Dodge once made a stick-shift EV in the 1980s then forgot it existed

The Dodge Jet Electrica 007 may sound like a movie prop, but believe it or not, this quirky little sedan was a real stick-shift EV from the 1980s.

Yes, an actual manual-transmission electric car, decades before Tesla or Rivian were even sketches on a whiteboard.

Dodge built it, sold it – sort of – and then promptly forgot it existed.

And now, looking back, it’s one of those ‘what were they thinking?’ moments in automotive history.

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This stick-shift EV didn’t have much power

The Jet Electrica 007 was born out of an era when gas prices were volatile, smog was a growing concern, and automakers were dabbling in battery-powered experiments.

Based on the Dodge Omni compact, Chrysler – Dodge’s parent company at the time – partnered with a Texas outfit called Jet Industries to create an electric variant.

The result was a car stuffed with lead-acid batteries, topped off with a four-speed manual gearbox, which is a very unusual pairing for an EV.

Why the stick shift? Well, it was mostly because early electric motors weren’t as refined as today’s, and engineers needed some way to make the most of their limited power.

Performance, unsurprisingly, was not its strong suit.

The Jet Electrica 007 made about 20hp, which meant 0–30mph took an eternity, and holding its own in a drag race against a Bugatti Divo was definitely out of the question.

Range was another letdown, as owners could squeeze maybe 50 miles out of a charge if they were gentle on the throttle.

However, it’s still somehow better than this mini electric car in the modern era, whose range is even more lackluster.

With lead-acid batteries weighing the car down, it wasn’t exactly nimble, either.

Still, for its time, it was a fascinating proof of concept: an everyday commuter that ran without burning a drop of gasoline.

The Dodge Jet Electrica 007 was ahead of its time

So why didn’t it take off?

A mix of timing, technology, and practicality.

Battery tech in the ’80s just wasn’t ready for prime time, and most drivers weren’t willing to trade convenience for eco-experimentation.

On top of that, the car was pretty expensive, so buyers saw it as a novelty rather than a revolution.

Dodge, perhaps embarrassed by the whole experiment, quietly let the project fade into obscurity.

Today, the Dodge Jet Electrica 007 is a delightful footnote in EV history: a reminder that automakers have been tinkering with electric ideas far longer than most people realize.

It might not be wowing anyone with its speed, nor setting any range records. But it’s a reminder that for a brief moment in the ’80s, Dodge really did make a stick-shift EV.

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