A week today, an event will be taking place in the USA that’s set to completely divide its population and likely cause a fair few very vocal arguments. That’s right, the annual SEMA trade show for aftermarket suppliers is opening, and Stellantis will be displaying this: an electric-swapped 1967 Plymouth GTX ‘Electromod’.
It’s been created by Mopar, Stellantis’ in-house parts division, and is designed to show off its new ‘e-Crate’ electric conversion kit. This is designed specifically to drop into the E- and B-Body muscle cars built by Chrysler in the late ’60s and early ’70s – stuff like this GTX, the original Dodge Charger and Challenger, and the Plymouth Barracuda.
Plymouth GTX Electromod – rear
The powertrain consists of a 73kWh, roughly 104kg battery pack that sits in the car’s boot, driving an electric motor that sends power to the rear wheels via a 3:1 reduction drive.
Now, we have to address the elephant in the room. This is an EV propulsion system designed to replace the engine in a family of cars known for their gigantic, rumbling Hemi V8s. That’s going to be a hard sell for plenty of Mopar die-hards, but it’s electric, so surely it’s making huge amounts of power that make up for the loss of the thunderous V8, right?
Plymouth GTX Electromod – battery
Erm, no. The e-Crate churns out 335bhp, which is actually less than some of the top Hemi-powered versions of these cars were rated at back in the day. Hmmm. It’ll also provide an estimated 250 miles of range.
In fairness, this is just a starting point, and there could well be potential for more power from this setup, but either way, ditching the V8 for an electric motor that makes less power than the car did in the late ’60s probably isn’t the best way of getting people on board with electric propulsion.
Plymouth GTX Electromod – interior
Other hardware changes to bring things more up-to-date include modern three-link suspension and chunky Wilwood brakes.
The car’s also had a bit of a visual overhaul, with a new carbon fibre bonnet and front splitter, new wheels, shaved bumpers and blacking out all the previously shiny chrome bits. The whole thing’s been resprayed in Frostbite Blue, a hue from the recently departed Charger and Challenger Hellcats, and gets a retrimmed interior with new seats, steering wheel and centre console.
Plymouth GTX Electromod – front
It’s joined at the SEMA show, which kicks off in Las Vegas next week, by a pair of Ram truck concepts – one with a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 and an overlanding remit, and another based on the recently-revealed straight-six powered RHO dune-basher.
