{"id":27616,"date":"2021-07-10T16:26:33","date_gmt":"2021-07-10T20:26:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=27616"},"modified":"2021-07-10T16:26:33","modified_gmt":"2021-07-10T20:26:33","slug":"payne-how-stellantis-plans-to-electrify-jeep-dodge-and-ram-brands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/07\/payne-how-stellantis-plans-to-electrify-jeep-dodge-and-ram-brands","title":{"rendered":"Payne: How Stellantis plans to electrify Jeep, Dodge and Ram brands"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some of Detroit\u2019s most iconic vehicles are getting a plug.<\/p>\n

Stellantis NV announced a comprehensive electrification strategy Thursday across a diverse, multi-continent portfolio of 14 brands that range\u00a0from French sedans to American SUVs to Italian supercars. Motown brands play a key role. Dodge muscle cars, Ram trucks\u00a0and Jeep\u00a0SUVs will get new, battery-powered models (and new EV brand slogans)\u00a0in the next few years as Stellantis aims for 40% electrified sales by 2030.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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The foundation of Stellantis’s\u00a0plans are four STLA (pronounced “Stella”) platforms: STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA\u00a0Large\u00a0and STLA Frame. But its electrification strategy is not exclusive to those battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). Indeed, Stellantis uses the term electrification\u00a0loosely and \u201clow-emission vehicles\u201d (LEVs) will\u00a0cover a\u00a0wide assortment of battery-enhanced products to meet its sales goals. Models will include\u00a0BEVs, PHEVs (plug-in hybrid\u00a0vehicles with gas engine assist), and HEVs (gas vehicles with battery assist).<\/p>\n

Stellantis says its\u00a0goals are driven by 64% of customers who say that preserving the environment\u00a0is\u00a0their most important value. Yet less\u00a0than 2% of U.S. customers\u00a0\u2014\u00a0the largest number in California \u2014 bought\u00a0a battery-powered vehicle in 2020.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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A look at what\u2019s coming from Stellantis brands in the U.S.:<\/p>\n

Jeep (brand slogan: Zero Emission Freedom)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Jeep showed off the first battery-powered version of the Grand Cherokee called the 4xe. The\u00a0Grand Cherokee lineup will make its official debut at the 2021 New York Auto Show in August. Grand\u00a0Cherokee follows in the footsteps of the first electrified Jeep, the Wrangler 4xe introduced\u00a0earlier this year.<\/p>\n

The pricey Wrangler 4xe\u2019s 17.3 kWh lithium ion battery is paired with a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and can go 21 miles on electrons\u00a0alone. The Wrangler also sports an E-Save feature so\u00a0battery power can be preserved for off-roading. Expect the Grand Cherokee 4xe to house similar capabilities.<\/p>\n

\"Jeep<\/p>\n
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In addition to the Grand Cherokee, Jeep promised electrified SUVs in every segment it competes in \u2014 as well as a mystery\u00a0\u201cwhite-space\u201d Jeep coming soon.<\/p>\n

Dodge (slogan: Tear Up the Streets \u2026 Not the Planet)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Electric motors showcase silent operation and instant torque, but also a challenge: without the different personalities of 6-, 8- and 10-cylinder engines, how do you tell performance brands apart? Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis said that Dodge will introduce an EV by 2024 that will be welcomed into the \u201cbrotherhood of muscle” brand born from high-power, earth-shaking Hemi V-8 gas power.<\/p>\n

“If a charger\u00a0can make a Charger quicker, we’re in,” said Kuniskis. “Dodge will not sell electric cars. Dodge\u00a0will sell American muscle. Because Dodge doesn’t view EV\u00a0technology as a revolution, but instead as a natural evolution of the modern muscle car.”<\/p>\n

Kuniskis stood next to a covered Dodge, but did not unveil it. Expect a variant of the two-door Challenger or four-door Charger \u2014 or even an EV-specific badge called Cuda. It will likely be based on the STLA Large platform, which has the option of all-wheel drive and a big battery to harness big power.<\/p>\n

