CEO Drops Surprising Updates on 8 Upcoming Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler EVs

This is the year that automaker Stellantis starts to roll out new vehicles on its flexible, global STLA Large platform for fullsize cars, crossovers, and SUVs, starting with the next-generation Dodge Charger muscle car and Jeep Wagoneer S electric SUV in North America. From late 2024 through 2026, there will be eight new vehicle launches, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares confirmed in a roundtable with media this week, and there are some surprising updates.

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While STLA Large was designed for battery electric vehicles, it can also accommodate hybrids with internal combustion engines. We expect the first years of next-gen Dodge Charger muscle cars won't be fully electric and there could be versions with a V-8 as well as the Hurricane 3.0-liter twin-turbo I-6 under the hood. We are also pleased to see that production models in spy shots show the design has not strayed far from the well-designed Dodge Charger Daytona concept.

Not Quite Ready

STLA Large was also engineered to offer both 400- and 800-volt systems for fast charging. In a surprising revelation, Tavares says initially the vehicles will only be offered with the less expensive 400-volt system. The faster-charging 800-volt system will follow "soon" after, but it is not quite ready. Stellantis will only bring tech to market when it is totally mature, Tavares says. This could mean that the top-trim performance variant of the new Charger won't debut so soon, as it likely requires the upgraded architecture.

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The CEO knows there are 800-volt systems on the market from competitors, which he says he is benchmarking and learning from, but he thinks they are either expensive and selling at low volumes or netting low margins. Stellantis is waiting until it can offer 800-volt systems at the right cost, value, and maturity, he says. Porsche, Hyundai, and Kia offer 800-volt systems in electric vehicles currently.

The STLA Large unibody platform will yield vehicles for the Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati brands in the U.S. where most of the sales of fullsize vehicles will be centered. It will be used for vehicles with a 113- to 121-inch wheelbase, measuring up to 202-inches long overall, 75- to 80-inches wide, and offer up to 11.3 inches of ground clearance.

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They will be a mix of front-, rear-, and all-wheel drive powertrain layouts with battery packs ranging from 85- to 118-kWh, and provide an estimated range up to 500 miles in certain configurations. The vehicles can use a variety of suspension modules and powertrain cradles to suit specific model needs, and can be enhanced with limited slip differentials or wheel-end disconnects. The platform can handle enough power to outperform existing Hellcat V-8s.

Chrysler Vehicles Coming

A redesigned electric two-row SUV somehow based on the Chrysler AirFlow concept is due in 2025. Chrysler is down to a single model, the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, for more than a year as the brand awaits new products. Chrysler CEO Chris Feuell has said there will be at least one new model per year through 2028 once things kick off.

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Stellantis is engineering all future vehicles to stem from four platforms: STLA Large, STLA Medium, STLA Small due in 2026 or 2027, and STLA Frame for body-on-frame trucks and SUVs. Vehicles on the STLA Medium platform will have an estimated range of more than 435 miles in certain configurations. The Chrysler brand will be first to use it in the U.S., likely an electric crossover arriving in 2026, with 400-volt charging to keep manufacturing costs and ultimately vehicle prices down.

All are supported by three software platforms: STLA Brain supports cloud connectivity, STLA Cockpit handles the hardware, screens, and computers, and STLA AutoDrive will provide Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities. Tavares said the platforms were engineered with specific vehicles in mind but can be modified if the product plan changes.