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:
Patrick Rall is a professional writer and photographer with a passion for all things automotive. Having grown up in his father’s performance shop, he spent extensive time at the oval track and drag strip – both driving and wrenching on various types of vehicles. In addition to working as a writer, Patrick previously worked as an automotive technician before moving on to a business office position with a chain of dealerships, and this broad spectrum of experience in the industry allows him to offer a unique look on the automotive world. Follow Patrick on Twitter, Facebook and on Youtube.
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