Yahoo Autos The Dodge Charger Daytona EV Chooses Performance Over Efficiency
The Brotherhood of Muscle is entering the electric era with the all-new Dodge Charger Daytona electric vehicle, which the automaker finally shared details about on Tuesday after two years of teasers. Like their gas-drinking forebears, these new electric muscle cars are all about performance, with Dodge prioritizing speed over more trivial concerns such as range and battery efficiency.
Mopar fans had every right to be concerned about the future of their muscle car icon, with Dodge being very open about the fact that the V-8 was being left behind. Worry not, though. The automaker hasn’t forgotten why its customers come through the doors, and has prioritized retaining the Charger’s personality moving into a BEV era. That starts with the new STLA Large platform, on which the Charger is the first vehicle to arrive from Stellantis.
2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EV Battery and Horsepower
At the heart of every electric Charger model sits a 100.5-kWh battery pack with nickel-cobalt aluminum chemistry. This 400-volt architecture is bolstered by a 550-kW peak discharge rate, which allows the car to use more energy from the battery in a performance-oriented scenario. A 3-in-1 electric drive module sits at either end of the vehicle, providing all-wheel drive. The R/T model provides customers with 455 hp, whereas the more potent Scat Pack brings 590 hp to bear.
First-year models will also all be equipped with one of the brand’s Direct Connection Stage Packages, bringing extra performance to the early adopters. The first batch of R/Ts with the Stage 1 package will see output jump to 496 hp, whereas the Scat Pack Stage 2 kit brings 670 hp and 627 lb-ft. Dodge says the Scat Pack is capable of out-accelerating everything from Mopar this side of a Demon, with a 0-60 sprint time of 3.3 seconds.
To achieve that sort of acceleration, Dodge has outfitted the Charger Daytona models with the largest tire package it has ever offered. The car’s 20-inch wheels will come wrapped in 305-section front and 325-section Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar 3s. Not exactly the sort of tire you’d spec for peak efficiency, but that was never part of Dodge’s considerations.
“All BEVs accelerate fast—BEVs are also heavy. Batteries are heavy, right?” said Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis at a media backgrounder. “Most electric cars will have a small tire package, a small brake package, for efficiency. Better efficiency, better range. I don't care. This is about performance.”
While that’s the sort of answer a performance car enthusiast wants from the CEO of an automaker, range is of course something that does matter to most EV buyers.
2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EV Range and Charge Speeds
The Dodge Charger Daytona R/T is expected to provide more than 317 miles of range at launch, whereas the more potent Scat Pack model should offer around 260 miles between charges. With a 350-kW charger plugged in, Dodge says the Scat Pack will add around 9.9 miles of range per minute, whereas the R/T will add up to 8.1 miles in that same time. For reference, Ford’s electric “pony car” in the Mustang Mach-E provides customers with up to 312 miles of range.
“What's the fuel economy of a muscle car?” said Kuniskis. “Nobody knows. It's freaking terrible. Terrible. But that's not why you bought it. It's not why you're gonna buy this car either.”
If range anxiety is too much for you to handle, Dodge will also start selling a gasoline-powered version of the next-gen Charger starting in 2025. Just don’t expect a V-8 engine in that variant either, as it will come equipped with the Hurricane inline-six. Considering how much emphasis has been placed on making the BEV variant a fun place to spend time, we have high hopes for what’s to come.
You Might Also Like
