BEV and ICE power for new Dodge Charger

FOLLOWING leaked images of a Dodge Charger EV on Meta a few months back, and in the footsteps of the wickedly quick V8 powered Challenger SRT Demon, comes the global launch this week of what Dodge describes as “the world’s first and only electric muscle car… the all-new two- and four-door Dodge Charger multi-energy line up”.

Dodge says the new Charger is igniting a new era of high-performance electron powered cars which deliver on the muscle car promise kicked off in the mid 1960s and early 1970s by the likes of the Pontiac Firebird, Mercury Cougar, Dodge Challenger and even some versions of the Ford Mustang.

But the Mopar company is having a few bets each way offering more conventional twin turbocharged straight six-cylinder petrol engine versions of Charger alongside the electric models.

The all-electric 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona (with Scat Pack) cranks out up to 670 horsepower (500kW), a long way short of the V8-powered Demon that was rated at over 1000 horsepower (745kW) but is sufficient to allow the all-electric model to clock a 0-100kmh sprint in around 3.4 seconds says Dodge.

The same car will cover a quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds (estimated) and is still unsurpassed in quarter-mile elapsed time (ET) of any muscle car.

If ratified, it may allow Mopar to hold onto the title of having “the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car”.

Charger Daytona R/T EV models make do with “only” 375kW or 500 horsepower in the old measure but are said to be brutally quick in acceleration.

Helping Charger Daytona models boot up off the line is a standard feature called a Direct Connection Stage kit and all-wheel drive across all models for maximum vehicle performance at launch.

A PowerShot feature standard on Daytona models, delivers an incremental 40 horsepower (30kW) for 15 seconds when activated.

These next-generation Dodge Charger models mark the debut of Dodge’s new STLA Large platform that can be configured for high-performance and multi-energy capabilities – electric or petrol and presumably any other fuel that might come to light.

Apart from a powertrain transition in the BEV, the new Dodge Charger presents a distillation of muscle-car design and features a patent-pending front R-Wing pass-through on Daytona models to enhance aerodynamic downforce.

Adding a measure of muscle car rumble to the normally mute BEV exhaust is what’s called a Fratzonic (artificial) Chambered Exhaust that Dodge says will deliver Hellcat levels of sound intensity that may set the Charger apart from ordinary BEVs.

Inside is a “driver-focused, immersive interior design that includes new 64-color “Attitude Adjustment interior lighting that reacts to vehicle events and select driver inputs”.

Stopping the weighty electric beast, expected to top 2000kg in BEV form, are large format 406mm Brembo vented rotors and red six-piston front/four-piston rear fixed callipers that increase brake swept area more than 30 per cent compare with the outgoing SRT vehicle.

It rolls on 20-inch wheels and staggered Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar3 305 front/325 rear tyres.

Dodge will offer the new Charger with what are described as Race Options including hoon pleasing Donut Mode and Drift Mode with two specialised race prep’ options activated through a one-button Press Experience that instantly transforms the vehicle’s personality, with cluster and HUD graphics changing for chosen Drive Modes.

Additionally, the muscle car boasts a drive experience recorder with user options for drag race and circuit race recording that provides in-car synchronized logging of audio, video, and vehicle data.

Though unlikely to make it Down Under, the new Charger line up will also offer two internal-combustion engine options with the 550-horsepower (410kW) Dodge Charger Sixpack HO and 420-horsepower (313kW) Charger Sixpack SO, powered by a 3.0-litre twin turbo I-6 Hurricane engine both presumably similarly specified as the BEVs.

Dodge is planning for two-door coupe versions of the all-electric 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack and Dodge Charger Daytona R/T to start production in mid-2024 while the four-door Daytona Scat Pack and R/T models, petrol-powered two-door Dodge Charger Sixpack HO and four-door Dodge Charger Sixpack SO scheduled to start in Q1 2025.