Dodge is in the process of launching its first EV, with two-door versions of its new Charger Daytona set to hit dealerships by the end of the year. Dodge is a bit of a latecomer to the electric party, so it’s arriving in style, with a unique performance EV that blends the latest in propulsion technology with retro muscle-car looks. It even brings its own soundtrack, with its Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust that provides something akin to the rumble of a Hemi V-8. There’s nothing subtle about this car.
So when Dodge starts what appears to be a mild-mannered ad with a message about saving the planet, it doesn’t exactly seem like the messaging the brand has been pushing for the Charger Daytona, which looks to win over ICE customers with unabashed machismo.
Oh, You Almost Had Us, Dodge
You want to save us, alright … from your dull competition. Dodge calls out its rivals as “lame, soulless, weak-looking, self-driving sleep pods everyone else keeps polluting our streets with.” Dodge is billing the Daytona as an EV you actually want to drive, and drive hard.
Well, mission accomplished. The Dodge Charger Daytona is certainly exciting. That’s not to say that other EVs aren’t. Electrification has unlocked serious horsepower and some ridiculous 0-60 times, and there are plenty of sexy, sporty EVs out there. But it’s true, most of them don’t sound anything like an ICE, or the Daytona. And most of them are crossovers, with those of us who love a tour car — a sedan or a coupe — with very few options to choose from. The world probably doesn’t need saving from boring EVs, but one can appreciate the dedication to raising pulses and doing things differently.
The Electric Muscle Car Is Coming Soon
The Dodge Charger Daytona is due out by the end of the year, starting with two-door models, with four-door versions coming in 2025. It will be sold in several trims. The Charger Daytona R/T, starting at $59,595, has standard all-wheel drive, and a total of 496 horsepower and 404 pound-feet of torque. The Charger Daytona Scat Pack is the high-performance model, and starts at $74,190, and puts down 670 hp and 627 lb.-ft. of torque. The Scat Pack also gets the deliciously fun-sounding Drift/Donut Mode to allow for some of the rubber-burning hooliganism on display in the video above.
And if electric muscle isn’t your thing, Dodge is also coming out with a gas-powered Charger SIXPACK model, a program which Dodge is rumored to be accelerating due to high demand.
Whether Dodge is right or wrong about the rest of the EV crop being “soulless,” the Charger Daytona, with all its boisterous personality, is a welcome addition to the landscape.
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