While the Ford Mustang Mach-E is already on the scene, most consider the electrified successor to the classic internal combustion engine-powered vehicle to fall short of its muscle car roots, having more in common – both in terms of looks and feel – with SUVs despite its impressive performance. In addition, the Chevrolet Camaro has also dropped off of the map, with no apparent plan currently to produce new versions, either gas or electric-powered.
That being said, the true contender for the title of first true electric muscle car is here in the form of the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona. Dodge has permanently retired the Hemi V-8 version of the vehicle in favor of a brand-new electric vehicle (EV) model, while still adhering to many of the hard-edged esthetics that made its gas-powered forebearer so legendary.
The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona has been designed around performance and horsepower ratings as opposed to range estimates and efficiency, bucking the trend of most mainstream EV designs. According to Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis, “This is still the quickest and most powerful muscle car you can buy at launch.”
For the 2024 model year, the only form of the Charger that Dodge will be offering will be of the EV variety, with the Daytona featuring a 400-volt electrical architecture; in 2025, the auto manufacturer will also introduce an 800-volt max-performance SRT Banshee model, as well as re-introducing new gas-powered Chargers featuring the Hurricane twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine by Stellantis.
However, in 2024 the EV Charger Daytona is Dodge’s only muscle game in town, and its specs are indeed impressive. The car comes in a two-door body style in both R/T and Scat Pack versions, both boasting dual electric motors; the R/T version offers 496 horsepower and 404 pound-feet of torque – doing 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds – and the Scat Pack 670 horses and 627 pound-feet, hitting 60 mph in 3.3 seconds.
The two models are also compatible with 350-kW DC fast-chargers, with their peak charge rate of 183 kilowatts allowing them to achieve an 80 percent charge in 28 minutes; both models possess a 93.9-kWh battery, with a purported 317 miles of range for the R/T and 260 miles for the Scat Pack.
The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona will go on sale this fall; prices for the R/T and Scat Pack models have not yet been revealed.
Christopher Boyle is an investigative journalist, videographer, reporter and writer for SEARCHEN NETWORKS® as well as other independent news and media organizations in the United States. Christopher works on a wide variety of topics and fields, has been featured in print and online in a variety of publications, from local to national, and helps keep a keen-eye on what’s happening in the automotive world for Auto Buyers Market.