Dodge Hellcat Badge Will Die Off In 2023
The Dodge Hellcat is officially living on borrowed time. Dodge currently reserves the “Hellcat” badge for the most powerful trims of their muscle cars like the Challenger, Charger, and Durango. Unfortunately for fans, that badge is going away relatively soon.
Dodge Hellcat vehicles will end production in 2023
In an interview with Motor Authority at the 2021 LA Auto Show, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis confirmed that the automaker will phase out the Hellcat badge by 2023.
“I will have this car, this platform, this powertrain as we know it through the end of ’23,” said Kuniskis. “There’s two more years to buy a Hellcat, then it’s history.”
To some extent, this was to be expected as the 2021 Dodge Durango Hellcat was only meant to be a single-year model. According to Motor Authority, the engine in the Durango Hellcat would not meet emissions regulations beyond 2021.
However, it is unclear if fans were anticipating the demise of the Dodge Hellcat badge entirely within two years. The CEO suggested that emissions regulations play a factor in the discontinuation of the Charger Hellcat and Challenger Hellcat.
“You can still meet emissions with these cars,” said Kuniskis. “You’re going to pay a lot of compliance fines.”
The Hellcats will be replaced by Dodge’s upcoming electric muscle cars
Most major automakers are committing to offering more electric vehicles by 2030 to meet emissions standards. Though, it may be hard to convince some consumers to turn away from their burly V8s for whisper-quiet EVs.
Dodge has announced that it will reveal a high-performance electric muscle car to stir the passions of those who believe EVs are bland and uninspired. This coming of “electric muscle” is probably why Dodge is killing the Hellcat.
Dodge’s parent company Stellantis is working on four new EV platforms and its own proprietary EV technology to develop a performance car they think will attract enthusiasts.
The concept of this new car is set to be revealed in the first quarter of 2022. Dodge is going to “Do electrification different than anyone else,” said Kuniskis. “That’s why I’m waiting, until I have all my patents done.”
Dodge gave away a Hellcat for free once
Since the Dodge Hellcat badge is going away, it could explain why the automaker was recently so generous with them.
Back in August, Dodge gave a Charger Hellcat to popular automotive YouTuber Freddie “Tavarish” Hernandez. Furthermore, they gave him the Hellcat to drag race it against other YouTubers at the Woodward cruise.
Although, there was a slight catch. The Hellcat Dodge gave to Tavarish was technically a pre-production vehicle. That means Tavarish would have to give the car back so that it could be crushed.
However, Dodge and Tavarish discovered a loophole. Tavarish needed to give the car back, but he could take as many parts off as he’d like. Including the engine. Currently, the YouTuber is making videos documenting the transplant of all the Hellcat parts onto a base-model Charger he bought from a rental service for just $10,000.
With the Hellcat badge confirmed to go away by 2023, now might be the best time to get one.
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