Dodge confirms that it will put solid-state battery packs into Charger EV models as the company prepares to embrace a technology that could play a role in greatly expanding EV range and performance.
The all-new Dodge Charger will be making history with Stellantis confirming that it will be equipping a small fleet of them with solid-state batteries.
Solid-state batteries have rapidly emerged as a potential game changer in the EV market as automakers attempt to find more ways to increase range and performance while also lowering the cost for consumers at the same time. Unfortunately, the batteries are not ready for production yet with critics and some automakers saying that they are not ready for primetime.
However, their appearance in production vehicles might be sooner than anyone thinks with Stellantis and Dodge confirming that it will be installing solid-state batteries in a fleet of Charger EV models in 2026 with the hope of perhaps moving the technology closer to mainstream consumption.
Solid-state batteries have several distinct advantages
Solid-state batteries have several advantages with more automakers exploring their use in future production vehicles.
Unlike traditional battery packs, solid-state batteries have an enhanced battery chemistry with the packs swapping out the liquid electrolyte solution for a solidified substance. This solid material allows the battery to be equipped with more powerful anodes which increases the energy density in the battery. This higher energy density is the driving force behind many companies exploring the technology.
However, solid-state batteries have so far existed on the blurred line between fantasy and research darling with the packs never making it beyond the research phase. Dodge is looking to flip the script by being one of the first automotive companies to equip the batteries to a working automobile. In this case, the company will be equipping them to a small fleet of Charger EV prototypes. The installation will be done by Stellantis’s partner Factorial with the fleet giving Stellantis an opportunity to get real-world data on the batteries.
Neither Stellantis nor Factorial chose to share any details about the battery packs that will be going into the Chargers but expect them to help the test vehicles live up to their performance character especially if they are paired up with the right electric powertrain.
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A growing trend
An all-new, modern “pistol-grip” shifter and the start/power button are packaged close together on the center console of the all-new Dodge Charger, which also incorporates a wireless phone charger.
This decision by Stellantis to expand testing of solid-state batteries is part of a broader trend that has seen SSB technology expand its presence in the EV market. Other SSB manufacturers have also entered the fray with rival company Quantumscape inking a partnership with Volkswagen and fellow firm Solid Power also entering a battery partnership with Ford and BMW.
With this strong progress in SSBs, it’s rapidly becoming a question of not if SSBs will enter production but when especially as companies iron out the last of the bugs and overcome the hurdles that are preventing solid-state battery technology from making the big leap into mass production automobiles where their enhanced range and performance will help steer more customers into an EV.
They’re actually going to ‘test’ the SS batteries? I like the Old Stallantis/Chrysler that let the consumer do the testing. Makes them feel like part of the ‘team.’