Dodge won’t be the first performance brand to offer an EV. Tesla made EVs sexy with head-snapping acceleration \u2014 and rolled out the Model S Plaid to customers this summer with reported sub-2 second 0-60 mph acceleration. German sportscar brand Porsche has followed with the Taycan sedan and Taycan Cross Turismo EVs, and Ford offers its first solely battery-powered vehicle \u2014 the Mach E \u2014 under the Mustang sub-brand. BMW this week showed off the i4 M50 in Detroit \u2014 the first M-badged performance variant of its i-series EV sub-brand.<\/p>\n

Both\u00a0Taycan and Mach-E pipe in artificial\u00a0gas engine sound;\u00a0expect\u00a0Dodge to use similar tricks for customers attuned to the hellish shriek\u00a0of Hellcat\u00a0V-8 superchargers.<\/p>\n

Ram (slogan: Built to Serve a Sustainable Planet)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Electrification\u2019s inherent benefits of low-end torque and efficient\u00a0cargo space also promise\u00a0benefits for trucks. Ram CEO Mike Koval announced the truck brand\u00a0will introduce\u00a0an electric version of its 1500 pickup by 2024.<\/p>\n

“There is no reason why electrification should limit the choice of solution,” he said while teasing a sci fi-looking Ram EV. “Our technology will alleviate customer concerns, improve the product and deliver on real world demands.”<\/p>\n

\"Ram<\/p>\n
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The Ram will go head-to-head against Ford\u2019s first EV pickup, the F-150 Lightning introduced earlier this year. Lightning boasts sports car-like 4.5-second\u00a00-60 acceleration as well as towing capacity of\u00a010,000 pounds. Expect similar numbers from the Ram 1500, which will likely sit on the STLA Frame platform. Stellantis says vehicles built on the STLA Frame can achieve up to 500 miles of range, low-2 second 0-60 mph times, and 20-mile-per-minute charge\u00a0rates.<\/p>\n

Chevrolet is said to be working on a Silverado pickup EV and the six-figure GMC Hummer super-truck is coming in 2023. Tesla, Rivian\u00a0and Lordstown also promise EV pickups in the next year.<\/p>\n

Look for a tsunami of EV service trucks, analysts say. While retail customers have been lukewarm on\u00a0EVs, big companies may value EV truck fleets both because of their low operating costs \u2014 and as a\u00a0way\u00a0to meet corporate sustainability goals. Utilities and delivery companies like Amazon have been bullish on converting their fleets to electric. Such trucks could help build up essential charging infrastructure needed to goose retail sales.<\/p>\n

Ram\u2019s Kovak stood in front of a design studio of five covered EVs. Ram says it will electrify\u00a0its portfolio this decade.<\/p>\n

\"Chrysler<\/p>\n
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Chrysler (slogan: Clean Technology for a New Generation of Families)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The brand was not part of Stellantis’s presentation other than a brief glimpse at a concept SUV. Chrysler showed a Portal autonomous electric concept a couple of years back. Chrysler’s lineup has been reduced to the 300 sedan and Pacifica and Voyager minivans \u2014 but the Pacifica has been a pioneer in its segment with a plug-in hybrid model.<\/p>\n

Fiat (slogan: It\u2019s Only Green When It\u2019s Green for All)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Fiat is a cautionary tale in trying to translate European trends to the U.S. The wee 500 headlined Fiat\u2019s takeover of Chrysler during the American automaker’s 2009 bankruptcy as the Obama administration touted a U.S. future of small, 40 mpg cars. Americans demurred and the Fiat brand has largely disappeared from U.S. shores \u2014\u00a0including the electric Fiat 500e, which bombed\u00a0even in California.<\/p>\n

In Europe, the Fiat 500e will lead the Italian brand\u2019s charge to 70% sales of electric\u00a0vehicles by 2030. If Dodge’s performance EV plan takes hold in the U.S., look for Stellantis to introduce more products here from Italian speed brands like Abarth (slogan: Heating Up People, But Not the Planet) and Alfa Romeo (From 2024, Alfa Becomes Alfa e-Romeo).<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some of Detroit\u2019s most iconic vehicles are getting a plug. Stellantis NV announced a comprehensive electrification strategy Thursday across a diverse, multi-continent portfolio of 14 brands that range\u00a0from French sedans to American SUVs to Italian supercars. Motown brands play a key role. Dodge muscle cars, Ram trucks\u00a0and Jeep\u00a0SUVs will get new, battery-powered models (and new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27616"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27616"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27617,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27616\/revisions\/27617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}