Dodge Charger goes ELECTRIC as it switches from a gas-guzzling American V8 car to a muted EV

Dodge has unveiled its new blue-blooded electric American muscle car: the Dodge Charger Daytona.

Gone is the grumbling V8 engine, replaced by dual electric motors, all-wheel drive and a 100.5 kWh battery.

The American brand’s first fully electric car will pacify performance-minded car enthusiasts with lightning-fast acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and a massive 670 horsepower – and almost completely silently.

That said, it may still sound like iconic Chargers from years gone by – like the famous ‘General Lee’ from the hit 1980s TV series The Dukes of Hazzard – although this will be a synthetic hum from external speakers.

The decision to turn the Charger into an EV could play into the hands of rival Ford, which launched its latest seventh-generation Mustang pony car with V8 power in 2022 and made a lot of noise about sticking to tradition and eschewing batteries and electrical energy.

The Charger Daytona will go on sale later this year and prices will be confirmed soon.

With a range of 310 miles for the 460-hp R/T version and 260 miles for the 670-hp Scat Pack, Dodge has made it clear that it’s following the muscle car mantra: performance and horsepower over efficiency.

Like Tesla’s ‘Ludicrous’ mode, all Charger Daytona models will have a ‘PowerShot’ feature that can deliver an extra 40 horsepower in 15 seconds – the supercharger of the new era of electric vehicles (EV).

While the performance criteria may all be ticked, the near-silent nature of EVs means it can never reproduce the boisterous chorus of noise created by its V8 forebears.

But Dodge even tried to fix this.

The engineers are currently refining the ‘Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust’, which uses a pair of external speakers to deliver a synthetic soundtrack that you can activate at the touch of a button. Press it and the car emits the sound of a Hellcat Charger with an internal combustion engine.

The Charger EV offers home charging with 11 kW and ultra-fast charging with 350 kW DC, which can deliver 20 to 80 percent of charge in approximately 28 minutes.

Looks sensible, the new Charger stays true to the concept that Dodge unveiled in 2022.

Modern and aerodynamic, it is a futuristic update of the current Dodge Challenger.

The large front air intake (‘R-Wing’) is the big focal point of the EV – except it still puts the muscle in the muscle car.

Dodge has also said that all 2024 Charger Daytonas will get the Track Package Brembo brakes.

The interior also mimics the 2022 concept car with a free-standing 10.3- or 16-inch digital dial cluster, a 12.3-inch central touchscreen and a square steering wheel.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a digital key and smartphone app connection are the main technical options.

Select packages can add extras such as a panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, an 18-speaker sound system and leather seats.

Initially, the Charger EV will only be available as a two-door version, with four-door models to follow in 2025. And next year you can expect a maximum performance SRT Banshee version with a two-speed transmission.

There is also a surprise waiting for loyal Dodge fans in 2025.

In 2022, Dodge announced it would end production of the mid-range Charger and Challenger models in favor of an electric car, while the future of its gas-guzzling vehicle was unspecified.

But with electric car sales in the US growing slower than forecast, Dodge has decided to take a more cautious approach.

As such, the electric Charger Daytona will be followed next year by an updated internal combustion Charger with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged six-cylinder Hurricane engine.

However, Dragstrip Americana buyers should compare the stats before buying, as the EV Scat Pack will be faster over the quarter mile – covering it in 11.5 seconds compared to the old ICE V8 Charger’s 12.2 seconds.

And there will also be a selection of driving modes, with Scat Pack models obviously getting the best performance modes. Expect launch control, Drift and Donut modes – and Race Prep mode for the race track.

Considering current top-tier Charger and Challenger prices are around £47,000, be prepared to play north of this when the Charger Daytona comes to market.

For those still longing for a true American muscle car, the latest Ford Mustang still has a burbling 5.0-liter V8 engine under the hood.

At the public unveiling at the 2022 Detroit Auto Show, Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley said, “Investing in a next-generation Mustang is a big statement at a time when many of our competitors are exiting the internal combustion vehicle industry. .’

The seventh-generation Mustang is only the second iteration to be sold as an official right-hand drive British car.

Not only does it have a completely revised eight-cylinder petrol engine, but also updated styling and a redesigned digital cockpit, with the American brand promising it will be the ‘most fun to drive Mustang ever’.