The 2023 model year will be the last for the current Dodge Charger and Challenger as the cars are embracing an electric future.
While the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept was a stunning preview of things to come, the switch has upset a number of fans and that appears to include the Idaho State Police.
According to KBOI, the change is pushing them to look for alternative vehicles which are presumably ICE-powered. As a spokesperson told the station, “We continue looking at other options” as “any new order will be for vehicles other than Dodge Chargers.”
Also Read: Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept EV Packs ‘Banshee’ Power And Retro Styling
Picture credit: Michael Gauthier for CarScoops
While it would be easy to blame electrification on this change, it appears the Idaho State Police were already moving away from the Charger Pursuit as their last reported order was prior to 2021. Furthermore, the station noted they’re currently waiting on 19 Ford Explorers (presumably in Police Interceptor Utility guise) and five pickups that are backordered.
That being said, the EV push seems to have been the final nail in the coffin as the CBS affiliate said the search for an alternative vehicle came “after Dodge made the announcement.” Regardless of the timing or reasoning, the station noted the Charger is currently one of the Idaho State Police’s main patrol vehicles and they’re slated to replace 89 vehicles in the next two fiscal years.
This isn’t a huge blow to Dodge, but it highlights how some police departments aren’t ready to embrace electric vehicles at this point. However, New York City has already ordered 184 Ford Mustang Mach-Es and Chevrolet recently introduced the 2024 Blazer EV Police Pursuit Vehicle.