Will Dodge muscle-car faithful buy an EV? New Charger is the first test

Detroit — Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis said he's received a decent amount of hate mail ahead of Tuesday's unveiling of the all-electric Charger, set to start production midway through this year.  

Strong opinions about what Dodge describes as the "world's first and only electric muscle car" are probably no surprise: think Dodge and it's surely roaring Hemi V-8 more than silent EV.

But Kuniskis said the new Charger, to be offered in a pair of two-door models initially, with more to come — including gas-powered and four-door versions next year — is the latest chapter in the Stellantis NV brand's transformation in recent years.

Dodge has "distilled the brand down" over the last decade or so to solely focus on American muscle and performance vehicles, Kuniskis said, but it also "knew the storm" of tighter emissions regulations and the EV transition was ahead. The aim, he added, is to make that electric transformation differently than other auto companies in a way that stays true to what Dodge loyalists want.

“To be a performance car, it’s more than just acceleration," the CEO said at a briefing ahead of the Tuesday unveiling. "All BEVs accelerate fast. BEVs are also heavy, batteries are heavy, right? Most electric cars will have a small tire package, small brake package for efficiency — better efficiency, better range. 

"I don’t care," he said. "This (car) is about performance.”

Dodge first unveiled a concept of the new EV muscle car in 2022, and the final version looks largely similar — including its massive wheels and brakes. 

The first two models will be a Daytona Scat Pack with 670 horsepower and 260 miles of range, and a Daytona R/T with 496 horsepower and 317 miles of range. 

The new Chargers includes high-powered features to make them feel familiar to muscle car fans, including the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system, which its creators say is supposed to provide a gas-powered, big-engine sound even in an EV, as well the R-Wing on the hood, to create more downforce. Engage the Powershot, and it will give the car an extra 40 horsepower for 15 seconds. And there are modes available for drifting, drag racing, hitting the track, or doing donuts. 

The exterior design is aimed to balance aerodynamics while still maintaining a classic muscle-car look, said Scott Krugger, vice president for Dodge exterior design. Designers wanted to give the interior a "cockpit feel," said Ryan Nagode, a vice president for interior design, and it's got a pistol-grip shifter, and flat-top, flat-bottom steering wheel. 

Production of gas-powered versions of the Charger, the 550-horsepower two-door SIXPACK H.O., and a 420-horsepower four-door SIXPACK S.O., are scheduled to begin early next year. 

All of the new Charger models will be built at Stellantis' Windsor Assembly Plant. The Samsung batteries are set to be built in South Korea initially and later in Kokomo, Indiana, executives said.  

Dodge has not disclosed pricing. 

Karl Brauer, executive analyst at auto information website iSeeCars.com, said the new Charger EV will be a tough sell to Dodge loyalists.

"It's going to be harder for Dodge than any other brand to make this (electric) transition without suffering customer loyalty and market-share issues," he said. 

Dodge is a brand that has long emphasized traditional and historic automotive performance, he noted, from the Hemi engine, to the bright colors of its fast cars, to the tone of its advertising that often discussed the automaker's history. 

"They have played up their heritage and history more than any other brand, and done it successfully," he said. "And nothing about an electric drivetrain pertains to that message that they've been sending — it's kind of the antithesis of it."

Still, he said the styling of the new Charger is certainly appealing, and looks like a Dodge. And of course it's fast: The Scat Pack will do 0-60 in 3.3 seconds, Dodge says. Yet the price will surely be steep, Brauer said, possibly north of $70,000. 

The analyst noted that Dodge's sales, especially of its Charger and Challenger, have done quite well in recent years. He'll be watching closely just how keen consumers are for the new EV once it hits dealer lots later this year. 

Dodge created a hype video for the new Charger where Kuniskis goes back in time to visit the Dodge brothers, John and Horace, more than 100 years ago to show them what the automotive future would hold, and offering up the catchphrase of Dodge "being fueled by brotherhood but powered by lithium." 

“Most people think electric cars are supposed to save the planet," the CEO says at one point in the video. "Electric cars are supposed to be green and politically correct. So this thing must be super efficient and environmentally friendly, right? I don’t know, maybe. But that was never the point. The point was that they told us we couldn’t sell Hemis. But they never told us that we had to be boring and slow.”

lramseth@detroitnews.com

@lramseth