Dodge‘s previously revealed eMuscle electric hot rod will put an end to the automaker’s Hellcat V8-powered Challenger and Charger.
In an interview with Motor Authority quoted by CNET’s Roadshow, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis announced that the powerful coupe and sedan’s final year will be 2023. The decision to end the hellish period was made in order to avoid having to pay enormous compliance fees in order to meet emissions laws.
“[The Hellcat] powertrain as we know it will be built through 2023 (calendar year). In 2024, we’re moving on. The new Dodge cars will be electrified.” Kuniskis said in a statement.
Meanwhile, there are three developments to look out for. The first is the aforementioned eMuscle, which features the old-school Fratzog emblem used on Dodge cars from the 1960s and 1970s. The second is a plug-in hybrid car, which Roadshow believes will be an SUV. The third is unknown, but a Hellcat swan song would be appropriate.
This news comes shortly after the announcement of the 2022 Charger and Challenger “Jailbreak” package (shown). Aside from cosmetic changes, the upgrade features a powertrain recalibration that “unlocks” an additional 10 hp in the supercharged 6.2-liter V8, bringing total output to 807 hp.
As Car and Driver points out, that’s just one horse less than the now-defunct Demon (though the top-tier tuning saw the limited-edition model achieved up to 840 hp).
Best of all, when it goes on sale late in 2021, the Jailbreak option will cost just shy of $1,000, at $995.
