The odds are good that if you are reading this, you are familiar with the new Dodge Charger Daytona EV Concept. The muscular looking EV debuted a few weeks ago, on the final day of the brand’s “muscle announcements” at the M1 Concourse road racing facility in Michigan.
Of course, because the Charger Daytona Concept is an electric vehicle, many enthusiasts were quick to bash the brand for the simple fact that are planning an electric vehicle. Those people ignore the fact that the federal government is more or less forcing every automaker that does business in this country to transition to electric power in the coming years, insisting that the brand could just go on making whatever they feel like. Those people should begin their social media posts with “I don’t really understand how the relationship between the government and automakers works, but…”, because that is how their views come across to everyone who understands how laws and regulations impact the company.
In any case, whether we like it or not, the global auto industry is being pushed by the various governments to move to electric power. Suggesting that Dodge or anyone else can just buck the system and keep making monster V8 cars is just plain stupid, so like every other automaker, the brand that brought us the Hellcat Hemi is making the required changes. However, while every other automaker has gone the EV route with a bland crossover that is shaped like a Prius, Dodge designed an EV muscle car.
For those folks who aren’t familiar with the other EV offerings in the market today, here is a list of the most popular electric vehicles in the US market through the first half of 2022.
Telsa Model Y and Model 3
Hyundai Ioniq 5
Kia EV6
Nissan Leaf
And let’s not forget the newest addition to the history of the Ford Mustang – the Mustang Mach E.
It is hard to believe that Mopar fans can look at the “Mustang” above, along with the other top EVs in the market, and be angry about Dodge going down the mandated EV route with a car that actually looks like a muscle car. Seriously. Look at the rest of the top EVs and tell me that the Charger EV Concept isn’t the best looking option by a mile. Even if you get into the higher performance and higher priced EVs like those from Audi, Jaguar, Volvo/Polestar, and Lucid, they all have the same basic silhouette, whether offered as crossovers or sedans. In short, they are all shaped like the Tesla Model X/Y if they are crossovers and the Tesla Model S/3 is they are sedans, but Dodge isn’t going that route, thankfully.
If you are going to hate EV technology, so be it – lots of people hate EV technology because it differs from what they prefer. If you hate the fact that the Charger Daytona Concept has an artificial exhaust sound, so be it – it is a bit odd and not everyone will want a unique sound like that.
On the other hand, the Dodge brand deserves some respect from the community for trying to create a nice looking car that is shaped like a proper performance car. There is no question that the Charger Daytona Concept would be the best looking EV on the market, if it goes to production as shown in concept form. Dodge has designed an EV that actually looks like a car; one that isnt shaped like every other car on this list. For that, they should be applauded. In the long run, it would have been easier for Dodge to make a goofy little electric crossover and slap a classic name on it, like Ford did with the Mach E, but Tim Kuniskis and his team are doing as much as they can to try to make the electric driving future more exciting for muscle car fans.
Few of us want to drive EVs in the future, but if we are forced to do so by the government, I would much rather have this:
Than this:
As I would say before, there’s gonna be some folks that will not be satisfied with new things, and will just complain till they die off. I for one dig what Dodge is doing, and if they offer this Charger as it is, I would be the first to buy one. Make mine electric Blue, please…
Don’t try too hard Timmy. You might screw up something again.
It’s not really an “artificial exhaust sound”, is it? I thought Dodge said it’s an amplification of the actual electric motor’s sounds.
Ford can be accused of creating artificial exhaust sounds, but it seems to me that Dodge took the high road, admitted it’s an EV and embraced it for what it is.
Dodge has integrity, some other automakers not quite so much.
Totally agree with this logic and happy you explained the rationale
Good for Dodge!
Retiree from Chrysler sales and marketing
this electric stuff sucks and is nothing but trouble in the real world, muscle cars will soon be gone, I will be driving my Hellcat Redeye and TRX until the day I die.
Everybody said the same thing 50 years ago when the last Gen II Hemi rolled off the assembly line with its 12 month/12,000 mile warranty. Same with the high compression 440-6, and 340. Unleaded gas would kill performance cars forever!! Now, gasoline formulated like nothing from 50 years ago, makes 840 streetable horsepower.
