Dodge’s first electric car is here and it’s dragging a blast from the past into showrooms with it.
The new battery-powered Charger Daytona two-door and four-door will be followed by internal combustion engine-powered Chargers next year.
They won’t have V8s or a V6s under their hoods, but an inline-six-cylinder like Mopar’s classic Slant-Six.
Well, not exactly like it. The new engine is a turbocharged 3.0-liter and isn’t mounted at a 30-degree angle.
THE DODGE CHARGER POLICE CAR MAY RETURN
It’s known as the Hurricane across today’s Mopar brands, and is also featured in the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer along with the 2025 Ram 1500.
YOU NEED TO WATCH DODGE’S ‘BALLSY’ AND BIZARRE TIME-TRAVELING CHARGER DAYTONA PROMO VIDEO RIGHT NOW
Dodge is calling it the SIXPACK, however, in another nod to its performance past. But don’t go looking for six-barrel carbs on it.
The very modern engine is being offered in 420 hp S.O. (Standard Output) and 550 hp H.O (High Output) tunes. Both are matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drivetrain, which has a setting that locks it into rear wheel drive for burnouts, donuts and other muscle car things.
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Although the Chargers have largely the same bodies as the Charger Daytonas, there are a couple of key differences.
The electric models have a low hood for reduced aerodynamic drag that is hidden by what Dodge calls an R-wing, which is a front spoiler that reaches from fender to fender and makes the cars look like they have taller, flatter front ends.
The Charger trades the R-wing for an actual grille and a hood with a pronounced hump and SIXPACK vents.
Out back, the Charger Daytona’s Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust noisemaker is replaced by a conventional bumper dual authentic exhaust pipes sticking out of it.
Dodge has only shown the two-door Charger, but the four-door is pretty much identical aside from the extra portals.
No other specifications have been released, including the weight. The Charger Daytona tips the scales at a hefty 5,800 pounds thanks to its battery pack, while the old ICE-powered Charger and Challenger were more than 1,000 pounds lighter than that.
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Pricing and performance figures also haven’t been announced, but the Charger isn’t scheduled to hit showrooms until early 2025.
