CEO Ridicules Electric Turbos and Confirms Hellcat Path

Dodge Stands Firm Against EV Branding, But Hasn’t Always Held Back on Special Cars

After an official confirmation from Dodge’s CEO Tim Kuniskis, it has been solidified that the Hellcat moniker will always be synonymous with robust V8 engines equipped with superchargers.

In a conversation with Road & Track, the charming chief executive officer asserted that the renowned brand will not be revived for electric-powered or Hurricane-driven muscle cars. The reason behind this decision? He holds a deep reverence for the Hellcat name and is aware of its significance to devoted followers.

According to the CEO, for the past decade, our main focus has been on narrowing down our brand to solely American performance cars. As he stated, “We’ve been trying to distill this brand down to, you know, we don’t sell Journeys, we don’t sell Darts, we’re only selling American performance cars.” Our marketing strategy revolves around highlighting the most extreme level of performance and then selling downwards from there.

During a recent interview, the CEO of Porsche made a sly comment about the all-electric Taycan Turbo. He stated, “So if you […] call it a turbo and it’s a BEV, it doesn’t fit, right?” This remark was a subtle jab at the use of the term “turbo” in the name of a car that runs solely on battery power. The CEO seemed to be questioning the logic behind labeling an electric car with a term typically associated with combustion engines.

According to Kuniskis, “If I referred to it as a Hellcat, I would face severe backlash because that is not its true identity.”

Kuniskis, in a possible response to automakers profiting off of distinctive specifications and superficially upgraded limited editions, expressed, “We market the physical components; we do not market the aesthetics such as finishes, leather, and paint options. Our focus is on the tangible hardware, making names crucially significant.”

Unfortunately, it seems that the Hellcat moniker will not be making a comeback. Dodge has officially announced that they will no longer be producing V8-powered cars, although the V8 engine will still be an option in the Durango for a little while longer. While this news may disappoint some, fans of internal combustion engines can take solace in the fact that the Hurricane-based inline-six engines are on the horizon. Additionally, just because the Hellcat name is being retired doesn’t mean that we won’t see powerful versions of the recently unveiled Charger in the future.

It is important to remember that Dodge had initially claimed the Durango Hellcat to be a limited edition for just one year. However, they later revived it, leaving room for the possibility of the Hellcat moniker making a comeback in the future.

The debut of the Charger Daytona R/T in its electric form boasted an impressive 496 horsepower and 404 lb-ft of torque. While these figures were undoubtedly satisfying for a muscle car, the Scat Pack kicked things up a notch with a whopping 670 electric horses and 627 lb-ft of torque.

The manufacturers will soon release upgraded packages for these specific models, incorporating the use of a 400-volt system. However, individuals seeking the high-performance Hellcat level will have to be patient for the arrival of the 800V Banshee edition, which is anticipated to compete with the current Challenger SRT Hellcat’s power. In order to compensate for the absence of a V8 growl and supercharger whine, Dodge is developing a unique Fratzonic exhaust mechanism that will enhance the noise produced by the electric motors.

As previously stated, those who prefer internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles will have multiple options to choose from with the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six models. The SIXPACK HO variant will boast an impressive 550 horsepower, while the SIXPACK SO ‘Standard Output’ will still provide a substantial 420 horses.