Electric cars against tuning: Dodge already warns that their cars can only be unlocked

Although the car as sentimental and aspirational object has been losing value over the years, gaining weight efficiency, frugal consumption and the idea of ​​a mere object used for transport, there are still some redoubts for lovers of the wildest sports cars. Even with electric cars.

A few months ago we analyzed how the disinterest of the youngest and the accommodation of the elderly has meant that every day there are fewer people who have real knowledge of mechanics (pure hobby) or who would be willing to fix breakdowns or carry out the simplest maintenance by themselves.

From the Race they explained to us that the increased weight of the electronics and the greater complexity of the systems has been alienating the fans. “Before you changed the light bulb or we repaired it ourselves. Since the arrival of the Xenon headlights, that has come to an end and, now, with the LED headlights, the whole set has to be changed”, Arturo Miguel, head of the RACE Mechanical Repair and Innovation area, gave us as an example.

And the data confirms it. The drivers’ club recorded that the battery and the tires are already the biggest interventions that the RACE performs, something that we used to change ourselves. Javier L. Tejedor, of Lara Driving Schoolexplained it like this: “People just want to drive, pass the exam, they don’t value training in mechanics because it’s easier to call the insurance and let them take care of it”.

Get the most out of it

Despite this, there are still some sickly fans who go tinkering with your vehicleschange pieces and they play different keys to get the best possible performance from your car. Years ago tuning seemed to have disappeared from our lives. But it is not that it has disappeared, it is that now it is less strident than twenty years ago.

Although excessive spoilers and garish body colors are less common, there is a large group of fans who are still looking for the tickle of their sports cars. One of the most common interventions is direct action on the ECU through reprogramming to modify the brain in charge of managing the amount of fuel that is introduced into the cylinders, the times and pressure of the injection or the pressure of the turbo.

In this group of fans, muscle cars they have always undergone impressive modifications to turn these powerful American sports cars into the greatest beasts of acceleration. A job in which the reprogramming of the ECU has always been key to change values ​​that directly affect the work of the combustion engine.

In order to get the most out of combustion engines, a good number of workshops are specialized in all the details to take into account, offering the so-called stagesmall steps that increase the power of our vehicle and that can be directly linked to mechanical modifications beyond reprogramming, such as changes in the intake or exhaust outlet, to give just two examples. In Spainyes, it is mandatory to submit reports and pass the ITV again with these changes.

dodge against tuning

The surprise has come with the statements of Tim Kuniskis, CEO of Dodge, to carscoop. Following the presentation of Dodge Chargera muscle car that is common in the modification market, has indicated that it will only be possible increase potency of the vehicle if you go to their workshops.

“We don’t want to say that we will block the vehicle and you can’t modify it. We just say that it will be blocked and that we will be the ones who can modify them, to guarantee that everything is done correctly,” Kuniski pointed out. In other words, Dodge will take the necessary measures so that the power of its vehicles cannot be unlocked by third parties.

In fact, with the presentation of the new electric Dodge Charger, the firm has already shown the power to achieve with the different stages that they will have available at their dealers. For example, in the more modest Dodge Chargers, it will be possible to go from 340 kW (462 hp) to 370 kW (503 hp) in its Stage 1 already 400 kW (543 hp) in its Stage 2.

The strategy is repeated in all the ranges presented and they announce that there will be no mechanical modifications in case the client chooses these ways to increase power. In other words, the car that will be sold will simply always be the same but will be castrated in power exclusively electronically.

The movement is not accidental. The brand rescued less than a year ago Direct Connectionthe US firm’s own preparer to offer the pertinent official modifications to its clients.

In addition, Kuniskis also acknowledged to Carscoop that they hope their workshops reduce the volume of work, because electric cars are more reliable and require less maintenance. Forcing vehicles to go through their own centers will have an impact on maintaining this volume of work and, in addition, it will be possible to check through the Vehicle Identification Number (Vehicle Identification Number or VIN) if the car has been modified by Dodge employees in order to add value to the product.