Dodge Charger Daytona SRT electric muscle car revealed

Dodge has laid bare its all-American, all-electric muscle car future with the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept that features a new high-performance EV powertrain dubbed the ‘Banshee’.

Unveiled overnight at the US car-maker’s Speed Week event in Pontiac, Michigan, the two-door battery-powered muscle car previews a production model due in 2024 and aims to satisfy rusted-on enthusiasts – long accustomed to big-bore combustion engines – with classic styling cues and the promise of Hellcat V8-matching performance.

Details are still thin on the ground, including horsepower and acceleration figures, but Dodge promises its first EV muscle car will be “faster than a Hellcat in all key performance measures”.

That means it’ll need to outperform the likes of the 797hp (594kW) 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye, which can consume 0-60mph (97km/h) in just 3.4 seconds and the quarter mile (400m) in 10.6 seconds at 208km/h.

The company has confirmed an 800V electrical architecture will support the powertrain and that it will have four-wheel drive as standard, pointing to a dual-motor configuration.

This could be a version of the EV powertrain slated for the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore grand tourer, which is from the same Stellantis Group stable.

But unique to the electric Dodge Charger will be the ‘Banshee’ part of the propulsion system, which shows how the US brand is clinging on to the signature aural drama offered by its soon-to-be-retired V8 portfolio.

The Charger Daytona SRT is fitted with what Dodge calls a ‘Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust’ system, which is essentially a throttle-influenced sound generator capable of emitting a replicative engine sound at up to 126dB.

So rather than being a silent assassin, this all-electric concept can be as loud as the V8-powered Charger and Dodge Challenger Hellcat.

“While most BEVs embrace their virtually silent electric motors, that just wouldn’t do for Dodge,” the company said in a statement.

“Yes, Dodge added an exhaust to an electric vehicle.”

The novel exhaust system isn’t the only left-field internal combustion-inspired feature present on the Charger EV – it’s also fitted with an ‘eRupt’ multi-speed transmission to retain the visceral experience of gear changes.

Unsurprisingly, the new-meets-old-school tech and character is wrapped in a body that follows the same principal.

There’s more than a bit of the current Dodge Charger in the design, as well as Dodge Challenger cues, while the grille and rear lighting signature are inspired by the fabled 1968 Charger.

Other points of interest include the ‘Screaming Banshee’ emblem on the front wings and the use of aero-honed 21-inch alloy wheels.

There are fewer historic call-backs within the cabin, where you’ll find a curved 16-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment display and an 8.5-inch head-up display.

Charger enthusiasts will spot the grille-textured trim and upholstery, with other headline interior features comprising a glass roof, sports seats, paddle shifters, next-gen steering wheel and ambient lighting.

Unveiling the Charger Daytona SRT concept, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis said the brand was all about “muscle, attitude and performance” – and that all of those core principals were instilled in its latest creation.

“The Charger Daytona SRT concept can do more than run the car show circuit; it can run a blazing quarter-mile,” he said.

“And when it comes to product cycles, it outruns Darwin.

“Charger Daytona does more than define where Dodge is headed, it will redefine American muscle in the process.”

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