By Edward A. Sanchez – July 9, 2021

This week, Stellantis held its EV Day, in which the European/American transnational OEM announced its commitment to electrification over its 14 brands. This is quite an about-face for the company, or more precisely, its immediate predecessor Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which for the last several years has been seen as one of the industry’s laggards in electrification. FCA’s former CEO Sergio Marchionne has been famously quoted as telling people not to buy or lease its 500e electric subcompact, “because I lose $14,000 on every sale.”

Perhaps the unrelenting onslaught of announcements of various state and national governments announcing the end of new combustion-powered sales in some cases as soon as 2030, and ramping up in 2035 and 2040, has caused the company to have the sudden change-of-heart. Regardless, many bold claims, and in some cases, some puzzling branding and positioning, were a big part of the presentation.

Prior to the PSA/FCA merger that created Stellantis, PSA was already well down the road of electrification, with the EU, and the various governments of the member states aggressively announcing and implementing bans on internal combustion engines. Although the European brands are embracing the shift to electrification rather cheerfully, the change in strategy and positioning for the North American brands is a bit more of “put on a happy face” proposition, if we’re to be honest.

How else would you describe a brand that over the last several years has built its reputation around a gas guzzling supercharged V8, stuffed under the hood of just about any model it would fit in? Truth to be told, Stellantis, and FCA, probably knew it was just a matter of time before they’d have to give up their Hellcat-powered dreams for something with a less obtuse carbon footprint. However, making that pivot in the public eye without looking hypocritical or disingenuous is a challenge.

To that end, Dodge brand CEO Tim Kuniskis made the somewhat puzzling statement: “Dodge will not sell electric cars, we will sell American muscle. And if a charger can make a Charger quicker, we’re in.”

So the implicit message in the narrative is that the end of ICE is near, and that in order to still deliver the tire-shredding performance that the brand has made a name for itself lately, the pivot to electrification was an inevitability. Fair enough.

If the silhouette shown as part of the presentation is any indication, expect a fastback with a few retro styling cues to be the brand’s EV standard-bearer. Kind of like a blue-collar Model S, but with a lot more ‘Murican attitude. I can dig it.

For sure, there will be some Bubbas that will cry foul, and will swear their allegiance to internal combustion until the bitter end. But once the Hellcats are humbled at the track repeatedly by their electrified predecessors, it’s only a matter of time until some of the cynics and critics get on the EV train too.

Dodge’s EV Day presentation claimed that its current V8 customers don’t necessarily care about the vehicle’s method of propulsion. Time will tell on that one.

Of Stellantis’ North American brands, Jeep is further ahead than Dodge with electrification, probably partially driven by the brand’s larger global presence and the need to offer models in global markets that comply with local CO2 or energy consumption targets. Among the technologies teased and previewed as part of Jeep’s presentation were an autonomous off-road mode, a drone trail spotter, and fold-flat sleep seats while the vehicle is driving, with the sub-caption “Do Not Attempt.” Presumably, this feature is a little further in the future.

As part of the corporate-wide EV initiative, Stellantis is rolling out four modular EV platforms that will serve all of its market segments and brands globally. STLA Small will underpin A- to C-segment vehicles, STLA Medium will underpin “Premium” mid-size vehicles, STLA Large will underpin full-size coupes, sedans, and crossovers, and will presumably be focused primarily on the North American market. The STLA Frame platform will underpin models that have traditionally been built on body-on-frame platforms, including full-size trucks, vans, commercial vehicles, and large SUVs.

Of particular importance to the North American market, Ram announced its plans to offer a full battery-electric Ram 1500 on sale by 2024. While that will lag the likes of the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Rivian R1T, and Tesla Cybertruck to the market, it sounds like it could coincide closely with the introduction of the BEV version of the Chevy Silverado, which is targeted to go on sale around the same timeframe.

The battery electric Ram 1500 will go on sale in 2024 and will likely be built on the Stellantis STLA Frame platform.

Going by the specifications announced for the STLA Frame platform, the Ram EV will have a battery size of between 159 to 200 (or greater) kWh, and a range as high as 500 miles. Furthermore, Ram promises it will offer a full battery-electric model in “the majority” of segments it competes in by 2025 and will offer a battery electric in all of its segments by 2030.

The cynics may claim Stellantis is a Johnny-Come-Lately to the EV game, and is just making hollow boasts about future products. Maybe, maybe not. But one thing’s for sure: Stellantis’ FCA legacy brands Dodge and Ram were two of the most closely associated with traditional ICE high-performance. If Dodge can get its core enthusiast customer base on-board with electrification, then truly the last major brand defiantly thumbing its nose at the trend of electrification will have joined the EV party.

(Images courtesy Stellantis)

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