Dodge’s foray into the economical and EV vehicle arena hasn’t been well received by lovers of American muscle cars.
Stellantis is the parent company of Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge. Early in 2024 their CEO made a decision for Dodge that generated an outcry from consumers.
And muscle car lovers are begging Dodge to bring this American icon back to life.
The Hemi is King!
When you think of American muscle, the Hemi engine is likely what comes to mind.
Chrysler reintroduced the Hemi in 2001, making it available in the Jeep Cherokee and Dodge Ram pick-up trucks. A smart move that significantly boosted their standing in the American truck market.
Ford’s reintroduction of the Mustang in 2005 caused Dodge to venture into the modern day muscle car arena.
A four door muscle car?
The return of the Charger came with a re-introduction of the Hemi R/T model and the new generation of the Hemi SRT8.
Even though Dodge was derided for returning the Charger as a 4-door only model, the one thing that was obvious was how enthusiastically the return of the Hemi as a muscle car engine was received!
Dodge continued their foray into the modern day muscle cars with the return of the Dodge Challenger in 2008 which included the hemi powered R/T and SRT8 models as well as the SXT V-6 model.
The Street Racing Technology (SRT) division of Dodge was on a roll, and the Hemi continued to gain popularity with car enthusiasts.
In 2015, Dodge upped their game with the introduction of the Hellcat models of Challenger and Charger.
At the heart of the cat was a 6.2 Liter, supercharged engine pumping out an impressive 707 horsepower.
Dodge sold out of their entire production run of 2015 Hellcats within a week of their debut.
Dodge’s parent company, Chrysler, was paying attention. In 2018, their Jeep Division debuted the Cherokee Trackhawk that was equipped with the Dodge Hellcat engine.
Dodge eventually put the Hellcat engine into their own SUV, the Dodge Durango, in 2021 and consumers quickly snatched them up.
Dodge engineers had even bigger ideas for the Hemi!
In March 2023, Dodge unveiled the Demon. This 6.2 Liter super charged Hemi would make an unprecedented 1,025 horsepower, straight from the factory.
But the end of Dodge’s foray into the modern American muscle car era was insight.
In March 2024, Dodge announced that they would discontinue production of their Hemi engine line at the end of the year. This was in response to continued pressure and restrictions by the EPA and government regulations.
This was a decision fostered and supported by Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares, in order to evade the significant cost of having to purchase “credits” from the U.S. Government for manufacturing that did not meet regulatory emission and fuel mileage standards.
It was announced that Dodge would begin production of a 2-door, EV version of the Dodge Charger for 2025.
Car enthusiasts have long been hoping Dodge would release a 2-door version of this iconic muscle car. When Dodge announced that the 2-door model would only be available in an electric version, American muscle car lovers were less than enthused.
Electric cars are fast, but electric cars are quiet. That rumble of the American Hemi V-8 is what real MOPAR lovers crave.
Dodge tried to address that concern stating that the new EV Charger would be equipped with an electric external speaker system that would allow drivers the ability to mimic the sounds of the Hemi V-8 with the touch of a button.
Really?
Dodge’s muscle car client base were insulted and they were not shy about sharing their feelings to social media channels.
Thankfully Stellantis and Dodge listened.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares resigned in December 2024, citing pressure from the company’s Board of Directors over loss of sales and for them not embracing the direction that he wanted to take the company.
Soon after Taveres’ resignation, Dodge announced that they would continue to produce the Hemi and put out a Hellcat version of the Durango for the rest of their production run of 2025 models.
The EV Charger is in production. Dodge has yet to say if the 2-door model will be offered with a Hemi version later in the year.
Even though the future of the Hemi beyond 2025 is not yet certain, Stellantis and Dodge have heard the consumer outcry loud and clear. The popularity of the Hemi will undoubtedly continue for years to come.
