New Dodge Charger Plug-In Hybrid Could Arrive With Huge Performance Potential (2024)

Mar. 07, 2024 12:33 PM ET by Paul Eisenstein Scoop / 6 Comments

• Charger is underpinned by a "multi-energy platform" that can use gas or battery power - or a combination of the two
• Plug-in hybrids could gain traction as a "bridge technology" for those hesitant about going all-electric
• A Charger PHEV would likely be second-only to the all-electric Charger Banshee in terms of performance

Dodge delivered several surprises when it rolled out the new Charger Daytona muscle car this week. Hewing close to the concept vehicle first revealed in 2022, the production model will launch in all-electric form as a coupe later this year, with a four-door version set to follow early in 2025.

Also on tap for next year: gas-powered coupe and sedan Chargers - which forego the "Daytona" badge - using two variants of the new Stellantis inline-six Hurricane engine.

Credit for this goes to the flexible new STLA Large architecture developed by the Euro-American automaker. Unlike the skateboard-like layouts used for most new EVs, it's a "multi-energy platform," explained Dodge brand boss Tim Kuniskis, during a media backgrounder late last month.

In a subsequent conversation with CarBuzz, Kuniskis and Charger Chief Engineer Audrey Moore revealed that the all-electric and gas versions of the new muscle car could be followed by still more powertrain variants.

According to several sources, both inside and outside of the company, the most likely approach will be to add one or more plug-in hybrid-electric options. The PHEV could become the second most powerful version of the Charger, second only to the all-electric Charger Daytona Banshee expected to arrive sometime in the 2026 model year.

"Anything's possible," said Charger chief engineer Audrey Moore when asked if hybrid variants are in the works. In subsequent comments, she made it clear that this is an option her team is seriously considering.

Slow to embrace "electrification," especially in the North American market, parent Stellantis has been looking for EV alternatives that could have both broader appeal and come in at a lower price tag.

Its Detroit-based brands have begun rolling out an assortment of battery-based options, starting with "mild" hybrids. These use 48-volt motor drive systems that provide just a bit of launch assist to an otherwise gas-powered drivetrain. The company has shown little interest in the more conventional hybrid technology used for vehicles like the Toyota Prius.

It took the next step five years ago with the launch of the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Despite its name, the minivan is actually a PHEV. It uses a 16-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery that not only helps save fuel but allows the people-mover to drive more than 30 miles in all-electric mode, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

The Jeep brand has since added two PHEVs of its own, receiving strong feedback from buyers. Its Wrangler 4xe is now the best-selling plug-in hybrid in the US, followed close behind by the Grand Cherokee 4xe.

Jeep officials have laid out plans to offer electrified versions of every model in their line-up - with a heavy emphasis on PHEVs. And Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said in an interview last year he doesn't plan to stop there.

"If you want to go fast, you can reduce by 50% your CO₂ emissions, while protecting affordability," said Tavares. "You protect affordability for the middle classes. Hence, you protect high-volume sales, and you do a good job for the planet."

"The potential is there" to add one or more plug-in versions of the Charger "because all the parts are already there," said Sam Fiorani, chief analyst with AutoForecast Solutions.

Though Stellantis has yet to hybridize the new Hurricane inline-six engine, several insiders noted it could readily pair up with the ZF eight-speed automatic used on the two Jeep models. That transmission replaces the normal torque converter with an electric drive system that, in present form, could add another 150 horsepower - and gobs of torque the moment the motor starts spinning.

"Added to the twin-turbo version of the Hurricane - which already makes 550 hp - it could yield a potentially 700-hp monster," added Sam Abuelsamid, lead auto analyst with Guidehouse Insights. And that could yield 0-60 mph launches in the low to mid-three second range, he estimated.

"It would be the highest-performance version using a gas engine," said Abuelsamid. But it likely wouldn't be the most powerful version of Charger overall, he cautioned. Indeed, Dodge boss Kuniskis effectively made it clear that role will be reserved for the all-electric Banshee.

The muscle car brand has yet to reveal specs for that variant - other than noting it will switch from the 400-volt electrical architecture of the Daytona R/T and Scat Pack models to an 800-volt system. That should allow significantly more power to move back and forth between battery pack and wheels. Some observers expect Banshee to push closer to 1,000 hp, positioning it as a challenger to the likes of the new Lucid Air Sapphire and Tesla Model S Plaid, both delivering four-figure pony counts and launches of less than 2 seconds.

Exactly when a plug-in version of the new Dodge Charger might come to market is uncertain, cautioned Fiorani. His charts currently track the versions of the muscle car that going into production through the end of 2025. Beyond that, his crystal ball is cloudy.

"It would have to be no sooner than 2026," he explains

Considering the complex timetable for the models Dodge has already announced, adding still more variants will take a bit of work. But Stellantis insiders have told CarBuzz it could take as little as 18 months to two years from the time a Chrysler PHEV were to get the formal go-ahead to get it into production.