The Charger will have 1200AWD HP in a year or 2….
Yeah right! And then you woke up.
You can not hope to succeed by coercing people or passing unenforceable laws as the green mob is attempting. To hitch your wagon (or muscle car) to that is a fools mission. Pragmatic, intelligent people, free from peer pressure over reach and coercion, know that is pure nonsense and frankly, Dodge knows that too. This Charger will happen, but how many folks buy the thing is another story. Dodge quietly will build turbo six engines, some as hybrids, knowing clearly that the green mob needs appeasement, but Dodge buyers need gas powered performance cars. The myths of climate change and global warming have been scientifically disproven, partially suppressed, but their are research scientist jobs and grant money at risk, so the minions of green myth makers carry on their mischief and car manufactures play the fool. Like leaves in fall, the green movement will whither and die by nature’s hand.
As to this Charger, it’s stunning from door to tail light, but that front spoiler and front grill will find a more practical outcome. The Charger needs some tweaking at this point, regardless of power source to the wheels. Silly people these greens are.
A wise man once said.
The 1970s all over again. Our government screwed us all over on emissions and gas milage And it took the car industry 40 years to get back to where autos were fun again. I guess I am lucky that I got to live through both of the muscle car eras. Won’t be around long enough to see how we get out of this mess. Of course, with electric the government will be able to control us even more, because they control the grid. Tried charging an EV in CA during peak?
Your government “screwed you over” by forcing the auto industry to finally take responsibility? I disagree.
In reality, it was the automakers screwing over their customers by letting them choke to death on the fumes. I grew up in SoCal, I know what I’m talking about. You probably grew up in a place without an air basin. All the government did was to force the automakers to take responsibility for the mess that they created and from which the automakers profited handsomely. That’s called PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, a fundamental tenet of conservativism, and one which the automakers failed miserably back then.
Yes, it took ~30 years for the automakers to finally get their engineering right WRT balancing tailpipe emissions and driving performance, but they finally got it, and what we have today is far, far superior in all respects to the old engines without any emission controls.
So instead of replaying ad nauseum that tired old record “the government screwed us”, be thankful that they held the automakers’ feet to the fire, because as a result, today we can breathe relatively freely AND enjoy phenomenally smooth, powerful, reliable cars that totally trounce the belching muscle cars of the 1960s & 70s.
It is already happening. Gavin says “Electric only by 2035!” Then he says “Don’t charge your cars!” ……….And people vote for him?
We are not going to be digging our self out of this one . This is a hard reality now . It’s going to be the new way of life . Programmers and engine builders could beat emissions. This is a different game , and it’s about to ger alot crazier . That being said electric has more instant torque and horsepower . Unfortunately the feeling is not the same . Either way nothing we can do about it.
Hey guys!!!
Hope all is well with everyone out there tonight in this big crazy thing we call a car community. You know what the cool thing about this is? We we know that somewhere, someone in the Stellantis team is going to see all of our thoughts and concerns and praises and all of it so you know they still are concerned about “We, the People.” Now let’s look at this realistically. A few months ago, alot of people were up in arms about the whole Hurricane 3.0L Family incoming, now we’re hoping for it as an alternative to the electrification movement that is in fact already here. Yeah, there are those of us who will always love the romantic V8 engine. Our affinity for the pushrod V8 engine is probably one of the greatest love stories of all time, and always will be. But as with all live, death is an unescapable factor that one day we must all come to grips with. As I’ve said before and I could be dead wrong but I feel like the electric version of the upcoming cars are just going to be the upper echelon of the power pyramid. I think Dodge is really focusing the full electric movement to those top tier customers based upon a few statement T.K has made, mostly the statement of Dodge coming to a practical limit of what it can do with internal combustion engines and he is absolutely correct. He’s not saying that the brand can’t make a 1,000hp V8 for the street, what he is saying is that with the way emissions controls are being made and enforced, the truth of the matter is that yes, even with all of the emissions controls that are on vehicles, it’s no longer good enough for what is being mandated. