It's not just the Hellcats that are about to go extinct at Dodge, it's the V-8 itself.
Contrary to recent reports, Dodge's next-generation muscle car lineup will be electric only with no V-8 engine options.
On Sunday, Dodge spokesperson Dave Elshoff didn't mince words when speaking with Motor Authority. "The story was false. As Tim (Kuniskis, company CEO) confirmed to you, the Charger/Challenger platform and its Hemi (V-8) power go away after 2023. The unnamed replacement will be BEV," he said.
Kuniskis told MotorAuthority at the 2021 LA auto show that the Hellcats and their current platforms will continue through the end of 2023. That leaves less than two years to buy a Hellcat.
At the time, Kuniskis noted it wasn't just the Hellcat itself, but the platform and the powertrain "as we know it."
Dodge electric concept car teaser
Dodge's electric era will kick off with a throwback electric muscle car set to launch in 2024.
The BEV muscle car will be based on Stellantis' new STLA Large platform, which is being developed to support all-wheel-drive performance and muscle cars. It's one of four BEV platforms the automaker's developing including STLA Small, STLA Medium, and STLA Frame, the latter for body-on-frame pickups and SUVs.
A concept version of that muscle car, which is said to directly preview the production car, will debut on Aug. 17 ahead of the 2022 Woodward Dream Cruise.
Dodge has dubbed that week "Speed Week," and the company will debut a plug-in hybrid, believed to be the 2023 Hornet crossover SUV, and one or more special edition Hellcats potentially using the Dodge Direct Connection performance parts program, to give the supercharged muscle car a fiery send-off.
