoke with Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis and found out curious details about the brand’s plans for the next couple of years. Back in February, the boss claimed the sunset of the V8 6.2 compressor motor, and at the same time, the SRT division was disbanded. Now Kuniskis has clarified the fate of models with the Hellcat prefix to the name: “I will have this car, this platform, this powertrain as we know it, by the end of 2023. There are two more years to buy the Hellcat, and then it will become history”. But we will see the concept of a pure electric muscle car sooner than we thought, in the first quarter of 2022.
Kuniskis attributed the phasing out of the powerful eights to the difficulty of complying with emissions standards (CAFE) and looming fines (in August, the NHTSA regulator said it could fine Stellantis up to $609 million). The first to disappear from Hellcats will be the 720-horsepower Durango SRT Hellcat crossover, which is a 2021 model exclusively.
The head of Dodge explained that the 2022 concept will be a fully working car, capable of dynamic driving. So we will see not only the prototype of the appearance of the future serial “electric car”, but also learn the technical characteristics. The boss promised to disclose the original technology developed for this model, which is patented by the Stellantis concern. It is also known that the model will use the electric platform STLA Large, which gives a benchmark of 800 km range and power (with two motors) up to 660 kW (897 hp).
The Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak were introduced last week. The 6.2 motors are boosted from 808 hp to 818 hp. (like the SRT Super Stock). For them, restrictions on possible color combinations have been removed. And the shades are seven for seats, body stripes, and wheels, six for brake calipers, four each for the steering wheel, seat belts, and mats. There are five versions of badges. And that’s not counting the body palette itself.
An interesting touch: on the nose of the electric car will appear a triangular Fratzog badge, used on Dodges in 1962-1975. The Fratzog sign with its three delta-shaped shapes, according to the idea of the then designers, evoked associations with aerospace engineering and was designed to draw attention to promising models. Over time, this triangle found both on the cars themselves and in user manuals, became a kind of symbol of power and engineering excellence. The transition to the electric era is a good reason to revive this historic mark.
The Fratzog was used not only as an emblem on the grille but also as a horn button, a nameplate on the rack, or on the trunk lid.
The next year will bring two more premieres for the brand. It’s the flickering Dodge plug-in hybrid that’s in the plans for the concern. Its identity was not disclosed by Kuniskis, but he mentioned that it is a new car, unrelated to the known ones. There’s even less data on the third premiere. The head of the brand only said: “You’re going to love it.”
It’s all part of Dodge’s two-year plan called Never Lift (apparently implying a desire to never lift your foot off the gas pedal). Among other things, the company has promised to give out “product news” every three to four months. Announced is the return of the Direct Connection parts brand to create high-performance versions of cars without violating factory warranty and emissions regulations. And also, the formation of a network of Power Brokers dealerships to sell and install such parts and assemblies, legal boost packages. Of the current 2,500 dealers in the U.S., 100 will become Power Brokers centers as part of the pilot program, with more to follow later.