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to conserve the planet long enough for us to continue having automobiles. The problem is finding better ways to do it. As of right now, the electric may not be all the way cleaner, but it’s a step in the right direction and the thing is not every trim level has to be electric. They do want more electric vehicles on the road and that’s great. T.K also said that yeah they will build the compromise vehicles so that we can have our fun vehicles. And honestly this new Charger concept is a step in the right direction. Is it perfect (now that I’m not overly star struck about it) no, it isn’t. Do I still love it? Absolutely. Now lets look at something else a bit more realistically. Dodge has the two (technically 3) hurricane powerplants up it’s sleeve. the Hurricane-4 in the Hornet, the 3.0L Hurricane S.O and 3.0L Hurricane H.O. We don’t know anything really about the Hurricane-4, other than it will more than likely out-perform the 3.6L Pentastar V6. Both Hurricane 3.0Ls completely mop up the ground with the 5.7L Hemi and 6.4L Hemi on paper while providing the emissions stats that make the green guys happy. The new performance vehicles will have new Chassis and alot of other things going on. There are definitely still alot of SRT Skunkworks projects still going on so the world isn’t going to be lost to all electric vehicles anytime soon. I think Dodge is playing it smart right now by not putting all of it’s eggs in one basket but still doing everything it can to be compliant so it can continue playing the rebel bad@$$ position. It’s obvious Direct Connection is going to be a major part of the upcoming performance arm and there is going to be a performance arm with ICE, hybrid and electric. I’m truly getting SRT4 Vibes off the Hornet and I feel like Dodge is truly about to unleash all unholy hell back into the 4-cylinder community and even make this Hornet competitive with alot of the hot-hatches With 320hp+ from the start and stage kits that will take it to the 400hp level with no issue and I feel the same with the Hurricane-6 engine family. I’ve said it before, I think Dodge is getting ready to take us to the 2nd round of what we had in the late 80’s through the early 2000s. The era that did bring us cars like the GLH cars, the Viper, the SRT4 Neon, Daytona IROCs and other vehicles like that. Do I think that Dodge could have done better with the Fratzonic exhaust and gave it a sound closer to that of the V10 viper which would be attainable if the Fratzonic exhaust was just a bit deeper in tone because honestly that’s all that’s wrong with that exhaust sound is it’s too high pitched. Too be honest GLH is nothing more than SRT before SRT was coined. Also this isn’t the first time Dodge has stuck it to the V8 crowd with 6-cylinder turbos either. The Mitsubishi-bred Dodge Stealth RT/TT had a 320hp 3.0L TT V6 that could very well compete with the other two American performance coupes of it’s day. From the mid ’80’s until the 2005-era, Dodge didn’t have a V8 powered performance car, Only the Durango R/T and Dakota R/T had V8 engines but Dodge still had performance. I’ll admit, the electrification aspect of this is new, but it’s not a bad thing. The brand isn’t going to lose itself with this new move. Honestly I think it will reinvent itself, but not in a bad way, especially if these new inline-6 engines come into play. Just think, the HD Ram trucks are powered by inline-6 turbo diesels while everyone else has V8s and Dodge does just fine and Diesel hybrids are truly coming. Cummins & Allison have been working on them for awhile and I’m sure within the next few years, they will start making their way into ram trucks, which won’t be a bad idea. Another thing is that the brand will more than likely be putting in the new ZF8HP Gen4 hybrid 8-speed auto transmission in the next gen cars to offer better performance and fuel efficiency. Yes, we’re going to have power, speed and ICE vehicles but hybrids and electrics will be there and honestly, its not a bad thing. Like I said, the Stellantis Brand is listening to us and they see what we’re upset about. And i think they’re going to do everything in their power to satisfy us but also be compliant so they can stay in business to continue earning our business. You guys have a good night, stay safe and enjoy the holiday weekend! Talk to ya’ll later!
Thank you my friend. You have a great holiday weekend also. Thank you so much and be safe! David and Patrick: You guys have a great holiday weekend also and be safe!
