Chrysler Airflow Concept Could Lead to a Wicked Dodge EV
Airflow packs 400 horsepower and a Dodge version could have even more.
The star of the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for Stellantis – Dodge’s parent corporation – was the new Chrysler Airflow Concept. This sleek hatchback is the first full battery vehicle from the company, and while many people don’t want to talk about an electrified future, it is coming. Fortunately, the Airflow Concept looks great and with 400 horsepower, it should be pretty quick.
The reason that we are talking about a Chrysler EV concept here on DodgeForum relates to the press release introducing the car, as it mentioned “future high-performance applications”. There is a possibility that a production version of the Chrysler Airflow Concept could have a high performance variant, but let’s be real – if Stellantis has a high performance EV, it is going to be a Dodge.
Today, we take a look at what Dodge could derive from the Airflow Concept.
Chrysler Airflow Concept Details
As you can see in the images here, the Chrysler Airflow Concept is a mid-sized hatchback crossover, similar in size to the Ford Mustang Mach E and the Volkswagen ID.4. It has four doors, a 2+2 seating configuration and a luxurious, high tech interior that is probably a bit too fancy for production. However, it is a great looking vehicle inside and out.
The most important aspect of the Airflow Concept for our discussion is the electric drivetrain. This curvy Chrysler utilizes a pair of 150kW motors, one mounted at each axle, leading to roughly 402 horsepower with all-wheel-drive. For comparison, the Ford Mustang Mach E GT packs 480 horsepower and can sprint from a stop to 60 miles per hour in just 3.8 seconds. The Mach E Premium has 346 horsepower and gets to 60 in 4.8 seconds.
We don’t know the weight of the Airflow weighs, but we know that the Mustang Mach E weighs around 4,900 pounds and the Chrysler concept appears to be about the same size. If the curb weights are similar, the 402-horsepower Airflow should offer performance numbers between the two Mach E models mentioned above – likely somewhere in the mid-to-low-4-second range.
Airflow-based Dodge EV
We don’t know how much money Stellantis (and FCA) spent to develop the chassis and electric drivetrain of the Chrysler Airflow Concept, but we can bet safe money that there will be multiple vehicles offered with the same basic architecture. We know that Dodge is working on an “eMuscle car” and based on what we know of the Airflow Concept, it could be incredibly quick.
The Airflow Concept has 402 horsepower from a pair of 150kW electric motors, but the press release made it clear that the system was made to accommodate larger, more powerful motors. How much more power? We don’t know, but what we do know is that the 2021 Tesla Model S Performance comes with a 205kW front motor and a 375kW rear motor for a total system output of 580kW – or 778 horsepower.
If Dodge built an electric vehicle based on the Airflow Concept architecture with a 200kW motor up front and 300kW motor in the back, it would have a total output of 670 horsepower (500kw) and the feel of a rear-wheel-drive vehicle while retaining all-wheel-drive grip. That would be more than enough to stomp the Mustang Mach E, but it wouldn’t be the quickest option on the market.
To battle with Tesla, the Dodge will need to roughly double the output of the Airflow. Is that possible? We really don’t know, but even with “only” 402 horsepower, a Dodge EV based on this Chrysler CES concept car would be one of the stronger performance models in the budding segment.
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