New Charger Won't Be Dodge's Only EV—Another Model Seems Imminent
The Stellantis corporate website may have just revealed a new Dodge EV to follow the electric Charger muscle car.
Dodge is well past just dipping a toe into electrification, committing most of the next-gen 2025 Dodge Charger muscle car lineup to fully-electric powertrains that stand above a limited set of downsized (but still powerful) gas engine options notably lacking a V-8. Some may debate if these new gas I-6 and fully-electric Chargers are still "true" muscle cars, and while a new CEO at Dodge faces that growing battle for establishing the legitimacy of an all-new product, the automaker is also taking a more moderate approach to electrification otherwise. So far, Dodge has only a plug-in hybrid version of its newly-introduced Hornet compact SUV. That could soon change, however, as a video uploaded to a corporate webpage may have just revealed a soon-to-come new electric Dodge SUV. Here's what we know so far.
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In a press release regarding coming updates and introductions of new technology for the coming wave of next-gen, software-defined vehicles from the Stellantis corporation of automakers (including Dodge, Jeep, Maserati, among others, but those are the ones you'll need to know for the rest of this story), one of a few three-minute videos featured a few seconds of the very interesting vehicle rendering below.
The vehicle in the video appears to be the outline of the new Dodge Hornet SUV ghosted over what's clearly a fully-electric vehicle platform equipped with a central, sled-like battery pack and e-motors on the axles. This is peculiar because Dodge has not yet announced, or even teased, that an electric Hornet SUV was in the cards, so this isn't quite confirmation just yet. However, we really shouldn't be too surprised by the concept of a Dodge Hornet EV, since it's already offered with a (smaller) battery and a spot for the plug, and there's theoretically demand for its type.
The Stellantis video that "leaked" this Hornet EV showed it morph from what appears to be the upcoming Jeep Recon EV design, which is supposedly not meant to be an electric Wrangler, but rather something just a hair more comfortable and packaged differently. The Recon EV was announced to ride on the adaptable STLA-Large platform, and a future Wrangler EV will likely be on the more off-road oriented STLA-Frame setup.
The Recon EV is expected to be equipped for overland and off-road duty, so expect electronic locking differentials, skidplates, tow hooks, and beefy tires, along with some Jeep tropes like removable doors. If a Dodge Hornet EV is coming, and if it's based on the Recon EV, don't expect most, if any of that content to show up; the Dodge will be almost totally oriented for the street, with its own host of treatments.
Stellantis also already offers the Maserati Grecale SUV as an EV under the so-called Folgore trim, though it's not the same platform as the Hornet. The Maser offers an estimated range of about 250 miles, but you'll have fun covering those miles with the 550 hp and 604 lb-ft of torque on tap. As for this interesting Hornet EV render, we've reached out to Dodge and will update when we know more from them.
Justin Westbrook eventually began writing about new cars in college after starting an obsessive action movie blog. That developed into a career covering news, reviews, motorsports, and a further obsession with car culture and the next-gen technology and design styles that are underway, transforming the automotive industry as we know it.
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