The last couple of years have seen Dodge pissing off a large part of its customer base. Aside from killing off the Charger, Challenger and nearly all of its V8-powered Hellcat performance variants, the brand also seems to be distancing itself from the Hemi V8 entirely, with the Durango being the exception. Now, with the new Charger EV finally starting to arrive at dealers across the country, Dodge is on a mission to win over skeptical buyers by taking the Charger on a tour to get butts in seats.
Dodge is taking a big gamble with the Charger launch. Rather than ease people into the new car by launching the inline-six-powered Charger models first, the electric Charger will lead the model’s launch. The gas model, affectionately called Charger Six Pack, will reach dealers later in 2025. It’s a striking switch-up from just a couple of years ago when the brand was Scat Pack and Hellcat crazy. To win over buyers who may still be pissed off about the death of the V8 muscle cars, InsideEVs reports that Dodge is planning to take the Charger EV on a tour around the country consisting of both public- and dealer-based events.
To get enthusiasts’ “butts-in-seats” and assist with this electron baptism, Dodge is planning a whole series of events in the upcoming year, said Matt McAlear, the brand’s CEO. It will take its new EV muscle cars on tour in the first quarter of 2025 to train its sales and dealership staff and demonstrate the vehicles’ capabilities. It is launching a courtesy transportation program wherein it will send EVs to dealers to use for short-term consumer test drives, or as 96-hour loaners when customers come in to have their vehicle serviced. It will host consumer-facing “Thrill Ride” drive events at upcoming Mecum and Barrett-Jackson classic car auctions, and at its drifting/drag racing “Roadkill Nights” live events in the summer–—prime sites for the gathering of Hemis of all vintages.
According to Dodge CEO Matt McAlear, the brand is betting big on the Charger EVs, so much so that it’ll be the top of the performance hierarchy for the Charger lineup. McAlear called the upcoming ICE-powered Chargers “entry-level vehicles from a performance standpoint,” saying that if a customer wants more power and performance from the brand, they’ll have no choice but to go with the Charger EV. Dodge also plans to win over skeptics by highlighting the practical side of the Charger, its utility and drivability, especially with customers in certain parts of the country.
McAlear listed a suite of capabilities that can provide such cover for what amounts to a highly irrational and emotional purchase. “All-wheel-drive, for instance, helps us compete more in the North as a daily driver,” he said, referencing its all-weather capability. “A hidden hatchback capability gives you amazing cargo space that you didn’t have in your old vehicle. The new Charger two-door now has more rear-seat legroom than the outgoing four-door,” he said. “So this becomes much more of a daily driver than any of the muscle cars that we’ve had prior.”
InsideEVs says this is just all part of Dodge’s broader plan to win muscle car fans over, something that McAlear acknowledged will take time. Not everyone is convinced that Dodge’s approach will win over buyers, though. Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision, a Southern California automotive research and consulting firm, said Dodge shouldn’t worry about trying to win over buyers from the past. Instead, the brand should focus on getting a new generation of fans and buyers into the Charger. “The conversion of those from the past, I do not believe is the best strategy,” he told InsideEVs, “Instead, a new generation of muscle cars can find success with younger folks who think they like muscle cars.” McAlear countered, saying the brand has “the highest percentage of Gen Z and Millennials. And those customers have the highest propensity to be willing to adopt electrification. So that sets us up.”
Still, not everyone is buying Dodge’s enthusiasm for the new Charger, with InsideEVs highlighting the rumor that Dodge is rushing production of the ICE powered Charger because the Charger EV hasn’t been as well received as Dodge is saying. McAlear called that rumor an internet urban legend. “We’re always trying to bring every new vehicle to market as quickly as possible,” he said.
Dodge has an uphill battle ahead of it, especially given market conditions. EV adoption is cooling, other automakers are rethinking EV plans, EV resale values are broadly horrible, and buyers are facing high payments and underwater loans because of them. Yet another expensive EV — the Charger Daytona starts at $61,590 including destination — coming to market in those conditions is going to have a hard time selling from any brand. We’ll just have to wait and see if Dodge can pull it off.