After months of concepts and teases, the Mopar world finally knows what the first electric muscle cars from Dodge will be. Meet the 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona, which comes as a coupe and, much to our surprise, a sedan too. It’s a striking move for a brand whose product strategy in recent years has largely amounted to: “What if we put a bigger V8 in it?”
And yet, times are changing. U.S. consumers are asking for more electric options. Tesla is the most valuable carmaker on the planet and is stealing market share from old-guard manufacturers. Regulations aimed at curbing climate-warming emissions are pushing the internal combustion engine toward extinction. And more importantly for Dodge’s target audience, the zero-to-60 mph times for electric cars are putting gas engines to shame.
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A new, electric era for Dodge
Dodge first teased the concept for its first electric car back in 2022. Now it’s broken cover looking pretty darn similar to that initial design.
Dodge can either cling to its V8s for dear life—or pivot. And it made the smarter move here. Being able to do 60 mph in as low as 3.3 seconds, making it slightly quicker than the old Hellcat Redeye cars, just sweetens the deal.
So, behold the 2024 Charger Daytona. The world’s first electric muscle car goes on sale in mid-2024, representing a big leap forward for Dodge and its European parent company, Stellantis, which is expanding its electric offerings globally but has been slow to do so in the U.S.
The Charger also reflects an important broadening of the limited U.S. EV market. More different types of vehicles that appeal to more buyers should help drive people toward EVs who didn’t have an option before. And while we knew the coupe was coming, the Charger sedan—which looks delightfully similar to the old gas-powered one—is a welcome addition to the small but growing electric four-door market.
The 2024 Charger Daytona: What We Know
The Charger Daytona arrives as a coupe that replaces the outgoing (gas-powered) Dodge Challenger. It also marks the start of a whole new Charger family.
Next year, Dodge plans to start production of four-door electric models to replace the current Charger, along with both two- and four-door gas-powered versions. They’ll all share the same underlying platform, known as STLA Large.
It comes in two trims to start. The R/T debuts with 496 horsepower and 404 pound-feet of torque. The Scat Pack arrives with 670 horses, 627 pound-feet of torque and a claimed zero-to-60 time of just 3.3 seconds.
For now, Dodge has only shared details about the coupe, so that’s what we’re focusing on. (This is confusing, but only this inaugural two-door EV is the Charger Daytona. The others are just Chargers.)
Dodge will be the first to tell you that the Charger Daytona isn’t trying to be the greenest car on the market. It doesn’t offer world-beating range or amazing efficiency. What it does provide is the beefcake performance Dodge is known for, along with solid marks across the board as far as EV stuff is concerned.
Both the R/T and Scat Pack are propelled by dual electric motors that grant it full-time all-wheel drive. They’re equipped with a rather large 100.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack that returns a respectable 317 miles of range in the R/T and a less ideal 260 in the Scat Pack.
Clearly, these cars weren’t designed for optimum efficiency; a Tesla Model 3 earns an EPA-estimated 341 miles of range with a battery pack that’s roughly 20% smaller.
That’s something Dodge owns openly. Its buyers have largely never worried about energy consumption, so why would they start to care now?
“When was the last time anyone calculated the fuel economy of their muscle car? Yeah, they never did,” Dodge brand CEO Tim Kuniskis said in a promotional video launched on Tuesday.
That may be true. But battery size will dictate how much the Charger Daytona ultimately costs. Dodge hasn’t quoted a price yet, but we know that batteries are the single most expensive part of an EV. We also know that Stellantis proudly says that, unlike rivals, it turns a profit on its electric vehicles. The entry price here will be very interesting, especially considering what a performance bargain the old cars were.
With a peak charge rate of 183 kilowatts, the Daytona can recharge from 20%-80% in just under 28 minutes, Dodge says, which is getting to be on the slower side these days. The big battery pack doesn’t help there either, but the charge rate is at least higher than some rivals.
An EV That Wakes Up The Neighborhood
Dodge went to great lengths to make its first EV as traditionally Dodge-y as possible. That starts with tire-shredding performance but includes a whole lot more.
The sleek Charger Daytona looks just like the awesome concept car that Dodge unveiled a few years back. It retains the muscular, retro-inspired features Dodge is known for and avoids the “melted jelly bean” look of so many EVs these days, Kuniskis told journalists during a briefing. Dodge accomplished that in a rather clever way.
At first glance, the front end looks totally squared off, but that’s actually an illusion. A slim opening up front allows air to pass more smoothly over the Daytona’s hood and windscreen, boosting its aerodynamic qualities. A flat nose that just bullies air out of the way wouldn’t be great for range.
Then there’s the (hilariously named) “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust.” It isn’t just a speaker that plays engine noises for all to hear, but rather an actual exhaust-like contraption that rumbles much like a V8-powered Dodge would. It can also be switched off completely for when owners want to roll around in silence, as the EV gods intended.
A PowerShot button on the steering wheel activates 40 extra horsepower for a brief stint. Plus, there’s a Donut Mode that helps you do donuts. Clearly, Dodge wants buyers to know that just because a car has electric motors instead of an engine, that doesn’t mean it can’t be loud, fast and in your face.
A Step Forward For Stellantis
European auto giant Stellantis has felt like a bit of a laggard in the EV space, at least in the U.S. Its first EV for American consumers is arriving imminently in the form of the tiny Fiat 500e. The Charger Daytona represents an important next step toward Stellantis becoming a real presence in the U.S. electric market. Stellantis is also planning EVs from its Jeep, Ram Chrysler brands.
Of course, we’ll have to wait and see how well the Charger and other Stellantis EVs perform—both on the road and in the marketplace. But anybody who counted Stellantis out may have spoken too soon.
Contact the author: tim.levin@insideevs.com
