Electric Dodge Muscle Cars Coming

Much has been written about the impending end of internal combustion engines, but are we truly in the golden era of muscle cars?

It depends on what constitutes a muscle car in the eye of the beholder. Is it a large displacement V8 at its core?  Is it an abundance of torque? Is it a loud rumble from the exhaust? Is it a lumpy camshaft?

Can a car be called a muscle car if it it’s devoid of the noise and the rumble?

Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis seems to think so. So long as that the performance numbers are comparable to, or even better than what we see today.

“You gotta divorce yourself from the technology,” said Kuniskis in an interview with MC&T during Roadkill Nights 2021.”When we talk about Redeyes, Hellcats, Super Stocks and Demons… we do that to sell down the range… the same thing will apply if I can get you great performance.”

Long in The Tooth

The Dodge Challenger is a 12-year-old design. Upgrades and slight cosmetic changes have kept it popular, but the original shape goes back 50 years. Dodge seems to have perfected the concept of taking antiques (or classics, if you prefer) and making them cool again.

The Dodge Charger is even older, going back to the 2006 release and again, with styling changes and other upgrades.

But as the world’s automakers move toward the inevitable switch to alternative energy, no one really knows how they will be received among hardcore enthusiasts. Will they suffer from piston envy? Will the absence of that V8 rumble water down the experience to the point that the excitement is gone?

At the rate we’re going, in 20 years, every car will be electric and they will all do 0-60 in 2 seconds and run a 9 second 1/4 mile. Essentially, cars will be appliances, like toasters. So will simply choose which appliance looks the best to them?

Of course, if some Dodge customers leave because of an electric vehicle, then perhaps new ones will show up for the same reason. Kuniskis and the company have been open in sharing that electrification can improve the performance of a muscle car, but customers have to be willing to pay for the upgrade.

With Electric Dodge Muscle Cars Coming, Will Customer Remain Loyal?

Many people buy a car for its styling. Some buy cars for their performance and are “living with” the styling. I can attest to this – I own a car that I don’t consider pretty in a classic sense, but the car’s performance is what drew me to it.

Speaking objectively, there are people on both sides of that argument but for those who cannot live without the lumpy V8, that choice will not be around for long. Soon, ALL muscle cars will be electric as the world finishes its transition away from internal combustion engines.

At some point, people will be left to consider looks and features of a car with few other options available. Kids born today, here in 2021, might never even hear the sound of a cammed V8 at a stoplight.

One thing’s for sure, battery technology is not cheap. This likely means that one possible option would be just how fast or how far your electric Dodge muscle car can accelerate or how far it can go. This scenario already exists in other electric cars, like Teslas.

For now, we’re hearing that the current V8 Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger will still be available until at least 2023, so if you want one, you better put your order in because once they’re gone, you’ll really be missing them.