Dodge Reveals Powertrain Lineup for Fratzog Models
The “Last Call” special edition models for Dodge have really stirred things up in the auto market. To think this day would actually come where Dodge hangs up the likes of the SRT Hellcat engine and go electric. With only seven special edition models being released, each has a limited run, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Some of us may remember that Dodge was supposed to release the last “Last Call” model during the 2022 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, but recently postponed the seventh “Last Call” dodge vehicle. With no clear reason why, we were wondering what Dodge was going to bring to SEMA in its place, and Dodge chief Tim Kuniskis recently cleared that up during an interview with Autoline After Hours. During the interview, he discussed the upcoming Fratzog vehicle, the Charger Daytona SRT BEV Concept.
“We’re going to show a different version of this car at SEMA because we know it’s absolutely critical to our buyers. [We know about] 50% of them modify their cars today…[So] we’ll have nine different power levels, three directly from us, and another two on each of those, and the extra six will be from Direct Connection.” – Kuniskis
What does this mean? It means we’re going to see nine EV powertrains available in the upcoming Fratzog lineup. That’s a bit of relief. When Kuniskis said the days of high-octane engines are coming to an end, many of us feared that the automaker would follow the trend of releasing one, maybe two EV powertrains to the lineup. That doesn’t make for a lot of variety, and it would definitely shame the Dodge name, known for offering varying levels of horsepower in its lineup. Instead, the Charger Daytona SRT Concept, and maybe even the 2022 Hornet PHEV, will feature an assortment of powertrains and kilowatt levels.
Kuniskis said, “…another two on each of those…” We can only assume he’s referring to the Charger Daytona SRT BEV Concept and 2022 Hornet PHEV. We already know the Hornet PHEV is a 1.3-liter turbocharged all-aluminum engine, able to deliver a segment-leading output of 285-plus horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque, coupled with a 15.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that powers a 90-kW electric motor. Like most PHEVs, it will come equipped with a high-power inverter and a 7.4-kW charging module so consumers can completely recharge the Hornet PHEV in approximately 2.5 hours when using a Level 2 charger.
The powertrain for the Charger Daytona SRT BEV Concept is more of a mystery. We know it comes with a Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust that will mimic the sound of a high-performance Dodge gasoline engine – a “roar” of 126 decibels that is equal to that of the SRT Hellcat – and the eRupt multi-speed transmission, engineered with electro-mechanical shifting to deliver distinctive shift points. Like the Hornet PHEV, the Charge BEV concept will also come with “PowerShot”, a neat little feature for adding a small boost of 25 horsepower for 15 seconds, able to be repeated after a 15-second cool down, for that extra boost drivers may be looking for when driving down an empty highway road.
Circling back to that quote, this means consumers can get the 800-volt Banshee powertrain on the Dodge Hornet PHEV, a mystery powertrain on the Charger Daytona SRT BEV Concept, plus one more EV powertrain that could later be revealed in a future model, and then if consumers wish to add even more performance to their Dodge EV, Direct Connection has six more EV modules to play with. These will also unlock Slam mode, Drift mode, Drag mode and a Donut mode for consumers that really want to take their Dodge EV for a spin, pun intended.
Well, it’s something. We’d prefer to see the long-awaited seventh “Last Call” Dodge model, but another take on the Charger Daytona SRT BEV Concept tells us that this thing could evolve quite a bit before its release, with the first Fratzog set to come out in 2024. How do you feel about this? Want to share your thoughts? Join the discussion on Aventura Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram social media.