The first idea that springs to mind when thinking about Stellantis' (STLA) Dodge brand is its rich history of producing performance cars alongside a lineup of 'pedestrian' vehicles.
Up until the 2023 model year, the cornerstone of the Dodge brand in recent history was a duo of muscle cars that earned it a loyal following of thrill-seekers, adrenaline junkies, and dreamers: the 2-door Challenger and 4-door Charger.
In their later years, these vehicles were regarded by enthusiasts as working people's supercars, as they could be equipped with powerful and loud Hemi V8 engines capable of close to 800 horsepower.
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The dream of owning a fast, powerful car became a reality for many fans of the Dodge brand. But for loyal owners of these vehicles, the fun did not last forever.
On March 5, Dodge released its most controversial product yet: a replacement for the Challenger and Charger that ditches the Hemi V8 for the choice of either a smaller, turbocharged inline-6 motor or a fully electric powertrain.
Dodge CEO's defense
Dodge CEO Matt McAlear, in an interview with Automotive News, said that he expects the electric Charger to 'convert' some muscle car owners to EV owners and to draw in new customers who may be attracted to the idea of an electric Dodge Charger.
"I think there's a compelling opportunity to bring people in the showroom, to look at this new technology and experience this new technology and see what it can do for them and why they can fall in love with it," McAlear told Automotive News.
"You're always trying to transition between an outgoing model and an incoming model. Look at it in the consumer's eyes: 'What do I get for the money? Why do I want to go and look at it, why do I want to test drive it?' "
Stellantis
McAlear said that the electric Charger may not be a daily driver for many buyers but can be appropriate as a second car. He is incredibly eager to win over traditional muscle-car enthusiasts, stating that the gall to call an EV a "muscle car" sets them apart from the pack.
"We never went after Camaro and Mustang from a pony car standpoint, we went out with muscle cars and straight-line performance," McAlear said.
"That's where we win. No one else is bringing anything like this to market, so that's when we can stand out. That's when our fans recognize that we're helping them show off their personalities and what they want to be."
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Dealers are doubtful
McAlear's idea that "no one else is bringing anything like this to market" is not shared by many people, especially those who know the traditional Dodge customer.
Michael Harrington, the general manager of Huntington Beach Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Huntington Beach, Calif., told AutoNews that he is looking forward to selling the gas-powered Charger Sixpack models that enter production in the second half of 2025 because he believes they will be easier to sell to an audience that is mourning the loss of their beloved muscle car.
Additionally, he warns that the electric Charger's price tag of over $61,000 will be a hard sell for the younger audience who bought the Hemi-powered predecessors.
"I really thought they were going to come out with this nice price plan," Harrington said. "You can buy a Tesla now for [$30,000], $300 a month. We're going to double the price? Just not going to work."
"To get the new customer with the new tech and the new look and all that, I would have thought they would have come out more aggressively in pricing for the EV."
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In a thread on the r/cars Reddit community about the pricing of the Charger EV, user u/cpttucker126 pointed out that most "Dodge enjoyers" were attracted to the V8-powered Dodge Challenger and Charger Scat Packs and R/Ts because of their rock-bottom prices.
"[Dodge Challenger, Charger] Scat packs people were able to buy for 45k with discounts. Now they start at 75k before destination, tax and fees," the Reddit user said. "The [Charger EV] RT is 62k before destination, tax and fees. You could get a RT with discounts for 35k. Wayyyy to expensive. Its DOA."
"The owners that look to trade in their old chargers and challenger will look to move to Mustang and Corvette now."
Social Media Firestorm
The lack of a Hemi V8 and the mere existence of a Dodge Charger with an electrified powertrain has proved extremely controversial among enthusiasts who feel alienated from the brand.
In a March 6 post on TikTok, auto dealer guru @thankucheese urged Mopar owners not to sell their late-model, V8-powered Chargers and Challengers, predicting that they will command a premium once the new Charger EV and Sixpack hits dealerships.
"If you own a [Dodge] Charger or a Challenger, the price of these are gonna continue to go up because these new production vehicles are completely trash," he said. "Dodge says they will make it the loudest electric car possible ever made, but does that even really make sense? Is it really even loud if its just computer noises?"
"Instead of worrying about electric vehicles, they need to learn about f--king security systems and fix the vehicles that prior have security issues."
Stellantis
Recently, pre-production models of the new Charger were spotted around the Detroit area, and some netizens who got a sneak peek did not express much excitement.
TikTok user @evosrt8 walked around a pre-production Charger charging up in a parking lot, which they called the "2025 charger ev trash [Litter in Bin Sign emoji] edition."
Another TikTok user by the name @the_eurocar_guy spotted one while he was driving, which triggered a more colorful reaction.
"There's no way this is the new Challenger R/T. There's a manufacturer plate on this thing and it looks so sh---y. What the f--k is this?," he asked his viewers. "This is actually so hideous."
Stellantis, which trades under STLA on the New York Stock Exchange, is down 1.57% today, trading at $16.30 at the time of writing.
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