Dodge unveils Charger EV concept that is faster and louder than a Hellcat

Kirsten Korosec

August 17, 2022 at 11:10 PM·3 min read

Dodge revealed Wednesday an EV concept that looks — and even sounds — like the gas-powered Charger muscle car that will be discontinued next year.

The two-door Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept — the Daytona name a nod to its gas-powered ancestor's 200 mph NASCAR track milestone — is not just a design exercise, according to the Stellantis brand. The Charger EV concept unveiled at M1Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan during the Dodge Speed Week event series is a placeholder of sorts for the production version coming in 2024. Dodge has been talking about this day since at least last summer, but now consumers are starting to see exactly what the automaker has in mind.

It's unclear just how much of the concept shown Wednesday will make it to the final production version. A company spokesperson did tell TechCrunch that "we call it a concept … it is very close to production." Which means it's worth taking a closer look at the concept that will replace the gas-powered version.

Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept. Image Credits: Dodge/Stellantis

Like so many concepts, the automaker didn't share details on pricing. It did share lots of specs and design details, which clearly uses some of the original Dodge Charger DNA.

Dodge emphasizes three main areas that it says will "rewrite the rules" of the battery electric segment: a front R-wing that acts as an aerodynamic pass-through, a multispeed transmission with electro-mechanical shifting and finally, an exhaust that can reach 126 decibels. Yes, the automaker put an "exhaust" on an EV and gave it a dB that will make it as loud as a Hellcat-powered Dodge by pushing sound through an amplifier and tuning chamber located at the rear of the vehicle.

The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept’s R-Wing is an homage to the original Charger Daytona design. It is incorporated into the hood and allows air to flow through the front opening, enhancing downforce. Image Credits: Dodge/Stellantis

Tim Kuniskis, CEO of the Dodge brand under Stellantis, didn't mince words in a statement when he said "Charger Daytona does more than define where Dodge is headed, it will redefine American muscle in the process."

That's an ambitious target and Dodge's bar for success appears to start with the upcoming EV exceeding the power, performance and sound of the gas-powered Dodge SRT Hellcat.

Like its gas-powered brethren, the propulsion system in the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept even gets some special branding. The 800v propulsion system, dubbed Banshee, makes the EV faster than a Hellcat in all key performance measures, according to Dodge. The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept also has standard all-wheel drive and a push-button on the steering wheel called PowerShot that will produce an extra burst of horsepower.

Dodge Charger Daytona SRT EV Concept has an illuminated three-pointed Fratzog badge, Image Credits: Dodge/Stellantis

Dodge pulled from its past when it designed the Charger EV concept even though it has lots of modern elements, like the R-wing, a more aerodynamic shape and its panoramic glass roof. Some of the historical nods include a white illuminated three-pointed Fratzog badge that was originally featured on Dodge muscle cars from 1962 through 1976. Then there is the front grille with its vertical details that are reminiscent of the 1968 Dodge Charger. The automaker's designers took that 1968 grille design and pulled into the interior textures as well.

Inside the vehicle are many of the modern touches one expects in a new EV, including a 12.3-inch center screen, a curved 16-inch instrument cluster and an 8-by-3-inch head-up Display (HUD).

