Dodge Charger EV, a gas-powered muscle car, unveiled

DETROIT – Dodge won't give up on owners of traditional gearhead and high-octane Chargers and Challengers with its next-generation muscle car.

The automaker on Tuesday unveiled the new Dodge Charger as an all-electric vehicle as well as a next-generation gas-powered muscle car. It will be Dodge's first all-electric vehicle.

The conventional vehicle has been in question since late 2022, when Dodge said production of the old trucks and Challenger would stop at the end of last year. At the time, the company said an electric vehicle would replace it, and declined to discuss the possibility of future gas models.

Offering both electric and gas versions of the car will allow Dodge to be more flexible when it comes to production, as sales of all-electric vehicles are growing slower than expected. More gas and electric chargers, including the “Banshee” EV, will follow the initial vehicles.

Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis described the electric vehicle as a “game changer for the industry.” Meanwhile, the new gas-powered models will outperform their V-6 predecessors, as well as some V-8 variants.

“We're taking the 'Golden Age' performance that you know today and by which you judge everything, and we're taking the technology of the future to make sure of that.” [the Dodge brothers’] “Legacy never dies,” Kuniskis said during a press conference. “Banshee will be our best performer.”

The 2024 Charger EV, known as the Daytona, is expected to go on sale this summer with 670 horsepower, 627 foot-pounds of torque and a 0-60 mph time of 3.3 seconds.

Two-door versions of electric cars will occupy first place, followed by four-door models during the first quarter of next year. Gas-powered Chargers with a six-cylinder engine are expected to go on sale in 2025.

Kuniskis said prices for electric cars and gas-powered models will be announced closer to their production date. Current starting prices for Charger and Challenger gas models range from approximately $33,000 to $96,000.

Both the EV and gas models will eventually come in two-door and four-door versions, replacing the four-door Dodge Charger and two-door Challenger. This change is expected to reduce spare parts and costs – based on the mandate of Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantiswhich owns Dodge, hired his brand executives.

All electric and gas vehicle models will share interior and exterior designs, which should also help complicate production and lower costs, Dodge said.

When asked if the electric vehicle would be profitable, Kuniskis repeated comments made by Tavares that the company would not sell electric vehicles at a loss in order to boost sales or meet federal fuel economy standards.

With many brands shifting to smaller, more fuel-efficient engines in recent years, Dodge has introduced Hellcat models and other high-performance vehicles. Such models helped attract attention to the brand but did not help the automaker's carbon footprint, forcing it to buy carbon credits from automakers such as Tesla.

Stellantis' “Dare Forward 2030” strategic plan includes moving towards electrified and more efficient propulsion systems, reducing its global carbon footprint by 50% by 2030 and leading the transportation industry by achieving net zero carbon by 2038.

Kuniskis said there are no plans for V-8 or hybrid-electric models for the new Charger, which will be produced at the Stellantis assembly plant in Windsor, Ontario, in Canada.

The Charger Daytona EV will initially be offered in “R/T” and “Scat Pack” models with 496 hp and 670 hp, respectively. Range on a full charge is expected to be 317 miles for the R/T and 260 miles for the Scat Pack, Dodge said.

A feature called “PowerShot” will be standard on Charger Daytona models, providing an additional 40 horsepower for 15 seconds when activated.

“We will replace superchargers and replace them with kilowatts and PowerShots,” Kuniskis said.

The design of the new Charger is based heavily on the Dodge concept car that was unveiled in August 2022. It is a modernized but older version of the current Dodge Challenger with a more aerodynamic and still muscular design. It is worth noting that the front fascia features a large opening for air to pass through, which the company calls the “R-Wing”.

Kuniskis said the concept car was “a production car hiding in plain sight” in an attempt to get customers used to the new design.

Kuniskis said Dodge is still working on how the electric car will sound. The goal is to try to maintain the rumbling sound and driving characteristics of Dodge's current gas-powered Charger and Challenger.

While electric cars can be fast, with “linear acceleration” that results in impressive 0-60 mph acceleration, they often lack the driving dynamics that many owners of high-performance cars enjoy. It's a problem that auto executives are particularly trying to solve as the industry transitions to electric vehicles.

The gas-powered Charger will be powered by the twin-turbocharged “Hurricane” 3.0-liter inline-six that powers other Stellantis like the Jeep Wagoneer and Ram 1500.

The only difference between electric and gas vehicles could be the use of the EV's split deltoid “Frzug” logo instead of Dodge's current dual racing stripes. Kuniskis said the company is still determining whether to use fratzge — a made-up word initially used by Dodge from 1962 through 1976 — for gas models.