Zac Quinn 
2008 may feel like a long time ago, but the more things change, the more they stay the same. Gas was expensive back then, too. And there was a lot of politically motivated chatter about the auto industry to “go green,” while the financial crisis had the world in a bind. Sounds familiar, yes? And if we look at Dodge, which is set to reveal its “eMuscle” car soon, it’s not the first time this idea surfaced into the public eye. Take the 2008 Dodge ZEO concept car, for example.
Dodge ZEO Concept: Details
The Dodge ZEO was a small four-door hatchback that rode on 23-inch rims with a 100-inch wheelbase. Its dimensions had it 173 inches long and 51 inches tall. Its design featured swooping fender flares which gave it a bubbly appearance. In addition, Dodge chose to equip the car with scissor doors for both the front and rear, where the rear doors hinged at the back of the vehicle.
The Dodge “ZEO” name stands for Zero Emissions Operations, and it had a 200-kW electric motor that sent power to the concept car’s rear wheels. The Dodge ZEO was powered by a lithium-ion battery pack, which brought its weight to just 2,650 pounds. Dodge predicted that the ratio would enable the electric vehicle to have a range of around 250 miles, which is equal to that of a Tesla roadster, which would have only just released to the skepticism of many.
While the teasers we’ve gotten for the upcoming Dodge eMuscle car take inspiration from classic muscle car shapes, the Dodge ZEO took on a far more futuristic approach, with the brand communicating that this concept was a “new take” on a muscle car (sound familiar?). Dodge also claimed that the concept vehicle could accelerate from 0-60 MPH in just 5.7 seconds, while at the same time, it could be driven for just three cents per mile. In 2008, an ICE would have had to get 130 MPG to operate for the same price. But in scaled practice, price parity was always wishful thinking.
We’ll be getting to see the new Dodge eMuscle concept vehicle in the near future – whether it’s called Charger, Challenger, ‘Cuda, or something else – within the coming months. If the teasers are anything to go off of, it’s going to look quite spectacular.
