Electric Muscle Cars

Muscle cars may be rare in today's new car market, but the industry is evolving toward electric muscle cars in the future. Before you muscle-car enthusiasts go up in arms for putting the words "electric" and "muscle cars" together, let us explain. The automotive industry has changed a lot since the heyday of muscle cars in the '60s and '70s. So, it's inevitable that the few remaining muscle cars will transition to all-electric powertrains.

The definition of a muscle car is endlessly debated, but most will agree that a muscle car is a performance version of a coupe that offers lots of power for an affordable price. It's also typically American and rear-wheel-drive and delivers impressive straight-line acceleration. Electric muscle cars can offer most of that, but instead of a massive V8, you get electric motors that provide better performance. Below is a list of upcoming electric muscle cars and modern-day electric examples.

Table of contents:

The electric muscle car: 2025 Dodge Charger
The four-door electric muscle car: Tesla Model S Plaid
The electric "muscle sports car": Chevrolet Corvette EV
Electric "muscle utility vehicles"

• Ford Mustang Mach-E GT
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
• Kia EV6 GT
• Tesla Model Y Performance
• Chevrolet Camaro EV

The electric muscle car: 2025 Dodge Charger

Gas-powered Dodge muscle cars have reached the end of the line. Out go the V8s and in come electric motors. The next-generation Charger is going electric, but those who prefer burning gas over kilowatts will be glad to know that a gas-powered variant will likely be offered with a potent turbocharged inline-six engine the company calls Hurricane. The rumble and feel of a V8 will be gone, but at least the upcoming electric Charger is expected to provide quicker 0-60 mph and quarter-mile times.

We have yet to see what the upcoming Charger looks like, but the Daytona SRT Concept (pictured above) will give us an idea. Dodge is still keeping a lid on official specs, but the entry-level 340 model is projected to make 455 horsepower, and the midrange 440 model is expected to deliver 590 hp. The top-spec model is called the SRT Banshee, but Dodge has yet to release much information on it. Although we do know it will boast an 800-volt architecture that will ensure a rapid fast-charging speed. We expect the Banshee to produce at least 800 hp and use a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system to help put the power down.

When Dodge unveiled the Daytona SRT Concept last year, its Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust had everyone talking. The system uses an amplifier that mimics the sound of a V8 and gets as loud as 126 decibels, or about as loud as a Hellcat engine. Another feature that will make the electric Charger feel more like a gas-powered muscle car is the eRupt system that simulates the shifting of a traditional automatic transmission.

Estimated starting price: $50,000 (base model)

The four-door electric muscle car: Tesla Model S Plaid

If you ignore those extra two rear doors, the Model S Plaid is a good example of a modern electric muscle car. Like true muscle cars, the Plaid is American-made, a performance version of the regular model, insanely powerful (with 1,020 hp) and a drag-strip monster. It hit 60 mph in a neck-snapping 2.3 seconds and ran the quarter mile in just 9.4 seconds at 150.8 mph when we tested it. It's one of the quickest-accelerating production cars in the world.

Its starting price isn't low, but you get a lot of power for the money. Top muscle cars like the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak and Challenger SRT Super Stock cost about the same, and the 1,025-hp Challenger SRT Demon 170 is more expensive. The Model S Plaid is also about the same size as the Challenger, and both have something else in common — they don't handle corners that well.

Starting price: $91,630

The electric "muscle sports car": Chevrolet Corvette EV

The upcoming Corvette EV, not to be confused with the Corvette E-Ray hybrid, is technically a high-dollar sports car, but it has a lot of muscle car qualities. It's an American car, has two doors, and will deliver loads of power and insane acceleration when it debuts in 2024. Chevy hasn't released any information, but we think the Corvette EV will produce anywhere from 800 to 1,000 hp. All that power coupled with all-wheel-drive traction should give it a 0-60 mph time of under 3 seconds and a quarter-mile time in the range of 10 seconds. Its high price and precise handling, though, aren't very muscle-car-like.

Estimated starting price: $130,000

Electric "muscle utility vehicles"

SUVs and crossovers are among the furthest types of vehicles from a muscle car, but in today's SUV-craving world that's almost forgotten about muscle cars, performance versions of these high-riding vehicles are like modern-day muscle cars for average drivers. Not only that, the electric SUVs below will give most current muscle cars a run for their money on a drag strip.

Ford Mustang Mach-E GT

When Ford announced it was naming its electric SUV after the iconic Mustang, the news left many confused. The name aside, the Mustang Mach-E has proven to be a competitive electric SUV. The Mach-E GT is the performance version of the Mach-E, but it's still not much like its pony car brother. Although, its 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds tops the V8-powered Mustang GT, and its powertrain develops 480 hp (the same as the Mustang GT) and 634 lb-ft of torque. The Mach-E GT is quicker in the quarter mile (12.4 seconds) than the new 500-hp Mustang Dark Horse we tested, but its trap speed is slower.

Starting price: $61,795

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

With 641 hp on tap, the Ioniq 5 N is the most powerful performance-tuned electric SUV on this list. It's more of a hot hatch, though, than an SUV. Our testing team will put it through its paces soon after it's launched in the spring of 2024, but until then, we have to rely on what Hyundai says. The automaker says the high-performance version of the Ioniq 5 has a 3.3-second 0-60 mph time, which makes it quicker than any of its rivals and about as quick as high-end sports cars. We don't have its quarter-mile time yet, but it will likely be about 11.5 seconds, or about as quick as the Ford Shelby GT500 we tested.

Estimated starting price: $68,000

Kia EV6 GT

Kia isn't known for high-horsepower cars, but the EV6 GT is the exception. The top-spec performance model of the EV6 lineup cranks out 576 hp and 545 lb-ft. That's enough power to hit 60 mph in only 3.6 seconds and run the quarter mile in 11.8 seconds at 120.5 mph. The electric Kia actually beat the 807-hp Dodge Challenger Black Ghost in a drag race. And like its corporate cousin the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the EV6 GT looks more like a hatchback than a traditional SUV.

Starting price: $62,925

Tesla Model Y Performance

Muscle cars are bargain performance cars, offering loads of power for a relatively affordable price. And that's exactly what the Model Y Performance does thanks to Tesla's recent price cuts. The most affordable performance EV on the list produces 456 hp and 497 lb-ft, which is similar to the Chevy Camaro's 6.2-liter V8. When we tested it, the Tesla hit 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and finished the quarter mile in 11.8 seconds at 115.6 mph. Those times were just a smidge slower than the Chevrolet Corvette when we drag-raced them.

Starting price: $54,130

Chevrolet Camaro EV

Before you get excited (or upset) about an all-electric Camaro, it's probably not what you're thinking. Chevrolet will stop the production of the current Camaro in January 2024, and reports suggest that the next-generation Camaro could arrive in 2026. But not as a muscle car — likely as a coupe-like SUV instead. Still, nothing is official yet. It seems Chevy could follow what Ford did with Mustang Mach-E. Rather than developing an electric muscle car that won't sell in high numbers, it could slap the iconic Camaro name on a sleek and more profitable electric SUV instead. And you can bet there will be a powerful performance version.

Estimated starting price: $45,000 (base model)

Edmunds says

Regardless of the improved performance electric muscle cars will provide, it will be difficult for them to win over die-hard muscle-car enthusiasts. The rumble of a powerful American V8 is unmatched and can't be replaced. But current and past muscle cars will always be around, allowing enthusiasts to enjoy various iterations of their favorite type of car.