On Tuesday, Stellantis unveiled two all-electric versions of the Dodge Charger packed with the kind of features muscle car enthusiasts expect — right in a system that tries to mimic the roar of a Hemi V-8 engine.
The two new Dodge Charger EV coupes — the 2024 Charger Daytona Scat Pack and the milder trim R/T Daytona — are scheduled to go into production in mid-2024. Production of the four-door versions begins in the first quarter of 2025. The automaker has not released pricing information for none of the vehicles.
Together, these next-generation Dodge Charger coupes are part of parent company Stellantis’ strategic plan to reduce its global carbon footprint by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2038. This plan also includes lofty financial goals. including doubling net revenue to $335 billion annually by 2030 and maintaining double-digit margins.
The Dodge Charger, along with other EVs in the Stellantis portfolio, such as the Fiat 500e and the upcoming Ram Ramcharger and Ram 1500 Revolution EV, are all important cogs in the automaker’s strategic plan.
Dodge, perhaps aiming to appease its core customer base, isn’t completely abandoning gas-powered muscle cars. The brand said the next-generation Charger will also be offered with internal combustion engines. However, these will not be powered by a Hemi V-8. The automaker is instead using a more efficient and cleaner 3-liter twin-turbo inline-six Hurricane engine that Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis says offers more power and torque than the outgoing Hemi 5,7 and 6 engines. 4 liters.
Gas-powered two- and four-door Dodge Charger vehicles are also scheduled to begin production in the first quarter of 2025. The entire lineup, including battery-electric versions, will be assembled at the company’s plant in Windsor, Canada.
The 2024 Dodge Charger launch comes at a precarious time for US and European automakers trying to navigate an ever-changing EV landscape where Chinese manufacturers continue to gain ground. Even as EVs’ market share has expanded, automakers have halted or reduced factory builds to assemble EVs or make batteries amid reduced demand — particularly for higher-priced luxury EVs.
However, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares told TechCrunch in an interview last month that the automaker isn’t following the lead of its competitors and is instead going “solidly” into electrics.
“I’m keeping it steady. You’re getting rid of EVs for a number of reasons,” Tavares said, adding that the company isn’t turning its back on gas-powered vehicles either. Tavares said he is protecting the company to prepare for any outcome in upcoming political struggles in Europe and the United States involving dogmatic and populist candidates who have threatened to roll back pro-environmental regulations and incentives.
“Thanks to the 2030 strategic plan, I have the free time and the privilege of not having to bet on what the results of this election will be,” he added. “I can wait until the end of ’24. then I will decide whether to move more capacity, invest in capacity or not, based on an acceleration that would be driven by a dogmatic scenario, or based on a slowdown that the populist scenario could drive. That’s why we keep it stable.”
EV nuts and bolts
Image credits: Stellantis
The 2024 Charger Daytona Scat Pack and Daytona R/T trim will come standard with all-wheel drive and a 100.5-kilowatt-hour battery. From here, the customer will have to prioritize either speed and torque or range.
The 2024 Charger Daytona Scat Pack will produce 670 horsepower, will be able to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, run the quarter mile in about 11.5 seconds, and reach a top speed of 134 mph. That power and acceleration come with a trade-off — the Scat Pack’s estimated range is 260 miles.
Meanwhile, the Daytona R/T trim will produce 496 horsepower and cruise from 0 to 60 mph in a slightly slower 4.7 seconds but with a longer estimated range of 317 miles.
Both EVs come with Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, a term that describes a Dodge system created to send sound through an amplifier and tuning chamber in an attempt to mimic the iconic growl of a Hemi V-8 engine.
The two decorations diverge when drifting, donut driving, track and drag modes come into play. These driving features, available on the Scat Pack trim, perform as they sound. Track mode is designed to provide maximum vehicle performance on smooth, dry surfaces, while drag mode is intended for use on a closed drag strip for straight-line launch and acceleration. Donut and drift modes allow the vehicle to drift — drivers can select three levels of slip angle — and spin only on the rear wheels and spin around any of the front wheels without intervention from the traction control system to achieve the perfect donut.
