The Hellcat era at Dodge is coming to a screeching end.
Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis told Motor Authority that the supercharged models are in their last days.
Redesigned versions of the Charger and Challenger muscle cars are expected to move to Stellantis’ electrified STLA Large platform, which is capable of up to 500 miles of range.
“I will have this car, this platform, this powertrain as we know it, through the end of ’23,” Kuniskis told Motor Authority at the Los Angeles Auto Show this month. “There’s two more years to buy a Hellcat, then it’s history.”
The Hellcat models are the centerpiece of Dodge’s rebirth as a performance brand.
Dodge has jettisoned minivans, pickups and front-wheel-drive cars in recent years in favor of two rear-wheel-drive cars — the Challenger and Charger — and one SUV, the Durango.
The visceral whine of the supercharger has become a staple in the brand’s advertising for years.
Dodge turned the Hellcat models into aspirational vehicles by featuring them in thrill rides at events such as Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge in Pontiac, Mich.
The famed 6.2-liter V-8 engine ventured beyond Dodge’s muscle cars and made its way into the Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and Ram 1500 TRX.
Dodge plans to unveil an electric concept car next year that will give enthusiasts a taste of what’s to come when it debuts an electric muscle car in 2024.
A Stellantis product timeline shows Dodge getting a plug-in hybrid model in 2022 that could be a new crossover.