But will it be something we've seen, or something new?
Stellantis, formerly known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, has been slow on the uptake of electric vehicles, even as Detroit's other two automakers are making full strides in the EV direction. But now, with a report from The Detroit Bureau, it looks like Dodge may have something in store to take over for the Hellcat powerplant, which has been powering its coupes, sedans and SUVs to intimidating quarter-mile times for the last six or so years.
Insider sources tell the publication that six all-electric vehicles are in the styling studio from Stellantis, and more are in the pipeline. They're also saying that a BEV that's under development will be the fastest Dodge ever. That means it will be even faster than the Challenger SRT Demon, which clocked a 0-60 time of 2.3 seconds, though no one would confirm specific numbers.
There's no denying it, the company needs to move into the electric era quickly, or risk being lapped by its American competitors. Ford has the Mustang Mach-E crossover and now the F-150 Lightning pickup. GMC and Chevy have the new Hummer, as well as the upcoming Silverado and the useful-looking Bolt EUV. Those are all either on sale or will be on sale soon.
Stellantis is behind, but they're not starting from the home plate. The brand has the new Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid, which accounted for more than 20% of sales in May. Jeep brass told us at the Grand Cherokee L event that the 4xe was the best-selling plug-in in the US, outselling the Prius.
TDB predicts, and we agree, that an electric Ram pickup has to be in the cards for Stellantis, as it is the top-selling model for the company in the United States. If both Ford and Chevy get a lead with EV trucks, it would be hard for Ram to come back. In 2020 the Ram came in third place with 563,000 sales. Chevy was second with 594,000 sales and Ford continued its run, moving 787,000 F-Series vehicles.
As to which car would be Dodge's fastest ever, it would be easy, and reasonable, to pick the Challenger coupe or Charger sedan. Those both ride on the company's L-series platforms, of which predecessors date back to the DaimlerChrysler era. But we'd like to see a new nameplate, or a rehashed old one, with a new platform. It's still Dodge, so we're figuring a sedan or coupe. Of course, the Barracuda name has been tossed around for a decade, paired with an Alfa Romeo platform.
It was rumored to be a smaller chassis, fit to take on the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro directly, as the Challenger is just too big and heavy. That makes a little sense, though a name like Eel would really drive home the electric nature of a new car like this. On the other hand, Dodge Eel doesn't sound very cool. Regardless, we're happy to see Stellantis joining the game, however late, and we're excited to see what The Brotherhood of Muscle can bring to the electronic table.
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