Michael Wayland/CNBC PONTIAC, Mich. – At an event with headbanging ’80s music and $2 beers this week, Dodge unveiled a concept for its first electric muscle car that included an exhaust system and a multi-speed transmission. The features aren’t essential for an electric vehicle – but they could be key to winning over die-hard performance vehicle fans. “Sound is a critical element,” said Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis. “And the change is critical … we were turning the longest. It doesn’t make the car faster … but it’s a lot more attractive and a lot more fun to drive.” As Detroit’s legacy automakers struggle to work on the transition to electric vehicles, they’re also trying to win over longtime car fans who love the sound of rumbling V-8 engines and the feel of shifting that gives them a visceral connection to cars.
The heydays of muscle car sales are decades in the past, but the vehicles have become cultural touchstones that generate massive brand awareness and their customers remain loyal ambassadors. This hype can create a halo effect for other models that translates into sales. In recent years, Tesla has built a cult following for its electric vehicles through sleek, sophisticated vehicle technologies and humming motors. But Detroit’s Dodge, Chevrolet and Ford brands have loyalty that goes back generations of family, and the legacy automakers are still figuring out how to bring those enthusiasts together as they electrify their fleets.

Dodge shows his hand

Dodge this week became the first of Detroit’s traditional performance brands to announce plans for how to retain muscle car customers. At the event in Pontiac, Michigan, the company unveiled the Charger Daytona SRT concept ahead of its first production electric muscle car in 2024. Kuniskis called it what regulators and pro-EV environmentalists “don’t want you to have” because of its performance, updated retro styling and new patent-pending technologies. “It was important to bring back something visually that they were going to look at and go holy—, they did it right!” Kuniskis told CNBC this week. Some design aspects of the concept car, including an exhaust system and multi-speed transmission, are expected to negatively impact the vehicle’s electric range – but Kuniskis said that’s not something Dodge is interested in. He said the point is to make the car feel and drive like a traditional muscle car. Josh and Darla Welton, of Detroit, stand next to a muscle car on display at a Dodge event on August 17, 2022 in Pontiac, Mich. Michael Wayland/CNBC This is critical for car fans like Josh and Darla Welton, who own several vehicles, including the infamous Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, which some condemned when it was built because of its power as a legitimate race car. “To keep the enthusiast, you have to let the driver be involved and not some autonomous car,” said Josh Welton, 44, who was wearing limited-edition “SRT Demon” sneakers made. in collaboration with Dodge and Warren Lotas. “They want to engage with what’s going on.” Pete Seguin, a 62-year-old auto mechanic from Ottawa, Ontario, was also at the event showing his support for Dodge’s SRT Hellcat with an “SRT” and Hellcat logo tattooed on his right forearm. Pete Seguin (L), of Ottawa, Ontario, shows off his “SRT” Hellcat tattoo with brother Robert Seguin, of Gatineau, Quebec, at a Dodge event on August 17, 2022 in Pontiac, Mich. Michael Wayland/CNBC

In transition

Ford Motor and General Motors have yet to reveal plans for their respective performance brands and vehicles. GM has confirmed that it plans to produce hybrid and all-electric models of its famed Chevrolet Corvette sports car in the coming years, but Detroit’s biggest automaker has been tight-lipped about the future of the Chevy Camaro, which has seen declining sales since the vehicle was redesigned in 2016. Performance enthusiast sites like Muscle Cars & Trucks reported that the company is expected to end production of the Camaro in 2024. The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 starts at about $62,000 and is powered by a 650-horsepower V8 engine, a significant upgrade over the roughly $26,000 base model. Source: General Motors Ford is expected to unveil the next generation of its iconic Mustang car next month, but has not revealed the car will be electric as part of its strategy to electrify its “most iconic nameplates”. As of 2020, Ford has offered an all-electric crossover called the Mustang Mach-E, which is the only production vehicle other than the sports car to carry the company’s horse logo. “Dodge really played to their strengths with their concept,” said Paul Waatti, director of industry analysis at research firm AutoPacific. “It will be interesting to see what Ford and GM have up their sleeves for this as well. I think Dodge has created a very good roadmap for these types of cars.” People visit Ford’s Mustang Mach-E all-electric SUV at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, the United States, November 22, 2019. Xinhua via Getty Images He said it’s a big challenge for automakers to move away from today’s muscle cars with rumbling V-8s and create the same type of emotional connection. Representatives for GM and Ford declined to discuss plans beyond what has been announced.

The shrinking of the market

Detroit’s mainstream performance car sales are down. Today’s cars have grown in popularity since the Great Recession, peaking at more than 394,000 vehicles in 2015, according to industry researcher Edmunds. However, sales have declined since then, including a nearly 50% drop for two-door coupes like the Challenger, Camaro and Mustang. Many of the vehicles have evolved to offer smaller engines with less power, but they can still carry the stigma of noisy gas cars. There is also increased competition from automakers outside of Detroit, including EV makers. a movement of consumers away from cars to more practical crossovers. and a potential shift in performance culture. “Performance definitely feels like it’s taken a back seat lately in this transition to electric cars, which have a different type of performance,” said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of information at Edmunds. Combined sales of the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette, and Dodge Charger and Challenger fell about 35 percent last year compared with 2015. They’ve fallen 25 percent since then in 2019 — the automaker’s last year of sales before the pandemic. were affected by ongoing global supply chain problems, including a shortage of semiconductor chips. To continue attracting buyers, Detroit automakers will need to “find a niche and a brand image,” Caldwell said. Ford’s Mustang Mach-E, for example, did well for the automaker despite taking the form of a larger crossover rather than the sleek muscle car of its gas-powered predecessor. And Dodge’s plans, at least for now, seem to have satisfied at least some of its most loyal fans with the Charger Daytona SRT concept. “When it came out and then you saw all the lines on the body and the design, it gave me chills,” Darla Welton, 43, said. As a lifelong Detroiter whose family worked in the auto industry, he noted the excitement of witnessing the transition of muscle cars like the Demon to EVs. “I can’t wait to get behind the wheel,” he said. The Charger Daytona SRT concept electric muscle car was unveiled on August 17, 2022 in Pontiac, Mich. Michael Wayland/CNBC