Electric Ram 1500 ute and Dodge muscle car announced
Stellantis, the umbrella firm that owns the likes of Dodge, Fiat, Chrysler, Ram, Opel, Citroen, and more has held a huge electrification event overnight where it announced numerous new cars and schemes as it aims to tackle the transition away from internal combustion.
Two of the largest announcements from the event came from Dodge and Ram. The former revealed plans to produce a fully electric muscle car, while the latter has revealed that it’s developing a fully electric 1500 pick-up truck.
The teased Dodge muscle car looks 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.
To add more fuel to the performance car rumour mill, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis is seen briefly lifting the cover off one hidden car during the brand’s video presentation. It appears to be a different kind of car altogether. Interesting.
Meanwhile, at Ram it was confirmed that a fully electric version of its 1500 pick-up is coming in 2024; a direct competitor for the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet’s upcoming electric Silverado. Given that the 1500 is currently sold in New Zealand, the model stands a good chance of being offered here, too.
Ram’s teaser image shows the model will feature a new face, meaning it will likely form part of the nameplate’s next update. Ram has paid attention to making its greenhouse more aerodynamically efficient for better economy, although it’s also set to retain traditional body-on-frame architecture.
Ram says its range will be 805km per charge, thanks to a fast-charging 150kWh battery pack, although time will tell whether this total gets changed at all before the model’s full reveal, most likely next year.
Alongside these announcements, Stellantis confirmed that it will be investing US$35billion into electrification through to 2025. All 14 brands it handles will launch fully electric vehicles by this point in time, each with shared, standardised battery packs with no cobalt in them, packing a range of between 500km and 800km. It says solid state batteries will be ready for market by 2026.
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.
By 2030, Stellantis expects 70 per cent of its European sales and 40 per cent of its American sales to be electric and hybrid. This is markedly less ambitious, particularly on the European side given that most are tipping ICE vehicles to be well and truly on the back foot by the end of the decade.
