Dodge is known for attempting to make really quick cars. When they brought the Demon to the market, there was a lot of tussle with the Tesla Model S P100D about which was quicker. The company even added a disclaimer later which implied that the Demon wasn’t quicker than Model S. Later on, Model S P100D and Performance both ended up being quicker. Now, with the Model S Plaid taking all honors at the moment, it will be very difficult for Dodge to try and bring “the quickest production car” again.
So Dodge now needs to go back to the drawing board. In the past, Ford Chrysler Automotive (FCA), under which Dodge manufactures its vehicles, hasn’t been in favor of electric mobility. Former CEO Sergio Marchionne made that clear many a time in the press. Early this year, however, FCA joined hands with Peugeot Société Anonyme (PSA) to form Stellantis. It is a Dutch-domiciled multinational automotive manufacturer. The partnership is 50-50 on both sides of the table. Stellantis has its headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It seems like, under the Stellantis umbrella, plans may change.
Dodge Planning to go Electric
The main idea behind the Demon was to manufacture the quickest production car on the planet. But electric vehicles with their instant torque have gotten off the line much quicker, quite literally. It is clear that it’ll be very difficult for Dodge to try to retain the top spot if it sticks to combustion vehicles. The Demon, at best, could manage a 0 to 60 mph (96.5 kph) acceleration in 2.3 seconds. Model S Plaid, on the other hand, has broken the 2-second barrier, with Tesla claiming a 1.99-second timing.
The Detroit-based automotive journalist, Paul Einenstein has written an article highlighting Dodge’s efforts in battery-electric mobility. The Detroit Bureau claims that Dodge is working on its fastest model ever, and it will be battery-powered. According to Paul, the super-quick electric Dodge is just one of several electrified models that the company is currently developing.
Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis also stated in January that the days of the iron block supercharged 6.2-litre V8 are numbered. However, he reiterated that the performance that those vehicles generate is not numbered.
The whole world is going to shift to electrification, right? We know this is coming. The whole world’s going get there and when it does, the price point of that technology is going to come down and … the crazy people are going to take the electrification that has now become accessible from a price point and make that performance-based instead of economy-based.
Our Opinion
This shouldn’t really surprise people. Dodge has kept American muscle cars alive more than any other brand in the U.S. auto industry during the past decade. But once regulatory committees start tightening the noose on IC engines, all companies will have to adapt if they are to survive. And obviously, they cannot begin the development of electric vehicles after countries ban IC engines. If we are to believe Einenstein, the development of electric mobility is already underway at Dodge.
