American “muscle cars” got their name because of their big, powerful engines and fast speed. Some of the gas-powered cars are so noisy, the Associated Press recently described them as “thundering.” But interest worldwide in electric cars brings up this question: Can a muscle car go electric? The carmaker Stellantis makes the Dodge Challenger and Chargertwo well-known muscle cars. General Motors makes the popular Chevrolet Corvette. Both companies are wondering if they can keep the interest of buyers who love traditional, gas-powered cars. Car fans who loved the classic, powerful cars that used a lot of fuel are called “gearheads.” The new battery-powered cars are quicker than the old gas-powered cars that sold themselves based on “horsepower.” Horsepower is a term used to talk about the power created by an engine. For years, high horsepower signaled “high performance.” While the new cars go fast and are easier to control than cars with big engines, they do not make much noise. Will the gearheads someday become battery-heads? Stellantis hopes so. The company, which is half American and half Italian, will stop making gas-powered versions of the Challenger, Charger and its larger Chrysler 300 by the end of 2023. Other automakers are in the process of doing the same thing. Many European automakers already have electric versions of their high-performance cars. They include Porsche, Audi and Mercedes.