Yesterday I wrote an article on the Dodge Charger Daytona EV. And for a brief delusional moment at the end of that article, I said to maybe cut it some slack. Correction: cut it no slack. I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong. And this car’s a pillow princess. Sorry if we ever said otherwise.
Why the change of heart?
Because I just read a late-night article on Motor1 where Tim Kuniskis (CEO of Dodge) said that Dodge EV muscle cars will be 100% locked-out from any aftermarket tuning. WHY would you lock them out from the aftermarket?! The answer is clear & greedy: So that Dodge can be the only ones to sell tuning packages… which will only be available through Dodge dealerships. In other words: Squeeze out the aftermarket you call family… in order to grab the money. Not only is that classless AF… but it makes your cars cookie-cutter AF.
Kuniskis says that since EVs require less maintenance, the dealer-installed tuning packages will make up for lost revenue from servicing internal combustion engines (oil changes, etc). But Dodge is doing it at the aftermarket’s expense Kuniskis… real solid.
Poof – there goes any hope that there’ll ever be a true lifestyle around Dodge’s EV muscle cars.
I know… big surprise right? But this turns the Charger EV into a Tesla with leather bracelets. I’m telling you – car culture as we know it dies with the internal combustion engine. Who are we kidding… it died with the manual transmission. And it died when suits replaced racers as CEOs. Straight up – I don’t think any auto manufacturer has the balls to execute this proudly and/or properly anymore. Ironically, except maybe for Tesla… eventually.
I’m not sure why Kuniskis is being so transparent…
But I’m glad he is. Because it shows enthusiasts a clear glimpse into the future of the automotive aftermarket with EVs. AKA: There ain’t much of one. Unless you’re cool to cap it off at wheels, widebodies, wraps, and heavy influencing. It’s essentially like putting glittery cases on smartphones. While everyone is at The SEMA Show this week, they need to be paying attention. Because manufacturers are saying, clear as can be, that there is no real place for them in their EV future.
Final thought…
I don’t care if the aftermarket finds a way to unlock an electric Dodge Charger. It’s not about that. It’s about the fact that – you’re never gonna catch me supporting a car manufacturer who starves the aftermarket culture in attempts to monopolize their customers. That’s a big-tech move. It shouldn’t be a Mopar move.
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