Danish car maker Dodge to discontinue two classic models

The U.S. automobile maker Dodge will discontinue two of its better-known car models, the Challenger and Charger.

Stellantis STLA, the Dutch parent of Dodge, Chrysler, Citro n, Jeep, Maserati, Peugeot and other marques, made the announcement on Monday that the iconic gas-powered models are coming to an end. Tim Kuniskis, chief executive officer of Dodge, said that they were celebrating the end of an era and the beginning of a bright new electrified future. The future referenced by Kuniskis is a literal one. Stellellantis announced earlier in August that it is investing $99 million in plants in Michigan and Indiana and in Toronto to retool for the production of hybrid-electric engines.

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Fuel economy and emissions are among the reasons these models don't fit Dodge's electrified-future plan in their current forms. These models have unusually poor fuel economy for sedans at around 20 miles per gallon, according to Kelly Blue Book. The tighter emissions standards coming out of the Environmental Protection Agency have led to pivots among car companies.

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The days of an iron block supercharged 6.2 liter V-8 are numbered, Kuniskis told CNBC back in 2021. The performance that those vehicles generate is not numbered. The press release stated that the last two versions of the Challenger and Charger cars will be the last ones, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will be gone forever.

Stellantis has said it will launch the world's first battery electric muscle car in 2024, so there is a possibility that there will be an EV version of these classic cars in the future.

In July of last quarter, sales of EVs, hybrids or fuel-cell powered vehicles went up to 442,740, a 12.9% increase from a year ago. These vehicles accounted for 12.6% of the U.S. automobile market.

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