Classic Muscle Car Goes All-Electric
Dodge says “Performance made us do it.” Translation: To make the next generation Dodge Charger Daytona SRT all-electric—in the process Dodge made it faster than the current gas-gulping, fire-breathing Charger Hellcat with a 6.2-liter turbocharged V8 that puts out 807 horsepower and 707 pound-feet of torque. Dodge introduced the Charger Daytona SRT as a “concept,” but by the looks of it, it is ready to go now.
Dodge did not provide details on the powertrain but did say it was based on the 800-volt system, which they have named Banshee. The name goes along with the other Dodge high-performance gasoline engine names of Hellcat, Hemi, Redeye and Super Stock in what they call the Brotherhood of Muscle. We’ve had testing even some of the less aggressive versions of the gas Charger. It is pretty obvious the people at Dodge are having a bit of fun with this new Charger SRT EV.
The transmission, which EVs don’t have as they are direct drive, is the patent-pending eRupt electro-magnetic multi-speed transmission with “shift points” that promises to “throw shoulders into seat backs in true Dodge style.”
For more fun behind the wheel, there will be all-wheel drive (which usually means at least dual electric motors), a pistol-grip shifter, a lightning bolt-shaped accelerator pedal, paddle shifters, six-piston Brembo brakes, driver-selectable drive modes of Auto, Sport, Track and Drag, along with a PowerShot push-to-pass button on the steering wheel that delivers increased horsepower in quick bursts. There is a similar boost feature on the Kia EV6 that we have tried and it is a blast!
An End to Silent EVs
If all of this wasn’t enough, Dodge is equipping the Charger Daytona SRT with something called a Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system where an amplifier and speaker, located in the rear end, produces a 126 dB roar that mimics the Dodge SRT Hellcat.
If the Charger Daytona SRT EV keeps this concept design of a 2-door hatchback, it will be a direct connection to the classic 1968 Charger. The narrow and wide grille is part of the R-Wing design that lets air pass through and create downforce. Carbon-fiber intakes on the front and rear lower fascias assist with aerodynamic performance, as does the sculpted hood.
The interior, with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen that is angled toward the driver is accompanied by a 16-inch curved digital gauge cluster. With seating for four, a panoramic glass roof, a head-up display, ambient lighting, and a flat top and bottom steering wheel that has a floating design, the Charger Daytona SRT will be setting the stage for the design of future Dodge models.
Pricing and Availability
No production date or pricing has been announced, but Dodge has announced that its internal combustion (ICE) models would be retired next year (2023) and this concept was labeled a 2024 model.
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona SRT EV Concept
For a car company that has had zero presence in the electric vehicle world, Dodge is showing it is serious about this new propulsion technology and how it can be translated into muscle car performance for its core audience. With only one more year of production remaining for the gasoline-powered Charger, the advent of the Charger SRT EV in 2024 is exciting.
Will it look like the concept car? We sure hope so, even though we aren’t so sure the artificial engine noise will make it through to the production car. It would be cool if it did!
Clean Fleet Report wishes we could tell you more, but like us you will have to wait over the coming months for Dodge to leak-out more tidbits.
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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by Dodge.
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Source: Clean Fleet Report