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What is a Hot Hatch?Dodge Charger Daytona EV Electrifies the Muscle Car
Dodge makes the jump to electrification with the debut of the next generation of Chargers.
Sacrilege or Evolution?
Dodge, long the standard bearers for untamed V8 muscle cars, has been saying goodbye to those V8 engines for over a year now with their line of “Last Call” special edition models of the Challenger and Charger as part of their transition away from gas-guzzling internal combustion engines and toward greater efficiency and electrification.
Today marked step two in that process with the unveiling of the next-generation 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona featuring your choice of a fully electric, high-output powertrain or an impressively powerful twin-turbo straight six. The V8 may be gone, but it’s clear from today’s debut, the Charger will retain all the attitude and acceleration that’s been core to the Dodge identity.
Specs
The 2024 Dodge Charger Dayton will initially offer three powertrain options, with a fourth to follow. There are two electric powertrains corresponding to the R/T and Scat Pack trims. Both will carry the same 100.5-kWh battery pack and 400-volt architecture powering a pair of electric motors (one front, one rear) and all-four wheels. The R/T will make 456 horsepower with 404 lb.-ft. of torque and a range of up to 317 miles. The Scat Pack version will boast 590 horsepower with 627 lb.-ft. of torque and a range of 260 miles.
Both will ger what Dodge is calling their Direct Connection Stage performance kits, downloadable through an over-the-air update, that will add 40 horsepower to the R/T (for a new total of 496 horsepower) and an additional 80 horsepower to the Scat Pack (for up to 670 horsepower). Thus enabled, the R/T will reportedly clock 4.7 seconds zero to sixty while the Scat Pack will make that run in 3.3 seconds. While standard on first year examples, this feature will become an optional upgrade going forward. Both versions will have 350-kW DC-fast charging capability.
The third powertrain for the 2024 Charger won’t be electrified at all. Instead, Dodge is tapping the 3.0L twin-turbo “Hurricane” straight-six (as seen in the Grand Wagoneer). In the Charger, this engine will make either 420 horsepower for the SIXPACK Standard Output or 550 horsepower in the case of the SIXPACK High Output. All-wheel drive will come standard with either trim.
Extras
In addition to those basic numbers, Dodge includes a load of performance modes and distinctive features to the Charger EV. Chief among these is the “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust” which simulates the idle and screaming revs of a Hemi V8 using actual resonance chambers to do the job, no speakers. Dodge will also allow you to do a virtual exhaust delete, which in the case of the Charger EV will do the opposite of a traditional exhaust delete – making the car quieter by enabling a “stealth mode.” Of course, there’s also a Launch Control mode available.
The above two features are predictable in a Dodge branded EV, the next few are more novel. The Charger EV will offer a list of your typical drive modes, Auto, Eco, Track, and Wet/Snow, but in the case of the Scat Pack a Drag Mode, Drift Mode, and Donut Mode are all added. A Line Lock feature allows drivers to “lock the front wheels and remove torque from the front axle” to prep the tires for a launch. A new “Race Prep” feature will condition the battery pack, heating it up for track use or cooling it for repeated drag races.
Retro Styling and R-Wing Hood
The Dodge Charger Daytona EV will be offered in two- and four-door versions. Both iterations borrow as much from Challengers and Chargers of the 1960s and ‘70s as they do from the more recent generation. The four-door version is especially interesting as its length accentuates the old-school “Coke bottle” curves reminiscent of the second and third generation Chargers. The interior of the new 2024 Charger is a clear step up in quality, and frankly thoughtfulness, compared to the prior generation. From material quality to design, it appears Stellantis finally giving a Dodge an interior as impressive as its acceleration.
And then there’s the rear hatch. Rather than have a trunk, Dodge decided to make the new Charger a liftback for greater cargo capacity. It now maxing out a 38.5 cu.-ft. with the rear seats folded down, which, according to Dodge, is 133 percent more cargo capacity than the outgoing generation.
Even the hood of the car gets a subtle twist on convention. Both the EV versions feature a unique “R-Wing” hood that channels air from the grille works up over the hood. It’s a nifty bit of aero cheating that allows the Charger to retain a rather square-ish muscle car front end without crushing the already so-so range numbers. The straight-six version of the Charger gets a more traditional hood bulge.
When You’ll See the New Charger EV
The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is set to commence production in mid-2024. The two-door version will arrive first, followed by the four-door and the I-6 versions in 2025. That fourth powertrain I mentioned earlier will be the Charger’s most powerful, the SRT Banshee with a unique 800-volt architecture and a rumored 900-horsepower targeted output.
Clearly, Dodge has a lot riding on the new Charger. Their emphasis on attitude and acceleration makes it clear they know their target audience. What is less clear is whether that audience can be convinced that traditional Dodge ethos can survive the jump to electrification.
