Dodge goes electric with new Charger Daytona SRT concept

Just days after Dodge announced that it would discontinue the Challenger and Charger next year, the American carmaker has now revealed an electric concept car based on the latter. The high-performance EV concept is called the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT and has been revealed in Michigan at the Dodge Speed Week. Dodge claims that it is “the future of electrified muscle”.

• Synthesised EV note is as loud as a Charger SRT Hellcat V8
• Design inspired by classic Charger; gets aerodynamic tweaks
• No power or performance figures have been revealed yet

Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept: electric underpinnings

The Charger Daytona SRT concept comes with an 800V powertrain with four-wheel drive – the Daytona SRT is claimed to be faster than the Hellcat in “all key performance measures”. Dodge hasn’t revealed power or performance figures yet, but the company says the concept is inspired by the Charger Daytona, which, in 1970, was the first Nascar competitor to break the 320kph limit.

Dodge says the concept features a new propulsion system called Banshee, which puts it above its other performance lines – Hemi, Hellcat and Redeye.

The concept also incorporates several new technologies not seen on conventional EVs like a multi-speed transmission with electro-mechanical shifting as well as a ‘Powershot’ button, which adds a quick burst of acceleration.

Dodge claims the car is equipped with a special “Fratzonic chambered exhaust” system, which emits a 126dB noise – as loud as a 798hp, V8-powered Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. The system consists of an amplifier and tuning chamber that are both positioned at the rear of the car.

Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept: exterior and interior

The Charger Daytona SRT’s design resembles the classic Charger, but the firm says aerodynamics have been improved with a bespoke R-Wing - a spoiler incorporated on the bonnet for additional downforce. The exterior also features carbon fibre intakes and an illuminated front grille, along with the Fratzog logo - used on select Dodge production vehicles in the 60s and 70s - that returns for the first time since 1976 to represent Dodge’s electric future.

Inside the car, the Charger Daytona SRT is fitted with a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a 16-inch curved instrument cluster. There’s also an 8.3-inch head-up display, ultraviolet design features and ambient lighting. The model’s lightweight seats also feature the Fratzog logo and blue plasma and silver stitching. The firm claims the car is as practical as it is fast, with flat-folding rear seats and more storage space than in any previous Dodge muscle car.

Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis said: “The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept exists because performance made us do it. Dodge is about muscle, attitude and performance, and the brand carries that chip on its shoulder, and into the BEV segment through the concept that embodies the electrified muscle of tomorrow. Charger Daytona does more than define where Dodge is headed: it will redefine American muscle in the process.”