The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is not like other electric vehicles. The three- and five-door hatchback catapults the performance brand into its electric future by embracing all the muscle car machismo of its past. When it comes to range and efficiency – the typical points of pride in an electric vehicle launch – Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis was characteristically blunt: “I don’t care.”
“It’s not designed to have a range of 500 miles,” Kuniskis cheered at a media meeting last week ahead of Tuesday’s world premiere. “This is obviously intended to be the ultimate performance car until we release the Banshee.”
The Daytona Banshee will be the last to arrive, in late 2025. The Charger Daytona BEVs will launch this summer, and five-door variants will follow in early 2025. Around the same time, Dodge will rock you with a Hurricane twin-cylinder. Turbo 3.0-liter inline-six tuned to produce up to 550 horsepower in Charger Sixpack models. The new Charger effectively takes over the two-door Challenger slot, although Kuniskis says there are plans for the Challenger.
“We are going to displace superchargers and replace them with kilowatt and power shots,” Kuniskis said of the charger cycle, announcing future products that will also include commercial vehicles. “When we started working on this platform, it was a very risky decision. The most efficient electric vehicle platform in the world is a skateboard. At that time we decided on Multi-Energy in order to have several vehicles on the same platform.”
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona
Range and performance of the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona
Despite the power increase, the 2024 Charger Daytona still has an estimated range of 317 miles for the entry-level R/T, while the Scat Pack jumps to 260 miles thanks to a 100.5 kWh motor (93.5 kWh usable). Nickel cobalt aluminum lithium ion battery.
Use of the trademark STLA Large platformThe Daytonas feature two drive units with 250 kW permanent magnet synchronous motors, one for each axle for standard all-wheel drive. For the first year of introduction, both the R/T and Scat Pack come standard with a Direct Connection upgrade kit from Dodge’s Performance Parts arm that provides 15-second boosts of an additional 40 horsepower, provided there is 30 seconds between each boost pass away. Dodge calls it the “Power Shot” and it’s accessed via a steering wheel button opposite the drive mode button, so you don’t have to fiddle with a switch or touchscreen when you need more power. Next year the Power Shot kits will cost extra.
The R/T’s Stage 1 Power Shot results in a total output of 496 horsepower and 404 lb-ft of torque. Dodge estimates a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds, a quarter-mile time of 13.1 seconds, and a top speed of 137 mph.
The Stage 2 Power Shot brings the Scat Pack to 670 hp and 627 lb-ft. Acceleration time from 0 to 60 mph is 3.3 seconds, quarter mile is 11.5 seconds, and a top speed is 134 mph.
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona
Also standard for the first year is the largest braking package ever offered on a Dodge, consisting of 6-piston front Brembo calipers and 4-piston rear calipers gripping 16.0-inch rotors. One-pedal driving isn’t part of the plan, although paddle shifters allow for three levels of regenerative braking.
The front drive unit separates power transmission from the wheels, improving range and efficiency depending on driving mode, while the rear unit features a mechanical limited-slip differential for better traction out of corners. Driving modes include the usual suspects, while Scat Packs feature Drag, Drift and Donut modes that throttle or limit front axle power and neutralize the traction control system. A chambered Fratzonic exhaust that uses speakers under the bodywork amplified by resonators, similar to a muffler resonator or like a pipe organ. Inside, it’s equipped with electronics and overall produces what Dodge calls “Hellcat noise levels.” It could even the car vibrates like a V-8or it can be muted in stealth mode.
The Scat Pack Track Package adds adaptive dampers to the multi-link front and rear suspension and of course there is a launch control function. An electronically enhanced Fratzonic chamber exhaust provides what Dodge calls “Hellcat noise levels.” It can be disabled via a stealth mode. Exclusive to the Scat Pack Track Package are staggered tires on the 20-inch wheels, with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 305/35ZR20s up front on 11-inch wide wheels and 325s on 11.5-inch wide wheels at the rear.
The standard R/T wheels are 18 inches, but the EPA range estimate is based on 20 inches. Dodge did not provide a range estimate for 18-inch wheels.
The range and performance estimates are impressive when you consider another specification: Both Charger Daytonas weigh a whopping 5,838 pounds.
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona
Charger Daytona draws the EV muscle car
The 2024 Daytona looks almost identical to that Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept presented in August 2022, with a little something and a twist to appease regulators. At 206.6 inches, it’s a half-foot longer than the previous Dodge Charger, but wide enough for Dodge to call it the widest passenger car this side of a dual-heavy-duty truck.
The main distinguishing feature of this concept, which also affects aerodynamics, is the R-wing front wing that extends over the nose. Dodge hasn’t touted the drag coefficient, but the way the nose drops down reflects the almost platypus-like inspiration of the original 1968 Dodge Daytona Charger, which also had a 23-inch-tall wing at the rear. The R-Wing itself is “air neutral,” Dodge exterior designer Scott Krugger told Green Car Reports.
“If you lower the nose down, the drag is 11 points better (minus 0.011 on the drag coefficient) than if you have a structure like a grille or a vent going into an engine compartment.”
The wing helps give the Charger Daytona the brand’s signature powerful presence. A single front light bar curls up the edges to highlight the wing and stretch the fascia horizontally. The suggested line merges around the smooth sides into a body line that extends gracefully and yet powerfully into the tailgate. The 5.6-inch ground clearance and higher ride height are visually reduced by a black underbody that also extends beyond the rear wheels into the hatch. Even though it’s an inch taller than the previous Charger at 59.0 inches, it still looks just as wide and mean, and the five-door’s curved C-pillars embody the classic muscle car elements even more.
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona
The Charger Daytona comes with a hatch
It’s a beautiful car, and it looks like no other electric vehicle currently for sale. We weren’t able to test the spaciousness of the five-door’s interior, but the hatch opens up 133% more cargo space than the previous Charger, Dodge says. There’s about 23 cubic feet of space, but even with the hidden floor it’s flat. So if you want to install the four-track tires that Dodge advertises, you’ll need to fold down the 60:40-split rear seats to open up the space to 38.5 cubic feet of space.
This might be the best use of the rear seats for passengers over 6 feet tall, as the available fixed glass roof limits headroom. But the 37.2 inches of legroom fits most compact crossovers, so four people can fit comfortably as long as the lanky folks ride up front.
There is also a 1.5 cubic foot trunk in the front for storing the charging cable.
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona
The Dodge Charger Daytona charges with up to 183 kW
The 400-volt architecture supports a maximum DC fast charging rate of 183 kW, allowing the Daytona’s battery to charge from 20 to 80 percent in approximately 28 minutes using an available 350 kW DC charger. At home on a 240-volt connection, the Daytona’s 11-kW onboard charger fills the battery from 20 to 80% in 5.5 hours or from 5 to 80% in about seven hours. You can expect 10 hours for a full charge. Dodge will adapt the Tesla-derived NACS protocol in 2025.
Standard features include a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster (or an optional 16.0-inch instrument cluster), horizontally oriented with a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a wireless smartphone charger. Standard driver assistance technologies include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active lane control, adaptive cruise control to a stop, blind spot monitor and driver attention monitor.
When the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytonas go on sale this summer, we expect a price of around $55,000 for the R/T and less than $70,000 for the Scat Pack. According to Sam Abuelsamid, chief analyst, the Charger Daytona will be built in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, but with Samsung batteries imported from Korea in the first year will not qualify for the federal electric vehicle tax credit when purchased, but will Leasing for Guidehouse. Sometime in 2025, the Stellantis-Samsung joint venture factory in Kokomo, Indiana, is expected to produce the batteries and be eligible for the electric vehicle credit when purchased.
