Dodge EVs will be designed with performance in mind

Dodge is about to put its stamp on electric performance, with a battery-powered Charger arriving in 2024.

But that doesn't mean the brand is giving up on internal combustion. In fact, it's finding new uses for powerful gasoline engines.

Stellantis began rolling out its Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six engine in the Jeep Wagoneer line of luxury SUVs for the 2023 model year.

Dodge put a spotlight on the Hurricane by putting it in a Challenger Drag Pak during the Roadkill Nights muscle car event in the Detroit area in August and testing it out on the drag strip. The engine is capable of up to 550 hp.

When asked whether Dodge plans to use the Hurricane engine in production, CEO Tim Kuniskis said, "We have plans to put it in some other cars that we'll probably announce shortly." He said the brand could share more product news later in the year.

Here's a look at what's on tap:

Electric crossover: A five-passenger electric crossover is expected in early 2026.

Durango: The 710-hp Durango Hellcat will be back for another round in the 2024 model year, despite initial plans for a shorter run. A redesign of the large SUV may arrive in late 2026, possibly as an electric vehicle.

Hornet: Dodge's first plug-in hybrid entry, which offers more than 30 miles — or about 50 kilometres — of electric range, started arriving at dealerships this summer. The electrified variant has the R/T tag.

The compact crossover's conventional gasoline-powered version, the GT, starts below US$30,000 in the United States — but just above C$40,000 in Canada — and was the first to reach stores, earlier in the year.

The Hornet is a sibling of the Alfa Romeo Tonale. Dodge's design unit took the Tonale's foundation and added an aggressive spin with inspiration from the muscular Challenger, Charger and Durango.

Charger: Dodge gave the world a peek at its EV plans in 2022 with the Charger Daytona SRT Concept.

The concept coupe is loaded with an industry-first "exhaust" system for the segment and an 800-volt battery. The first electric Charger will arrive in 2024 as a two-door model, and AutoForecast Solutions says a four-door version could go into production soon after.

Production of the gasoline Charger on the LX platform concludes at the end of 2023.

Challenger: The gasoline version of the Challenger, like the Charger, goes out of production at the end of 2023. The next-generation battery-powered model on the STLA Large platform for electrified vehicles could arrive in 2024.