Dodge Launches BEV ‘Muscle’ This Summer

Stellantis is coming fast and aggressive with battery-electric vehicles (BEV), and the latest is a BEV version of its Charger brand – what will be a 2-door and 4-door “muscle car.” The company says the 670-hp performance Daytona trim will run 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.3 seconds and a quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds.

While the line will launch as a BEV, there will be internal-combustion-engine versions, too: the 550-hp Dodge Charger Sixpack high-output and the 420-hp Charger Sixpack standard-output, each powered by a 3.0L Twin Turbo I-6 Hurricane engine.

The BEV-first strategy, combined with the ICE versions, will allow Stellantis to flex production according to market demand for BEVs versus ICE versions of the Charger.

The automaker is calling its powertrains for the BEV Charger trims a “Scat Pack.” Besides the Daytona trim, the all-electric Charger models include a 496-hp ’24 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T.

The ‘24 Charger Daytona models, to hit dealerships this summer, will feature standard Direct Connection Stage kits for maximum vehicle performance, with all-wheel-drive standard on all trims. The model line is the first to be built on Stellantis’s STLA large platform.

Among the unique design features: a patent-pending front R-Wing pass-through to enhance aerodynamic downforce; a 64-color Attitude Adjustment interior lighting system that reacts to vehicle events and driver inputs; a patent-pending “Fratzonic” Chambered Exhaust, “delivering Hellcat levels of sound intensity”; and a “PowerShot” feature, standard on Charger Daytona models, that delivers an incremental 40 hp for 15 seconds when activated.

The Charger line is meant to be a hot streetcar, as well as a vehicle that owners can take to the track or black-lake environment. New race options available include Donut Mode, Drift Mode and two unique Race Prep options. There is a one-button Press Experience that instantly transforms the vehicle’s personality, with cluster and HUD graphics changing for chosen drive modes. There is also a Drive Experience Recorder, with user options for drag race and circuit race recording, providing in-car synchronized logging of audio, video and vehicle data.

The biggest tire package on the Dodge Charger features 20-in. wheels and staggered Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar 3 305 front/325 rear tires.

The 2-door coupe versions of the BEV Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack and ’24 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T will begin production in mid-year. Production of 4-door Daytona Scat Pack and R/T models, gas-powered 2-door Dodge Charger Sixpack high-output and 4-door Dodge Charger Sixpack standard-output is scheduled to start in Q1 2025. Assembly takes place at Windsor, ON, Canada Assembly Plant.

Battery Power

The BEV Daytona models are driven by a 400V system delivering supercharged V-8 performance with zero tailpipe emissions and instant torque response. The system incorporates a high-voltage battery pack, dual integrated charge module and both a front and rear electric-drive modules (EDM).

The front EDM employs front-wheel-end disconnect, improving range and efficiency, while the rear EDM includes a mechanical limited-slip differential to increase traction and performance. Both front and rear EDMs feature 3-in-1 architecture (inverter, gearbox and motor), with each generating 335 hp and 300 lb.-ft. (407 Nm) of torque.

The battery pack delivers 100.5 kW installed capacity and a peak discharge rate of 550 kW –  designed to maximize acceleration by allowing the motor to utilize the most power the battery can output in a quarter-mile. The prismatic batteries offer structurally stable cells with better thermal performance through a rigid casing, resulting in lower battery temperatures during high-performance driving. The nickel-cobalt-aluminum chemistry of the battery cells provides more power per gram – the battery-electric version of high-octane fuel.

The 400V propulsion system packs six performance levels into one powertrain. The ’24 Charger Daytona R/T arrives with a standard Direct Connection Stage 1 upgrade kit that adds 40 hp to reach a total of 496 hp, while the Daytona Scat Pack is delivered with a Stage 2 kit that offers an increase of additional 80 hp, taking total output to 670 hp. Future Daytona models will require purchase of Direct Connection Stage kits to upgrade from base models to Stage 1 and Stage 2 performance.

Charger Daytona models also take advantage of an advanced and customizable regenerative braking system, converting the vehicle’s kinetic energy into electricity during deceleration to increase total range. Drivers can adjust the level of regenerative braking (0.1g, 0.2g or 0.3g regen) by using paddle shifters to customize the driving experience.