Dodge has unveiled its new blue-blood American electric muscle car: the Dodge Charger Daytona.
Gone is the noisy V8 engine, replaced by dual electric motors, all-wheel drive, and a 100.5 kWh battery.
The first fully electric car from the American brand will appease motor enthusiasts with a dizzying acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds and a huge power of 670 horsepower, in an almost completely silent environment.
That said, it could still sound like the iconic Chargers of years past, like the famous ‘General Lee’ from the hit 1980s TV series The Dukes of Hazzard, although it will be a synthetic hum booming from external speakers.
The decision to make the Charger an electric vehicle could favor rival Ford, which launched its latest V8-powered seventh-generation pony Mustang in 2022 and made a lot of noise about maintaining tradition and eschewing batteries and electric power.
Dodge has unveiled its first all-electric car: it will appease motorheads with 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.3 seconds and a massive 670 horsepower.
The Charger Daytona will go on sale later this year with pricing to be confirmed later.
With a range of 317 miles for the 460-hp R/T version and 260 miles for the 670-hp Scat Pack, Dodge has made it clear that it’s following the muscle car mantra of performance and horsepower over efficiency. .
A bit like Tesla’s ‘Ludicrous’ mode, all Charger Daytona models will have a ‘PowerShot’ function capable of delivering an additional 40 hp in 15 seconds – the supercharger of the new era of electric vehicle (EV) muscle cars.
While you may have all the performance boxes ticked, the near-silent nature of electric vehicles means they will never be able to replicate the boisterous chorus of noise created by their V8 ancestors.
But Dodge has even tried to solve this problem.
Its engineers are currently fine-tuning its ‘Fratzonic Chambered Escape’, which uses a pair of external speakers to provide a synthetic soundtrack that you can activate with the touch of a button. Press it and the car makes the sound of a Hellcat Charger with a combustion engine.
The Charger EV will offer 11 kW home charging, as well as 350 kW DC ultra-fast charging that will offer a recharge from 20 to 80 percent in about 28 minutes.
The electric Charger Daytona will go on sale later this year, with prices to be confirmed closer to the time, but it is likely to cost upwards of £47,000.
The Charger is an icon of American muscle cars. The most famous of all is possibly General Lee from the hit 1980s television series, The Dukes of Hazzard.
It looks smart, the new Charger stays true to the concept that Dodge revealed in 2022.
Modern and aerodynamic, it is a futuristic update of the current Dodge Challenger.
The large front air intake (‘R-Wing’) is the centerpiece of the large electric vehicle; Other than that, it still gives the car power.
Dodge has also said that all 2024 Charger Daytonas will receive the Track package’s Brembo brakes.
Charger Daytona models will have a ‘PowerShot’ feature capable of delivering an additional 40 horsepower in 15 seconds – the supercharger of the new era of electric vehicles.
In terms of appearance, the new Charger will stay very faithful to the concept that Dodge revealed in 2022 with a modern but retro aerodynamic appearance.
It will offer up to 11 kW home charging, as well as 350 kW DC ultra-fast charging, which should offer a recharge from 20 to 80 percent in about 28 minutes.
Dodge has also said that all 2024 Charger Daytonas will receive the Track package’s Brembo brakes.
The interior also mimics the 2022 concept car with a 10.3 or 16 ich independent digital dial cluster and a 12.3-inch central touchscreen and a square steering wheel.
The main technology options are wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as digital key and smartphone app connection.
Additional extras such as a panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, 18-speaker sound system and leather seats can be added with certain packages.
Initially, the Charger EV will come only as a two-door version, followed by four-door models in 2025. And a top-performance SRT Banshee version with a two-speed transmission is expected next year.
There’s also a surprise in store for loyal Dodge fans in 2025.
In 2022, Dodge announced it would end production of the core Charger and Challenger models in favor of an electric vehicle, without specifying the future of its gas guzzler.
But with electric car sales growing more slowly than expected in the United States, Dodge has made the decision to proceed more cautiously.
As such, the electric Charger Daytona will be followed next year by a refreshed internal combustion Charger with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged six-cylinder Hurricane engine.
Initially supposed to be electric-only, Dodge has announced that the Charger Daytona EV will be accompanied by a revamped internal combustion Charger with a twin-turbo 3.0-liter Hurricane engine.
Dodge is currently tuning its Fratzonic chambered exhaust: its synthetic soundtrack can be activated to achieve the same sound levels as the Hellcat Charger.
American Drag Strip buyers should compare the stats before purchasing, however, because the EV Scat Pack will be quicker through the quarter mile, covering it in 11.5 seconds compared to the old Charger ICE V8’s 12.2 seconds. .
And there will also be a selection of driving modes, with Scat Pack models naturally getting the highest performance ones. Expect launch control modes, Drift and Donut, and race preparation mode for the race track.
With current prices for the top-end Charger and Challenger hovering around £47,000, be prepared to play north of this when the Charger Daytona hits the road.
For those who still crave true American muscle, the latest Ford Mustang still has a bubbling 5.0-liter V8 engine under its hood.
In his public presentation at the 2022 Detroit Auto Show, Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company, said: “Investing in another generation of Mustang is a big statement at a time when many of our competitors are abandoning the internal combustion vehicle business. .’
The seventh-generation Mustang is only the second version to be sold as an official car in the UK in right-hand drive.
Not only does it have a completely revised eight-cylinder petrol engine, but also updated styling and a redesigned digital cockpit, and the American brand promises it will be “the most fun-to-drive Mustang ever.”
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