Revealed: How Maserati, Dodge, Ram and Jeep will make EV switch

Stellantis will launch eight new large EVs across its brands in the next five years

Dodge’s electric muscle car and Ram’s new Ford Ranger rival are just the beginning of Stellantis’ plans to make a massive transition to electric vehicles.

Stellantis encompasses 14 brands in total – Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel/Vauxhall, Peugeot and Ram – and the company will attempt to use just four platforms to underpin every new electric model over the next decade. The conglomerate will also develop three electric motors and a pair of battery systems that will also be utilised as part of a $47 billion investment in electrification.

READ MORE: Dodge to swap V8 for EV

The four platforms will be STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA Large and STLA Frame, with each designed with a specific role in mind, in keeping with their respective names. STLA Small will be used to underpin the likes of Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat while STLA Medium will be the primary platform for Alfa Romeo and DS models. STLA Frame will be the foundation of the Ram 1500 electric as well as other large SUVs from Jeep and possibly Dodge, while also underpinning commercial vehicles.

But the key platform for performance car fans will be STLA Large, with Stellantis confirming it will be the underpinnings for the Dodge ‘eMuscle car’, Ram’s new ute and six other models across Maserati, Jeep and Chrysler.

READ MORE: Ram announces plans for two new electric utes

In theory these new STLA Large models will give Stellantis rivals to the existing EV competition and the influx of new models, including the Tesla Model S and X, Audi’s e-tron and e-tron GT as well as the BMW i4 and iX3, GMC Hummer, Cadillac Lyriq and Porsche Taycan.

During its inaugural EV Day presentation Stellantis management dropped several key hints at what’s to come, specifically a “long-range luxury sedan”, “sporty crossover” and a pair of new Jeeps, including one dubbed a “white space opportunity” vehicle. This is in addition to the Dodge eMuscle car confirmed for 2024 and the Ranger-rivalling Ram ute.

In total Stellantis will launch eight models off the STLA Large platform by 2026.

The presentation included silhouettes that give an indication of what we can expect, although the final design is open to change. Speaking of design, the company’s chief designer, Ralph Gilles, made it clear that despite the shared underpinnings, each new model will have a distinctive look as EVs allow for greater levels of design freedom.

Power for these models will come from Stellantis’ modular electric powertrains, which will consist of three options. ‘Option 1’ will be primarily used for small cars, making only 70kW of power and using a 400-volts electrical system. ‘Option 2‘ could be utilised for certain models, it will make between 125kw and 180kW and also use the 400V system. Finally, ‘Option 3’ is the most likely candidate for the STLA Large models, as it will make anywhere between 150kW and 330kW per motor and use either a 400V or 800V, the latter will allow for ultra-rapid charging.

Stellantis said every powertrain will be able to be deployed as either front-, rear- or all-wheel drive to allow for a variety of driving experience and suitable performance for each brand.

Most of the images displayed during the presentation appear to show motors on both axles, which means most of these models will be able to offer more than 600kW of power and all-wheel drive traction.