The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona was the first electric sports car. Dodge’s first electric car has two doors, all-wheel drive as standard, and two trim levels: the R/T with up to 496 horsepower and the Scat Pack with up to 670 horsepower. The R/T should have a range of 317 miles, and the Charger EV’s Scat Pack should have a range of 260 miles. This is because it has a 93.9-kWh battery and a 400-volt design. Even though Ford put the Mustang logo on an electric car, that doesn’t mean it was the first electric power car. The Ford Mustang Mach-E, on the other hand, is a well-known SUV. The Mach-E is more like the Ford Explorer and F-150 Lightning than the pony car that gave it its name, even though it has great speed. At the same time, no one knows where the Chevy Camaro is or if it is an EV. Dodge has a chance since it has stopped making its famous Hemi V-8s for good and is now trying to change what a power car is. This is done by introducing a new electric charger that takes the brand in a new way while still being unique. What does that really mean? Tim Kuniskis, Dodge’s CEO, says that the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is not an electric car that is good for the earth or for politics. When building its first electric car, which looked like a muscle car, the company put more emphasis on performance and horsepower numbers than on efficiency and range predictions. This will be clear when the first models hit the shelves this fall. Kuniskis told the press before the launch, “This is still the fastest and most powerful muscle car you can buy at launch.” Electric Power Source Beginning with the 2024 model year, the Charger will only be available with an electric drivetrain. In the future, this rule will only apply to Daytona cars. All Chargers are based on the modular STLA Large basis. The Daytona’s electrical design, on the other hand, works at 400 volts. The following year, Dodge plans to sell Chargers with gasoline engines and a fast SRT Banshee with an 800-volt system and a two-speed gear. After that, Stellantis’ Hurricane twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six will power the “Sixpack” models, but for now, we’ll talk about the EV Chargers. There will only be two-door Charger Daytona models available in ’24. The next year, a four-door model will be offered (more on that later). There are still the well-known R/T and Scat Pack trim packages from the last model year. Both will come with an all-wheel drive and two electric motors. The Scat Pack will be capable of producing up to 670 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, while the R/T will be capable of producing up to 496 horsepower and 404 pound-feet of torque during its peak performance. Every R/T comes with the 40-horsepower Dodge Direct Connection Stage 1 package. The Scat Pack adds a Stage 2 kit that makes 80 horsepower. In any case, the normal power peaks only apply to cars made in 2024. The base output for each car will go down next year because those will be added as choices. The Daytona model has an over-boost feature called “Power Shot” that lets a 40-hp burst last for up to 15 seconds, which is when it can hit its full potential. Even though there is a 30-second break between Power Shot uses, Dodge says the function can be used as much as needed until the battery dies. Dodge thinks the battery will give the R/T an EPA-rated range of 317 miles and the Scat Pack a range of 260 miles. It will have a usable capacity of 93.9 kWh. It has an 11.0-kW charger built in, and when connected to a 350-kW DC fast charger, it can reach a maximum charge rate of 183 kW. For about 28 minutes, this link is said to be able to charge the battery from 20% to 80%. Battery Chargers for Work Dodge’s biggest problem is getting its loyal fans and other people to believe that an electric Charger is better than a gas Charger. A good place to start is by giving it a lot more power. The old V-8 Charger R/T had two Hemi engines: a 5.7-liter engine that made 370 horsepower and a 6.4-liter engine that made 485 horsepower. Their electric versions work better than that, even without the Power Shot. In addition, the electric chargers will be a lot faster than the ones that came before. Dodge says the Daytona R/T will take 4.7 seconds to reach 60 mph, while the Scat Pack will do it in 3.3 seconds. Dodge thinks that they will each finish the quarter-mile on the speed strip in 13.1 and 11.5 seconds. This is the 2019 Dodge Charger Scat Pack that we tried. It went from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and from 0 to 115 mph in 12.2 ticks. The Scat Pack’s top speed of 134 mph and the R/T’s top speed of 137 mph are