Dodge to debut breakthrough fully electric muscle car next year

We might not have to wait as long as initially thought to see Dodge’s new fully electric ‘muscle car’, a model that will apparently be the first EV muscle car in history.

The news comes via Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis. Speaking to American outlet Automotive News earlier this month, he said the model will break cover next year following the announcement of Dodge’s full electrification plans in Q4 of 2021.

“We hope that we draw a different type of consumer, and keep the consumer that we have today,” said Kuniskis. “That’s very important to us, and that’s why we want to get our concept car out next year and explain to people exactly what we’re going to do.”

In the interview, Kuniskis said that Dodge’s current stage of EV development has the potential to produce powertrains capable of 1200hp. But, he also said the brand is likely to temper output in order to make for a more affordable and more usable experience.

In a prior interview with another outlet, Kuniskis outlined that the brand will continue to produce internal combustion vehicles on current platforms beyond 2024, despite its intentions to debut a series of new pure electric platforms in the same year.

What exactly makes a muscle car? There will surely be a few Tesla fans who’ve scoffed at the remarks around electric muscle cars being new waters; particularly in the wake of the launch of the lightning quick Model S Plaid. We’re keen to see what Dodge comes up with.

Dodge first revealed its plans to produce an electric muscle car in early July. It did this via a series of teaser clips, showing a car reminiscent of a 1968 Charger, with its short and wide front grille and fascia pairing. Dodge tagged the vehicle as a concept during its video teaser, carefully making sure to not reveal it in full.

It’s hard to tell whether the model shapes up as a replacement for either the Charger or the Challenger, both of which are relatively long in the tooth (although they both continue to sell well). The video reveals very little about the car (not even its door count), although the four-wheel wheelspin would indicate that it’s likely to be a dual-motor all-wheel drive.

At the same event, its Stellantis sister-brand Ram announced plans to produce a fully electric version of the 1500, as well as an electric mid-size pick-up similar to the Ford Ranger in size. Stellantis also confirmed that it will be investing US$35billion into electrification through to 2025.

The brand aims for its EV models to have price parity with its internal combustion range by 2026; an ambitious target given that the modelling from independent groups doesn’t expect this to happen until the next decade.