Even the Brotherhood of Muscle is going electric.
Dodge has built its image around being an unabashed purveyor of American horsepower, churning more and more performance out of its internal combustion engines in recent years while the rest of the industry looked toward an emissions-free future.
But as of last week's Stellantis EV Day, the brand is ready to evolve with the introduction of a battery-electric muscle car in 2024 and jump into the domain of eco-friendly speedsters.
Stellantis laid out an expansive plan to electrify its 14 brands.
Source: Stellantis
Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis said the brand is ready to embrace electrification: "If a charger can make a Charger quicker, we're in."
The Dodge announcement was just one piece of a broader EV plan for Stellantis, which laid out its goals for the segment as it moves ahead with 14 brands.
The extensive electrification agenda marks a new day for the former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which merged with France's PSA Group in January to form Stellantis. FCA lagged behind the industry in electrification for years as it kept thirsty muscle cars and powerful pickups rolling off of its assembly lines. Now it has an extensive list of resources and a full slate of electrified vehicles in the pipeline, including an electric Ram 1500 pickup in 2024 that'll joust with rival options such as General Motors' GMC Hummer EV pickup and Ford's F-150 Lightning.
Stellantis said it plans to invest more than $35 billion through 2025 in electrification and software. It will have four EV platforms that achieve ranges from 300 miles to 500 miles.
Stellantis' EV blueprint calls for it to control the value chain. This includes battery sourcing, which will take place at five "gigafactories" — Stellantis adopted Tesla's terminology — in Europe and North America. By 2025, 98 percent of Stellantis' models in Europe and North America will be electrified.
"At Stellantis, we love to compete," said CEO Carlos Tavares. "This transformation period is a wonderful opportunity to reset the clock and start a new race."
Dodge could find a willing audience for its electric beast. Kuniskis pointed out that Dodge's young and diverse customer base has a large concentration of millennials, an age group that he said has the highest acceptance rate for electric vehicles.
Kuniskis said Stellantis engineers are reaching the limit of what they can squeeze from combustion engines and the brand understands that electric motors offer more potential.
"Every ounce of technology we integrate will be done to amplify the elements that define not just Dodge, but the muscle car itself," Kuniskis said. "Through intelligent evolution, we expect to thrive and define the future of American muscle — to tear up the streets, not the planet."
The announcement is the easy part, said Tyson Jominy, vice president of data and analytics at J.D. Power. Now Dodge will have to demonstrate its performance, explain its value proposition and show consumers how it could fit in their daily lives.
"If you want the best performance from a vehicle now, it's clear that the EVs can deliver that," Jominy said. "And for a performance brand like Dodge, it's seemingly the next iteration."
Facing current and proposed emission regulations around the world, performance-oriented brands such as Dodge can only go so far with the internal combustion engines, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions.
Dodge "rode the wave of muscle cars in the 1960s, reviving and embracing the muscle car aura in the 2000s," he said. "Without adopting the battery-electrics, the brand would be forced to evolve into something different or cease to exist."
Fiorani is interested to see how the public responds to a Dodge without a roaring engine. "The sound of a Dodge with a Hemi V-8, sometimes coupled with the whine of a supercharger, is part of the package that sells Chargers and Challengers," he said. "Lacking this distinctive soundtrack could turn off many buyers, but the additional performance might just be enough to win them back."
Brand CEO Mike Koval said Ram isn't "following in the footsteps" of competitors that are launching electric pickups a few years ahead of them. Ford's F-150 Lightning goes on sale next spring, after GM launches the Hummer EV pickup this year.
The Hummer pickup is expected to hit 1,000 hp and reach 11,500 pound-feet of torque, but Jominy is expecting Ram to hold its own.
"With their history, the [Dodge Ram] SRT-10, and others. Certainly now with a TRX, Ram doesn't mess around with performance," he said. "I could see them coming out with some pretty fantastic numbers of their own. It's hard to one-up Ram and other Stellantis brands with horsepower and performance."
Koval said the brand plans to roll out electrification across the lineup. "Ram will offer a fully electrified solution in the majority of our segments by 2025, and a full portfolio of electric solutions for all of our segments no later than 2030," he said, "because it is our responsibility to serve our loyal following of Ram owners who believe in our products and who are proud to wear our badge today — but also bringing a greater number of new customers to our brand by continuing to be bold and challenging tradition."
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