the worst things about these EVs. Because electric cars have immediate torque, they are naturally faster. But technology that is meant to make them more efficient often slows them down. Dodge does the opposite with the Charger Daytona. It puts performance-enhancing features ahead of those that hurt fuel economy. For instance, the optional Track Pack for the Scat Pack comes with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar summer tires that are even bigger and stickier. The front tires are 305/35ZR-20, and the rear tires are 325/35ZR-20. This is in addition to the normal wider tires with a section width of 275. As of now, Dodge says that all 2024 Charger Daytonas with the Track option will have improved Brembo brakes with big 16.1-inch rotors on all four sides. For the two-piece front discs, fixed six-piston calipers hold them in place. For the four-piece back discs, they pinch them. There are three levels of regenerative braking with brake-by-wire technology, which blends the regenerative system and friction brakes. It’s the Scat Pack models that get the best drive modes, but the Daytona models also have a choice. The top trim level has launch-control and line-lock features, as well as Drift and Donut modes, which are pretty self-explanatory (yes, it can do a real burnout). There is also the Race Prep mode for the race track or drag strip, which can either heat or cool the battery based on its use. There is also a performance data tracker in the Track Pack that lets users save video and other data. What does it sound like? This is definitely the most common worry about the new chargers for electric cars. That’s up to you; Dodge says they are still working on improving their “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust.” The system has two passive radiators, can be revved, and gives input in real-time. It’s said to have a 126-decibel roar, the same as the modern Hellcat Charger. If you don’t want a synthetic sound, you can turn off the Fratzonic setting in stealth mode. The inside and outside of the Daytona Charger The 2018 Dodge Charger looks different from what most people would think. The famous second generation (1968–1971) wasn’t the only thing that inspired the company. In fact, it stayed so close to the idea that was first shown more than a year ago that the production version has pretty much been waiting. Other features still set it apart, like the “R-Wing” that makes a pass-through area in front for more downforce. Besides that, it’s only available for Daytona types. The rear door on the electric Dodge Charger Daytona makes the car more useful, but it’s not unique to that model. When the back seats are pulled down, there is more space behind them—37 cubic feet instead of 23. In addition, the trunk gives you two more cubes. The trunk of the leaving Charger, on the other hand, could hold 17 cubic feet. One surprise that the idea didn’t kill was that the new Charger has two or four doors instead of one like the old one. Dodge says that the length of the two-door and four-door Charger Daytona models is one inch longer (121.0 inches). The two-door type is 206.6 inches long, 79.8 inches wide, and 59.0 inches tall at its tallest point. The new car is about 5.5 inches longer, 1.5 inches wider, and 1 inch higher than the old one. The electric Charger is about 1,500 pounds heavier than the V-8 model it replaces. Its curb weight is said to be 5,838 pounds. We need to put one on our scales to make sure this is true. The idea and the inside of the Charger Daytona are very much the same. The dashboard has freestanding screens, such as a 12.3-inch touchscreen in the middle and a 10.3—or 16.0-inch digital gauge panel. The second one uses the well-known Uconnect5 software and works wirelessly with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There is also a digital key option and a smartphone app that lets you access apps and car features from afar. We liked that the Charger Daytona’s shifter now has a pistol grip, but some people might not like the car’s squared-off steering wheel. An 18-speaker Alpine sound system, a fixed panoramic sunroof, and ambient interior lighting with funny names like “Attitude Adjustment” are some of the extras that can be chosen. It’s okay for the R/T to have a mix of cloth and vinyl seating and different front seats than the leather ones that come with some packages. Dodge hasn’t said how much the 2024 Charger Daytona models will cost, but the R/T will start at more than $60,000 when it goes on sale this fall. The cars will be made at the company’s plant in Windsor, Ontario. In the United States, the government tax credit for both EVs can only be used with leasing incentives.
