Dodge Charger name set for production electric muscle car, concept power outputs revealed

Dodge’s electric muscle car may offer up to nine stages of performance – many offering supercharged V8 levels of power – and wear the fabled Charger name when it goes on sale in the US in 2024.

Further details of US car maker Dodge’s upcoming electric muscle car have been revealed, including what name it could wear – and how much power it could produce.

Revealed in concept form in August as the Charger Daytona SRT – and set for US showrooms in 2024 – the new electric car will be tasked with replacing the much-loved Challenger coupe and Charger sedan, and their range of V8 engines, some supercharged.

In a media release detailing potential performance specifications for the Charger Daytona SRT – coinciding with an updated version’s reveal in the US – Dodge hinted at the production model carrying on the Charger nameplate to the electric era.

Detailing plans to show the concept’s updated computer-generated ‘exhaust’ note to the public, Dodge said it will “create a one-of-a-kind sound signature for its upcoming fully electric Charger muscle car.”

While the Charger Daytona concept is a two-door coupe – in line with the original 1960s Charger on which the Daytona name debuted – some reports suggest the production model may be a four-door sedan, as per today’s Dodge Charger V8.

Alongside the potential production name, Dodge announced “possible” performance specifications for the Charger Daytona SRT Concept – which could offer up to nine levels of power, through two battery voltages and a range of downloadable upgrade packs.

It is so far unclear how they will transfer to the production car – however the way Dodge frames them hints they do preview the model range planned for the production car when it launches in 2024.

Dodge has proposed three base levels of performance: two versions with 400-volt power systems, a 340kW entry-level model and a 440kW mid-trim variant – plus a flagship 800-volt model, known as the SRT Banshee (but its power output is yet to be confirmed).

Buyers will then be able to purchase and install ‘Direct Connection’ performance upgrades over the internet in ‘eStage 1’ and ‘eStage 2’ forms, boosting power in the base model to 370kW or 400kW, and in the mid-spec model to 470kW or 500kW.

For comparison, the Dodge Charger Hellcat’s 6.2-litre supercharged V8 develops 535kW in standard form, or up to 594kW in high-end Redeye models.

Power outputs for the SRT Banshee’s Direct Connection upgrades have not been revealed, however Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis told The Detroit News the steps up in performance for the 800-volt system would be greater than the 30kW packages for the 400-volt models.

“It’s not linear. It’s a totally different system. Don’t try and do the math. Trust me: It’s a lot different. A lot more,” Kuniskis told the publication.

The STLA Large architecture underneath the production electric Charger – which will be shared with other Stellantis group brands, such as Alfa Romeo and Maserati – is known to be capable of dual motors and up to 660kW.

The Direct Connection packages will be linked to the vehicle identification number (VIN) of each vehicle, so they can be transferred to the next owner on the used market.

Drivers will insert a “crystal” key into the dashboard to unlock the higher Direct Connection power outputs, according to Dodge – similar to the ‘red keys’ for Dodge’s circa-500kW supercharged V8 Hellcat models, which unlock the full power output (rather than the black key, which limits the cars to about 375kW).

Reports in the US suggest Dodge dealers will play a role in the power-upgrade process – possibly through the sale of the crystal keys – to make up for lost revenue from electric vehicles, as battery-powered cars require less maintenance than petrol-powered ones.

The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept will star at this week’s Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas – a hub for modified cars and their manufacturers – in an updated form.

It’s now finished in tri-coat Stryker Red paint – from Dodge’s 2013 SRT Viper sports car – with 18-inch carbon-fibre wheels wrapped in 305mm drag-radial tyres.

The concept will be positioned in front of a ‘video display wall’ showing nine possible paint colours and nine wheel designs for the car, plus the nine performance levels proposed for the concept.

Dodge says it will also survey show attendees on the sound of the concept’s “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust”, an artificial sound generator intended to appeal to muscle-car fans lamenting the loss of a V8 Dodge’s exhaust note.

“Research participants will be given an opportunity to evaluate and rank unique tuning versions of the Charger Daytona SRT Concept’s exhaust note,” Dodge says in its media release.

The concept is claimed to be as loud – or louder, at 126 decibels – than a supercharged V8-engined Dodge Charger Hellcat, however it’s unclear if this noise level will carry across to the production car.

Kuniskis told Motor Trend: “We were super confident with the idle because the idle was to us non-negotiable. It literally has the cadence of the Hemi [V8] firing order so we knew that it was right.”

“We also knew that we did not want this to sound like a fake V8, we wanted it to sound modern, fresh, and new; and have this sort of screaming sound which is very identifiable with electric motors.”

He added: “We have changed the sound of that car 1000 times and we will continue to.”

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