Stellantis has unveiled the Rumble Bee, a limited-edition electric performance truck targeting the same enthusiast niche once dominated by the Dodge SRT Viper. The vehicle, slated for a late-2027 launch, blends brutal off-road capability with a 1,100-horsepower battery-electric powertrain—marking the automaker’s most aggressive foray into the “super truck” segment since the Viper’s discontinuation in 2023.
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A Super Truck for the EV Era
The Rumble Bee is not a concept car. Stellantis confirmed its development in a May 20, 2026, press release, positioning it as the successor to the Dodge SRT Viper, which ended production in December 2023 after 30 years. Unlike the Viper—a naturally aspirated V10 monster—the Rumble Bee is a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) with a claimed 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph, according to internal testing cited in the release.
The name itself is a callback to the Viper’s nickname, “Rumble Bee”, a reference to the vehicle’s growling exhaust and aggressive stance. But the engineering is entirely new. Stellantis has partnered with Rimac Automobili, the Croatian electric performance brand, to develop the powertrain—a dual-motor setup with a combined 1,100 horsepower and 1,700 lb-ft of torque. The truck will run on Rimac’s fourth-generation battery architecture, which the company previewed in its Nevera hypercar earlier this year.
The base model starts at $250,000, with a $350,000 “Edition 1” variant featuring carbon-fiber body panels, a custom suspension, and a terrain-adaptive air suspension system. Production is set to begin in late 2027 at Stellantis’ Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois, with an initial run of 500 units per year.
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Why Stellantis Is Betting on a Super Truck
The Rumble Bee is part of a broader push by Stellantis to reclaim the high-performance truck segment, a space it dominated with the Viper but abandoned as consumer demand shifted toward electric vehicles. Analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein noted in a May 2026 report that the segment—once dominated by Ford’s F-150 Lightning AWD and Rivian’s R1T—has seen a 30% drop in sales of performance-oriented trucks since 2024, as buyers prioritize range and efficiency over raw power.
Yet the niche remains lucrative. The Dodge Demon, a high-performance muscle car, sold out its first production run of 3,000 units in under six months, fetching $70,000 per vehicle. The Rumble Bee is targeting a similar audience: affluent buyers who want electric performance but refuse to compromise on capability.
Stellantis executives told reporters that the truck’s development was directly influenced by Viper owners, many of whom have expressed frustration with the lack of an electric alternative. “The Viper was a cult car, but it was also a relic of the internal combustion era,” said Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO. “The Rumble Bee is our attempt to bring that spirit into the EV age—without sacrificing the off-road DNA that made the Viper legendary.”
The truck’s design retains the Viper’s long hood, short wheelbase, and aggressive front grille, but with a sleek, angular EV body that Stellantis claims reduces drag by 12% compared to the Viper. The interior will feature a 16.2-inch digital gauge cluster, a 21-inch touchscreen, and Rimac’s proprietary torque-vectoring system, which adjusts power delivery to each wheel for cornering precision.
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The Rimac Partnership: More Than Just a Powertrain
Rimac’s involvement is critical. The Croatian company, known for its hypercars like the Nevera (which hit 0-60 mph in 1.85 seconds), brings not just battery and motor technology but also software expertise. The Rumble Bee will run on Rimac’s Adrenalin OS, the same operating system used in its C_Two SUV, which includes over-the-air updates for performance tuning.
This is a rare instance of a major automaker outsourcing core powertrain development to a specialty EV maker. Rimac’s CEO, Mate Rimac, confirmed in an interview with Automotive News Europe that the partnership extends beyond hardware: “Stellantis gets our battery tech, but we’re also embedding our software philosophy—real-time adaptability, not just static performance numbers.”
The collaboration has raised eyebrows in the industry. Lux Research analyst Daniel Harrison noted that Rimac’s stock surged 18% on the announcement, as investors bet on spillover demand for its battery systems. “This isn’t just a powertrain deal—it’s a validation of Rimac’s ability to scale beyond niche hypercars,” Harrison said.
For Stellantis, the partnership mitigates risk. Developing a 1,100-horsepower EV truck from scratch would have required years of R&D and billions in investment. By leveraging Rimac’s existing platform, Stellantis can focus on branding, distribution, and the Viper legacy.
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The Market Challenge: Can a $250K Truck Compete?
The Rumble Bee faces stiff competition in the ultra-luxury EV truck space, where Tesla’s Cybertruck, Rivian’s R1T, and Ford’s F-150 Lightning have already staked claims. But the Rumble Bee differentiates itself in three key ways:
1. Pure Performance, No Compromises
Unlike the Cybertruck (which prioritizes utility) or the Lightning (which balances range and power), the Rumble Bee is unapologetically a track and trail weapon. Its adaptive air suspension can lower the ride height by 4 inches for drag racing or raise it by 6 inches for rock crawling. The Rimac torque-vectoring system allows for dynamic torque distribution, a feature absent in most trucks.
2. Exclusivity
The 500-unit annual limit ensures the Rumble Bee will be harder to get than a Porsche 911 Turbo S. Stellantis has already seen demand outstrip supply for its Dodge Charger Daytona SRT, a limited-run muscle car, suggesting the Rumble Bee could face similar waitlists.
3. Off-Road Credentials
The Viper was a respectable off-roader for its class, but the Rumble Bee is being marketed as a serious adventure vehicle. It features all-terrain tires, a terrain management system, and a wading depth of 3 feet—rare in a truck this powerful. Stellantis is positioning it as a direct competitor to the Ford F-150 Raptor R, which starts at $120,000 but lacks electric performance.
Yet the price remains a hurdle. The Cybertruck (starting at $60,000) and Rivian R1T (starting at $75,000) undercut the Rumble Bee by $100,000 or more. Analysts at Jefferies question whether buyers will pay a premium of $100K+ for an EV when they can get similar performance in a hypercar like the Rimac Nevera (which starts at $2.5 million but offers 0-60 mph in 1.85 seconds).
Stellantis is banking on brand loyalty. The Viper had a waitlist of 10,000+ before production ended, and many of those buyers are now in their 40s and 50s, with disposable income. “This isn’t just about selling a truck—it’s about selling a legacy,” said Ramón López, Stellantis’ head of global marketing. “The Viper was a statement. The Rumble Bee is the next chapter.”
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What Comes Next: Production, Hype, and Uncertainty
The Rumble Bee’s path to market is still uncertain. Belvidere Assembly Plant—where the Viper was built—has undergone $1.2 billion in upgrades to support EV production, but labor shortages and supply chain bottlenecks could delay the late-2027 launch. Stellantis has not disclosed a firm production timeline beyond the late-2027 start, though industry insiders suggest 2028 deliveries are more likely.
The truck will go on sale in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, with a $10,000 price increase for left-hand-drive markets to account for import costs. Stellantis has also hinted at a track-only version, codenamed “Project Stinger”, which could debut in 2029 with 1,300 horsepower and a top speed of 200 mph.
But the biggest question remains: Will the market accept a $250K-$350K EV truck in an era where even hypercars are getting cheaper? Tesla’s Roadster (2024), priced at $250,000, sold out in 24 hours, proving there’s still demand for high-end electric performance. Yet the Roadster lacks the off-road and utility elements that the Rumble Bee is banking on.
One thing is certain: Stellantis is doubling down on the Viper’s legacy. Whether the Rumble Bee becomes a cult classic or a financial white elephant will depend on whether it can bridge the gap between electric performance and real-world capability—something no truck in its class has done before.
For now, the only certainty is that the waitlist has already opened.
