Mopar Teases Electric Crate Swap, Maybe
The annual SEMA show in Las Vegas is rapidly approaching, meaning car companies will surely be dangling umpteen teaser images of what they’ve in store for this soirée in the desert. Stellantis is usually good for an outrageous reveal or three, and they’ve started off this year with an electrified bang.
There isn’t a ton of information to go on in this promotional shot – but there’s more than enough to make a few educated guesses. The slab-flat hood definitely looks like a late-‘60s Charger, given the scalloped lines and overall shape. Peeking through one of the four hood vents are indications of electrification, or at least a CGI representation thereof, with a few blue lights and who-know-what else.
Less subtle clues are in Mopar’s declaration its fans should “get ready for a jolt” and promises that a “serious charge” is coming from the company. That’s about as understated as a frying pan to the face, which is actually par for the course for the likes of Mopar. Beyond the image and dad-joke-level PR copy, we’re left to speculate.
Which, of course, we are only too glad to do. Since the photo shows what really appears to be a classic Dodge or Plymouth instead of something modern, we feel this is not a production-ready variant of the upcoming Charger Daytona which was making the auto show rounds in recent times. Rather, there’s every chance in the world we’re looking at a teaser shot for the announcement of an EV crate powertrain, perhaps something of an answer to what GM Performance is hawking with their eCrate line of power solutions.
Some of those offerings from The General include parts of the entire package whilst others include the whole kit and kaboodle: battery, motor system, the works. For example, one solution has a 66-kWh lithium-ion pack and 400-volt electric drive motor designed to connect directly to a GM 4-speed automatic transmission. The unit belts out 200 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque, far less than most built V8 engines but more than enough to shove something along on a Friday night cruise. Just be prepared for backlash when you open its hood at the Tastee Freez.
The 2023 SEMA Show is being held October 31 – November 3 in Las Vegas.
[Image: Mopar]
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Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.
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- Mike My wife has a ‘20 Mazda3 w/the Premium Package; before that she had a ‘15 Mazda3 i GT; before THAT she had an ‘06 Mazda Tribute S V6, ie: Ford Escape with a Mazda-tuned suspension. (I’ve also had two Miata NAs, a ‘94 & a ‘97M, but that’s another story.) We’ve gotten excellent service out of them all. Her 2020, like the others before it, is our road trip car - gets 38mpg highway, it’s been from NC to Florida, Texas, Newfoundland, & many places in between. Comfortable, sporty, well-appointed, spacious, & reliable. Sure, we’d look at a Mazda hybrid, but not anytime soon.😎
- MaintenanceCosts Something that Mercedes would never do, but that would be an extremely revealing experiment: sell both a "CLE 63" with the V8 in a ~500 hp state of tune and a "CLE 65" with the four-cylinder mega-hybrid powertrain at the 671 hp or higher level. Charge the same for them, sell both on custom order only, and see which sells more.I'm positive the V8 would outsell the four by five to one or more.
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- SCE to AUX I like the Crown, but it would have to be a lower trim (like the XLE) to make sense.Despite having a Toyota dealer very near me, I don't see many Crowns on the road.
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I think you'll see a price drop of around 25% in the future but you won't see a crash either.
Interest in pre-1975 vehicles among Millennials and GenX people isn't that soft, they just don't tend to attend car shows or car clubs.
Good.