Have you seen the electric Dodge Charger video?

^{Pictures/screenshots from the Dodge video, linked below.}

Seriously? I know that I am a little late to the gala here, but after finally watching the electric Dodge Charger release video and not burning my eyes out, I need to share a bit of… I have thoughts.

First off, it’s not all bad, and by that I mean the car itself. Love it or hate it, this is the next generation of Dodge and I think they’re catering to their audience as best they can given the circumstances that surround them. No V8 muscle car allowed? Well here’s something even better that you just so happen to be able to plug into your wall. The reality is that we as car enthusiasts are conditioned to love gasoline. We love the the smell of it, the sound it creates when it burns and most importantly, the power it generates when it ignites in the combustion chamber of an ICE. Undoubtedly more than a few of us wish it poured from a faucet at our homes (we’d be rich!), so it’s tough to witness its demise. It’s the loss of a friend, a partner, a part of ourselves.

Hold on, pal. There’s still plenty of gas in the ground if you want to keep driving your 9 mpg whatchamacallit. And I hope you do, because I sure will be. My 2003 Chevy S10, 2006 Subaru Baja, 1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe and 1974 VW Karmann Ghia do not plug in and they never will. Gas guzzlers for life! So if we can live (and drive) in the past, why are we so sad about the future?

What’s with the Dodge Charger EV release video

Dodge — or is it Dodge Brothers again? — is doing its best to ensure you’re not. Whatever the reasoning behind the switch to zero emission vehicles, ie, EV, be it regulations, environmental or otherwise (is there another option?), the fact is, they’re coming. I see what Dodge is trying to do by tying the past to the future and all that, but they just did not execute well on the premise. And that’s too bad.

Here’s my opinion as to why the video doesn’t hit its mark, and I would ove if you left a comment on the FB post to tell me whether or not you agree. Plain and simple, the video is cringy and the history is wrong. Let’s dissect the awkwardness of this video, which includes odd acting, transitions, dialogue and history that is explained wrong. Just a few notes:

The meaningless transitions: What’s with the coin rolling down the street? Oh… the car can stop on a dime? Sure, if it’s going 5 miles per hour.
From video game characters to real people: What’s with that? Who decided the Dodge Brothers should be 3D versions of themselves and then actual actors? Is this some alternative version of GTAV?
The dialogue: I will say nothing more than “What’s a kale smoothie?” Alas, they know their audience, I guess.
The history: The Dodge Brothers didn’t set out to build a gas powered car because it was better than an EV. In fact, they built parts for Ford (and others) long before building their own car company. By the time Dodge Brothers the automaker got off the ground, gasoline was already becoming the standard.
The legacy – I understand the nostalgia, and Dodge has been using the Brothers in their advertising for quite sometime, but if you’re not a history buff (me) it makes no sense. However, I do wish more brands would try and connect with their past, especially as they evolve.

Look, you just have to watch it and let yourself wonder why this was the end result of their efforts. Again, I am not complaining about the car, just they way they announced it. This ten minute video undoubtedly cost millions of dollars to make, why is it so bad? Is it because its mostly computer generated? Are we sad about gas? Is it just bad acting? It isn’t necessarily the car, just how it is depicted. Maybe the whole thing is a Stellantis problem, not a Dodge problem. Watch the video here.