Dodge Doing Away With Gas-Powered Muscle Cars?
Dodge is permanently discontinuing production of its Challenger and Charger muscle cars in favor of making an EV option.
Like many car companies, Dodge is switching to making its popular muscle cars into completely battery-powered vehicles. On Wednesday, Dodge executives unleashed the all-electric concept of the Challenger and Charger, two well-known muscle cars produced by the automotive company. The standard Challenger and Charger will be discontinued by the end of the following year.
So, what are muscle cars? The term’s first use came about in the 1960s to refer to any American-made two-door sports coupes with forceful gas engines. Some people attribute the term to 1960s and 1970s drag racing vehicles, but it was eventually implemented in car magazines to refer to two-door sports cars of any nature. Now, many American automotive companies have their own type of muscle car, including Dodge’s Challenger and Charger vehicles.
Dodge’s new fully-electric vehicle will debut in 2024. This is a significant change for the company, which has prioritized cars with considerable horsepower and strong gas engines for over 100 years. A pivot from powerful, drag-racing vehicles could change Dodge’s loyal consumer base. But, many renowned automotive companies are switching to electric vehicles due to the recent change in market and demand. More consumers are interested in buying electric cars, so it’s only sensible for companies to give their customers an EV option.
Tim Kuniskis, CEO of Dodge, agreed that it’d take some time to convert all of the company’s devoted followers into EV lovers. He stated that the brand couldn’t announce that Dodge is going electric and have all of its consumer bases jump immediately onboard. Instead, Dodge is looking to incrementally transition the company’s roster to all-electric vehicles, one car at a time. The new electric prototype for the Charger will be the first dip into the company’s EV pool before making any rash overhauls.
Dodge’s drag racing heritage inspires the EV charger debuting in 2024. The EV will be called the Charger Daytona SRT, graciously named after the vehicle that first broke 200 miles an hour in a Nascar race. Dodge wanted to make it clear that the electric Charger would be an intentional nod to drag-racing vehicles of the past, so they added a synthetic exhaust tone to sound like the exhaust of regular gas-powered cars.
Over the next few years, Dodge plans to invest millions of dollars into converting its roster into fully-electric models. The company will spend $35 billion to catch up to other car companies and their electric conversion. But, the sheer amount of money spent isn’t solely from the company’s volition. More governments worldwide have been putting pressure on companies to convert their vehicles to battery-powered ones in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. Still, Dodge is nervous about converting all of its cars into EVs since the company is primarily known for its unprecedently powerful gas engines.
Dodge is traversing precarious financial territory when it comes to discontinuing its successful gas-powered cars. The Challenger and the Charger were responsible for over 60% of its US sales in 2021. If Dodge’s EV alternatives don’t catch on with its loyal customer base, the company might get substantial scrutiny for relinquishing its most profitable models.