I was reading some of the other comments here and I just happened to think about something. People are saying about it’s the ’70’s all over again where emissions controls are here to ruin our fun and all of that kind of stuff. I agree, but at the same time I don’t. Back in the 70’s (granted I wasn’t there but I’m a gearhead with a love for muscle cars), when big V8s disappeared from the scene, there wasn’t much to replace them in the way of performance. Not just in sound and character, but all out raw power. Nothing could touch a big block Chevy or a 426 Hemi from that point on until very recently. This time, it’s alot different. The Brand already has a 3.0L Powerplant that can out-perform the biggest cubic inch V8 engine on the block, the 392-Hemi (yes it’s bigger than the 6.2L, or roughly 383ci V8 in the Hellcat). Plus the stellantis brand is working on the electric replacements for the Hellcats. While GM is working diligently on electric with the Silverado and Hummer and reportedly working on it’s own inline-6 twin turbo performance engine. In some ways, that in itself is like the ’70’s where the Chevy Chevelle LS6 battled it out with the big bad 426 Hemi cars. What if this new era brings us muscle like we’ve never seen it before. What if we do get to see a Chevelle SS with over 1,000hp with it’s own performance electric powertrain or even a few upgraded inline-6 twin turbo engines, battle it out with the latest powertrains from Mopar? Cadillac already has a few nasty twin turbo 6-cylinder engines, that Tech in a few inline-6 twin turbo setups would definitely yield more torque than their V-configured current setups. GM & Ford share the 10-speed auto in a few ways and if GM can make an Inline-6 twin turbo with the 10-speed hybrid setup behind it, we could see a really good fight for street dominance again from GM and Mopar. IDK if Mary would do it but it would be kind of an interesting scenario. We’re not going from massive power to no power, we’re going from massive power to different forms of massive power. Idk, I could be dead wrong but I see the potential for something great.
I’ve showed pictures of the Charger concept to my friends and associates over on the Mopar Mailing List (MML). The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with the only real worries expressed being about the potential cost of the vehicle. Personally, I think the thing is beautiful, and I hope (and believe) that it is probably close to the production vehicle. Would I drive one of these? Absolutely. Would I rather have a Hellcat Charger? Probably, yes, but the reality is that the world is changing, and there’s little I can do about it besides buy used cars. I look forward to seeing the car at NAIAS.
I like it all the way back to the B-pillar, and then it kind of goes terribly wrong. The hatchback is a bad idea. Everything else is great.
It’s clear from some of the responses that people own and are accustomed to a lot of technology, but at the same time are very nontechnical people. Electric cars are for those people, and that’s okay. People who know how to do things and have skills are generally not into it.
And it’s not that lawmakers are forcing electric cars; it’s that they’ve created emissions standards that are ridiculous and virtually impossible to achieve. So rather than fighting, the automakers – somewhat understandably – caved to government interests….which are completely based in the climate change hoax. And don’t even try to argue human caused climate change isn’t a myth – I have way too deep of a science background to fall for that. It’s truly a shame how the automakers have been manipulated by the government. A hundred years from now people will be asking how current generations fell for a pseudoscience-driven political agenda without any push back.
Unfortunately this all-electric ideology is being implemented without much forethought and will surely suffer the same kind of unintended consequences as other contrived notions that become law. Face it – politicians are myopic and suffer delusions of grandeur. Mix these psychological aberrations with an abysmal understanding of science and this is what happens.
Meanwhile we have a power grid that can’t even support present usage (in California anyway) and no plans to begin construction on scalable, clean nuclear power. Plus there’s a pending hazmat disaster in 10-15 years when non-recyclable and toxic solar panels begin dying out.
But back to the car…. Would I prefer the Charger over any of the other electric ugliness? Yes. But I’ll be driving internal combustion – maybe even my SRT8 Challenger – until at least 2035; or we get the science challenged fools and green mafia out of government (good luck with that one).
Electric vehicles hmm not much fun in that aspects of life who wants to drive a remote control car or a ev I’ll stick with my 2 classic cars my 87 442 and my 2000 firebird transam
Thank you for speaking the truth
Amen to that!
Stop overdeveloping the rain forests! Those trees are like carbon dioxide scrubbers by day. They release the much needed oxygen at night. Simple science. One day we’ll all wake up and realize that chopping down all of the trees will basically hasten our demise. The animals and plants will die first. No need for EVs anymore.