14. That's how many brands Stellantis has underneath its huge corporate umbrella. All of them active in Europe will abolish the combustion engine by the end of the decade. In the United States, the automotive conglomerate said this week EVs will account for 50 percent of its sales by 2030. Even though the electric rollout in the US will be slower, the Dare Forward 2030 calls for over 25 BEVs arriving stateside in the next eight years.
One of the most exciting electric models announced thus far is the world's first production muscle car sans the ICE. Dodge will lead the way with a concept coming later this year ahead of 2024 when the road-going vehicle is scheduled to arrive. Parent company Stellantis has been tight-lipped about the performance machine, but CEO Carlos Tavares did have some interesting things to say this week.
Prior to presenting the long-term strategic plan, the 63-year-old executive born in Lisbon said the Dodge electric muscle car will deliver a "sound that you cannot imagine." He went on to describe it as "something that is shocking" even though the good ol' gasoline engine is going the way of the dodo:
"After they create the sound, they are thinking about how they make the sound louder and more powerful in function of the way you are using the car."
It's worth noting Dodge won't be the first automaker to create artificial sounds in a bid to make its EVs more exciting, but it would appear the muscle car will have a more dramatic soundtrack. The yet-to-be-named EV is expected to have a pair of motors since a teaser showed the vehicle doing a four-wheel burnout.
During the live presentation that followed, Tavares said the zero-emission muscle car will deliver the "performance and unique attitude that Dodge is known for." That's not saying much, but we should point out the EV's arrival won't necessarily spell the end for the gasoline-fueled models. In an interview last year with Muscle Cars and Trucks, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis declared:
"The new car comes in 2024. We didn't say that the current cars are going to die in 2024. There might be a little overlap, but you're not going to have years and years and years of the classic and the new one at the same time."
Before that happens, Dodge will introduce a plug-in hybrid model this year, possibly called Hornet and widely believed to take the shape of a rebadged Alfa Romeo Tonale. The Italian crossover combines a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine with an electric motor for a total of 272 hp and all-wheel drive.