Stellantis to transform Chrysler into an all-electric brand by 2028

Associated Press
The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern.
A lead organization monitoring for food crises around the world withdrew a new report this week warning of imminent famine in north Gaza under what it called Israel's “near-total blockade,” after the U.S. asked for its retraction, U.S. officials told the Associated Press. The move follows public criticism of the report from the U.S. ambassador to Israel. A declaration of famine would be a great embarrassment for Israel, which has insisted that its 15-month war in Gaza is aimed against the Hamas militant group and not against its civilian population.
Reuters
Manmohan Singh, India's reluctant prime minister, dies aged 92
Described as a "reluctant king" in his first stint as prime minister, the quietly spoken Manmohan Singh was arguably one of India's most successful leaders. The first Sikh in office, Singh, 92, was being treated for age-related medical conditions and died after he was brought to hospital after a sudden loss of consciousness on Thursday. He is credited with steering India to unprecedented economic growth and lifting hundreds of millions out of dire poverty.
Associated Press
India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies aged 92
India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to a “sudden loss of consciousness at home,” the hospital said in a statement. Singh was being treated for “age-related medical conditions,” the statement said.
Yahoo News
What to do with your Christmas tree now that the holiday is over
Here's everything you can do — and shouldn't do — when it comes to getting rid of your Christmas tree after the holidays.
Associated Press
Powerful thunderstorms rumble across Texas, delaying holiday travel
Some flights were delayed or canceled in Texas on Thursday after a line of thunderstorms started moving across parts of the state in a system the National Weather Service predicted could bring high winds, hail and possible tornadoes. Nearly 90 flights were delayed and more than two dozen cancelled at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport early Thursday. Delays and thunderstorm-related cancellations also were reported at Dallas' Love Field and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, according to FlightAware, an aviation company that tracks flights across the world.
CBS News
Storms, dense fog threaten holiday travel in parts of U.S.
Rain and high winds were expected roll through parts of Oregon and Washington, while fog settled over an area from Kansas City to Chicago.
Yahoo Finance
Mortgage rates rise again, finishing the year at 6.85% — just about the way they started
Mortgage rates ticked up again after the Fed revised rate-cutting expectations for 2025.
USA TODAY
She hoped to learn more about her enslaved ancestors. A trip South revealed hard truths.
Daunted by spotty record keeping and Black enslavement, a retiree traveled South in search of her family history
Associated Press
Average rate on a 30-year mortgage climbs to 6.85%, highest since July, as bond yields keep rising
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. rose for the second week in a row to its highest level since mid-July, reflecting a recent jump in the bond yields that lenders use as a guide to price home loans. The rate rose to 6.85% from 6.72% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate on a 30-year mortgage averaged 6.61%.
NBC News
Moscow's 4 airports closed temporarily for unspecified security reasons
MOSCOW — Russian authorities on Thursday closed all four of Moscow’s airports, plus a fifth one in a city about 100 miles southwest of the country’s capital, citing unspecified safety concerns.
AFP
Oil leak in Peru tourist zone triggers 'environmental emergency'
Peru has declared an "environmental emergency" after an oil spill that triggered a clean-up operation on a stretch of northern coastline popular with tourists.The leak was detected last Friday on Las Capullanas beach when the crude oil was about to be loaded onto a tanker, the company said at the weekend without specifying the cause or amount of oil spilled.
CNN
Marianne Williamson announces run for DNC chair
Author and former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson announced Thursday she’s running to lead the Democratic National Committee.
CNN
Utah man triggers avalanche and saves brother buried under the snow
A man rescued his brother from a “large avalanche” he triggered while the pair were snowmobiling in Utah on Wednesday, authorities said.
CBS News
Baby found abandoned Christmas morning in Adams County, parents arrested
Two people have been arrested and are facing charges of felony child abuse after a one-month-old baby was discovered in the median of a road Christmas morning.
CNN
Questions swirl over deadly crash of Azerbaijan Airlines plane. Here’s what we know
Azerbaijan held a day of mourning on Thursday for the dozens of victims of an airliner crash in Kazakhstan, as questions were being asked over the cause of the disaster.
AFP
Mozambique post-election violence kills 125 in three days: NGO
Around 125 people have been killed in three days of violent clashes across Mozambique amid opposition-led protests over the presidential election results, a non-governmental organisation said Thursday.More than 4,000 people have been arrested since October in connection with demonstrations that often turn violent, including 137 arrests in the last three days, the NGO said.
Associated Press
Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops suffer heavy battlefield losses
North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in the fighting in Russia's Kursk region and are facing logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks, Ukraine’s military intelligence said Thursday. The intelligence agency, known under its acronym GUR, said that Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. It said that as a result of Ukrainian attacks along the front line North Korean troops also faced supply issues and even experienced shortages of drinking water.
CNN
The bird at the center of the worst single-species mortality event in modern history isn’t recovering, scientists say
An Alaska seabird species faced the worst mortality event in modern history, and the population isn’t recovering, a study finds. Experts discuss the future implications.
AFP
Finns probe ship from Russia for 'sabotage' of cables
Finnish authorities said Thursday they were investigating an oil tanker that sailed from a Russian port over the "sabotage" of a power cable linking Finland and Estonia that was damaged the previous day.- 'Something strange' - Police suspect that the oil tanker's anchor might have damaged the power cable.
USA TODAY
Storms and tornadoes? Bad weather in forecast for holiday travel.
A barrage of severe weather sweeping across the Northwest and multiple south-central states could hamper post-holiday travel, forecasters warn.

Latest Stories