Dodge unveiled a fully electric version of its Charger muscle car earlier today. The Charger is not quite ready to ditch internal combustion entirely—variants with twin-turbo V6 engines under the hood are on the way, too, but none will have the same performance as the 2024 Charger Daytona Scat Pack, which boasts an electric powertrain with 670 hp (500 kW) and a quarter-mile time of just 11.5 seconds.
The two-door Charger Daytona Scat Pack goes into production later this year at Stellantis’ Windsor Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada, alongside the Charger Daytona R/T, another all-electric model with a slightly less powerful 496-hp (370 kW) powertrain. Four-door versions of the Daytona Scat Pack and R/T models go into production in early 2025, as will two- and four-door versions of the Charger SIXPACK H.O., which uses a 550-hp (410 kW) V6 gasoline engine.
Built on Stellantis’ new STLA Large platform, the EV Charger Daytonas use a 400 V powertrain and a 100.5 kWh battery pack with a peak discharge rate of 550 kW. The electric Chargers are all-wheel drive with a pair of 335-hp (250 kW), 300 lb-ft (406 Nm) drive units. However, Dodge says there are actually six different performance levels, including the aforementioned 496-hp R/T, which uses a “Direct Connection Stage 1 upgrade kit” that adds 40 hp (30 kW), and the Scat Pack, which uses a “Direct Connection Stage 2 upgrade kit” that adds 80 hp (60 kW) extra.
There are plenty of muscle car features, too. The Charger Daytona Scat Pack and R/T can be boosted by 40 hp via a PowerShot button on the steering wheel, and if you option a track package with the Scat Pack, you also gain dual valve semi-active dampers. In addition to the usual drive modes like eco, sport, and wet/snow, there’s also a track mode and a drag mode, plus drift and donut modes on the Scat Pack.
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This color is called Bludicrous.
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An EV with exhaust pipes? Believe it.
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Dodge is starting off with two-door Chargers first.
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But four-door Charger Daytonas are also on the way.
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The steering wheel of the Dodge Charger is performance-oriented and technical in feel. It has a heated flat top/flat bottom design and includes paddle shifters to manage regenerative braking and a PowerShot button—located on the front of the wheel for quick access—for the Charger Daytona Scat Pack and R/T.
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An illustration of the Dodge Charger EV powertrain.
Since Dodge knows some of its Charger customers will take the Charger Daytona Scat Pack to the drag strip, the vehicle has a line lock function and five stages of launch control. There’s also a race prep mode that preconditions the battery for maximum performance.
The electric muscle car promises to sound louder than most other EVs, too, due to something Dodge is calling the “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust,” which combines chambers and speakers under the car, plus some actual pipes, to create the car’s soundtrack. Don’t worry, introverts—there’s also a “stealth mode,” which should be quieter.
Dodge says the Scat Pack should have a range of 260 miles (418 km), and the R/T should be able to travel 317 miles (510 km) on a single charge. Tesla-style J3400 charging ports won’t appear until midway through next year, which means the vehicle will use CCS1 plugs initially. Fast charging from 20 to 80 percent should take 27 minutes at a 350 kW fast charger, Dodge says.
One thing the automaker hasn’t revealed yet is pricing for the new Charger Daytonas, which should be provided closer to the car going into production.
https://arstechnica.com/?p=2007874