Photo: Stellantis
We knew this day was coming, but at least now we have somewhat of an expiration date. The Hellcat represents the pinnacle of internal combustion engine muscle cars. The result of 70 years of progress. Yet, according to Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis, the Hellcat’s days are numbered, and the future is clearly fully electric.
Kuniskis sat down with Motor Authority at the 2021 LA Auto Show and talked about Hellcats, as well as what we can expect from future Dodge muscle cars.
“I will have this car, this platform, this powertrain as we know it through the end of ‘23. There’s two more years to buy a Hellcat, then it’s history.” History indeed. What a good choice of words.
He then shared a small piece of cardstock dubbed “24 Months of Muscle”, serving as a roadmap to 2024. This calendar featured 26 garage doors, with only four of them having been opened so far – revealing the revival of a performance part program, Jailbreak versions of the Charger and Challenger Redeyes and so on.
The calendar should end with the unveiling of a fully electric Dodge muscle car, which will arrive in showrooms in 2024. Before that happens, the carmaker will showcase a concept version of the EV muscle car, and this should take place soon, in Q1 of 2022. The concept is said to be a working model capable of high-performance driving.
Dodge will also reveal the EV’s performance specifications, with Kuniskis adding that his company will “do electrification different than anybody else,” which sounds exciting.
Also in the works is a plug-in hybrid model, which according to the CEO will be a “new, new car,” – so not a PHEV version of a current model.
Finally, there will be a third big reveal next year, but Kuniskis wouldn’t give out any hints, except for suggesting it’s something we should get excited about.
Reading about all this has to be somewhat bittersweet. We’re going to miss Hellcats, with their rowdy supercharged HEMI V8 units. That being said, we’re pretty sure EV muscle cars will be even quicker, especially over a quarter mile.
“I will have this car, this platform, this powertrain as we know it through the end of ‘23. There’s two more years to buy a Hellcat, then it’s history.” History indeed. What a good choice of words.
He then shared a small piece of cardstock dubbed “24 Months of Muscle”, serving as a roadmap to 2024. This calendar featured 26 garage doors, with only four of them having been opened so far – revealing the revival of a performance part program, Jailbreak versions of the Charger and Challenger Redeyes and so on.
The calendar should end with the unveiling of a fully electric Dodge muscle car, which will arrive in showrooms in 2024. Before that happens, the carmaker will showcase a concept version of the EV muscle car, and this should take place soon, in Q1 of 2022. The concept is said to be a working model capable of high-performance driving.
Dodge will also reveal the EV’s performance specifications, with Kuniskis adding that his company will “do electrification different than anybody else,” which sounds exciting.
Also in the works is a plug-in hybrid model, which according to the CEO will be a “new, new car,” – so not a PHEV version of a current model.
Finally, there will be a third big reveal next year, but Kuniskis wouldn’t give out any hints, except for suggesting it’s something we should get excited about.
Reading about all this has to be somewhat bittersweet. We’re going to miss Hellcats, with their rowdy supercharged HEMI V8 units. That being said, we’re pretty sure EV muscle cars will be even quicker, especially over a quarter mile.
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