Dodge is making all the buzz with its electric muscle car plans that involve retro designs, loud “exhausts,” and the Banshee name. The automaker made these announcements Wednesday night by launching its Charger Daytona EV Concept, which we understand will shape the successors for Dodge’s V8 models that are going away after 2023. However, a report from Mopar Insiders claims that Dodge isn’t ditching internal combustion altogether.
The outlet writes that while the Hemi V8 engine family may be discontinued, the next-gen Charger and Challenger will be offered with electric and gas drivetrains. Citing anonymous sources, Mopar Insiders says the twin-turbo 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six will stand in as the cars’ ICE offering. The Drive reached out to Dodge but a spokesperson declined to comment.
This seems like a realistic possibility. We’re already seeing the Hurricane engine make its way around Stellantis’ other brands, including Jeep and its Wagoneer SUVs. It makes as much as 510 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque in the Grand Wagoneer L, which is more than any of Dodge’s naturally aspirated V8s produce at present. Additionally, Stellantis claims it delivers this power increase while cutting emissions by 15 percent.
It also makes sense from a business standpoint. After all, Stellantis went through the extensive and expensive R&D process to build an internal combustion engine as electrification swells in popularity. The auto conglomerate wants to earn those costs back and more, so it’s unlikely that the Hurricane will be reserved for just a few models. And even if it needs to hybridize down the line, Stellantis says the I6 is capable of that, too.
It’s hard to say exactly when the next-gen Charger and Challenger production models will be revealed, but they’re reportedly scheduled to enter production late next year. We’ve got between now and then to find out whether they’ll be EV-only or make use of the boosted Hurricane.
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