We already know that electric vehicles will someday outnumber internal combustion engines. Some manufacturers are making the move faster than others, but Dodge remains a safe refuge for powerful V8 power. Despite recent speculations to the contrary, this will alter when the next-generation Charger and Challenger arrive.
A Dodge representative confirmed in an email to Motor1.com that the next-generation platform would lose not just the Hemi V8, but all internal-combustion engines as well. The email exchange was prompted by a MotorTrend post claiming that the Hemi will return for future Charger and Challenger models. In reality, it will be entirely electric.
“The report is inaccurate,” the official added. “The Hemi in that platform, as well as the platform itself, are being phased out. BEVs will be the next generation.”
The platform in issue is the LX, which dates back to 2005 and is Chrysler’s full-size, rear-wheel-drive configuration. The current models employ updated variants of the platform – LD for the Charger and LA for the Challenger – to allow V6 and V8 engines, as well as an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Dodge is working on a new electric muscle vehicle, which is no secret. It was announced last year and is scheduled to make its debut in concept form in the coming weeks. It will preview the production model, which is set to come in 2024, although Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis has already said that its arrival would not mark the end of combustion engines. That has left room for conjecture, with Kuniskis even suggesting that the new electric platform may live with the present one for a time. We already know that when the current Charger and Challenger retire, it signals the end of a throaty exhaust noise.
If there’s any solace for V8 fans, speculations indicate that the supercharged Hellcat engine will go out with a bang. A new version configured to operate on power-hungry E85 gasoline might give the Challenger 900 horsepower before electricity takes control.
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