For the past half dozen years, the only thing keeping the Dodge brand alive was its focus on traditional American muscle. The brand is so invested in greedy Hellcat V8s and attendant tire smoke that its survival sometimes seemed uncertain. Concerns were unwarranted, however, as Dodge just dropped the Charger Daytona SRT EV concept, a hyper-muscle BEV entrusted with keeping Dodge ethos alive in the age of electrons.

One may contend that e-Muscle cars already exist in vehicles like the Tesla Model S, an EV that provides prodigious straight-line acceleration, particularly when Ludicrous and Plaid drive modes are employed. But Teslas largely lack the visceral experience of cars like the Challenger Hellcat; the precise delivery of electric motor thrust is impressive but devoid of the inherent noise, vibration, and, yes, sometimes chaos that muscle car fans crave. Their occasionally dubious dynamic behavior in corners is almost academic in this discussion.

The designers and engineers at Stellantis understand this and have crafted Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept in response. It’s a calculated risk, one intended to bring the traditional Dodge brand character into the zero emissions world.

The Charger Daytona is a three-door coupe with a profile that echoes back to the 1968-1972 model in its profile shape. But unlike the version from 50 years ago or the current four-door sedan, this one has a large hatchback in addition to the two side doors. Dodge isn’t promising a production model that looks exactly like this, but elements of this design will appear in a range of upcoming vehicles beginning in 2024.

The so-called STLA Large platform that underpins the Charger Daytona concept is powered by an electric propulsion system dubbed Banshee, a fitting follow-up to Hellcat. To give muscle fans what they want, the engineers developed three patent-pending elements, the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, Rupt multi-speed transmission and R-Wing aerodynamic design element.

The first of three patent-pending features debuting on this concept is the R-Wing. An active aerodynamic device, the R-Wing manages airflow through the signature, blunt front end of the Dodge and up through the hood to minimize drag when not needed but also provides downforce as required for stability.

Perhaps as a symbol of its commitment to creating true muscle cars that happen to be electric, Dodge is reviving the Fratzog badge that debuted on Dodge cars in the original muscle era of the 1960s. The triple delta logo is back in illuminated form on the front and rear of the concept. The made-up name is co-opted for the Charger Daytona’s Fratzonic exhaust system.

Details on Dodge’s new Banshee propulsion system remain guarded, but we know it uses an 800V architecture. The number of motors and configuration is also unknown, but Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief officer, said production models from the factory would be offered in three power levels. That hints at the idea that two and three-motor all-wheel drive configurations will accompany a single motor rear drive. Power will flow through the new eRupt multi-speed transmission.

Dodge claims the production EV will be faster than Hellcat models in all key performance measures. Given that Tesla and others have proven that an AWD EV with the instant-on torque of electric motors can get off the line much more efficiently than a comparable internal combustion model, that shouldn’t be too difficult to manage.

According to Dodge, half of its owners modify their cars in some manner. To facilitate these enthusiasts, there will be six additional power options available through Mopar Direct Connection. In addition, customers can place orders online and have them shipped directly to their dealer of choice for installation with a full warranty. Customers can also get upgrades delivered directly to their homes and self-install, but they will forego the warranty.

The 800V architecture also means it should support 350-kW charging, which will help to replenish the battery quickly. Come 2024, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see drag strips starting to install these high-powered chargers to support local racers as more and more performance EVs come to market.

Enthusiasts love the sound of a thundering V8. But an electric motor makes almost no noise aside from a high-pitched whine. Most manufacturers pitch this as a bonus: Why would you need an exhaust system with a zero emissions propulsion system? Dodge counters that sentiment with the second patent-pending device, the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system.

The Fratzonic system reads various signals, including accelerator pedal position, speed, load and transmission range, and uses a transducer to create air pulses. That’s a fancy way of saying a speaker driver emulates what might be coming from the exhaust of a V8. The pulses go through an amplifier and tuning chamber at the back of the car and exit out the “exhaust.” Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief officer, likens it to a pipe organ. “Unlike most other EV sounds, this one is in no way subtle.” Significantly, the exhaust system can produce the same 126 dB of sound as a Hellcat at wide open throttle.

the ethereal, synthetic soundtrack many manufacturers have created for their Evs. For instance, Volvo captured natural sounds and reworked them, while BMW hired film composer Hans Zimmer, and Ford came up with a low-pitched but clearly synthetic rumble for the Mustang Mach-E.

Aside from the Audi e-Tron GT and Porsche Taycan, most EVs’ acceleration is generally a seamless and continuous process. Fearing that muscle fans will miss the acceleration gaps that accompany each shift, Stellantis has developed the eRupt multi-speed transmission, the third new technology awaiting patent certification. While we don’t know how many gears it has, it utilizes an electro-mechanical shift mechanism that will deliver the traditional muscle car sensation of being pushed into the seat following each gear change.

The PowerShot feature—which debuted earlier on the Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid—provides short bursts of extra torque. According to Kuniskis, PowerShot can slash 0-60 times by 1 second when used.

Dodge keeps some traditional interface elements in the Charger Daytona, including a classic pistol grip shift lever to manage the multi-speed transmission. There are also shift paddles behind the steering wheel. The PowerShot button will be on the right side of the steering wheel with the drive mode controls on the left for auto, sport, track and drag modes.

A four-seater with rear seats that fold flat, the Charger Daytona EV  makes good use of the available interior volume area. Even a pair of racing slicks and a compact hydraulic jack should fit for track days.

The concept is equipped with a 12.3-inch center touchscreen canted 10 degrees toward the driver, complemented with the usual array of performance apps found in current Hellcat models. A curved 16-inch display serves as the instrument cluster and provides plenty of real estate for all the information needed in a performance vehicle. In addition, a heads-up display keeps critical information in the line of sight at all times.

“We don’t build a single car that anybody needs, we’re in the wants business,” said Kuniskis during a pre-briefing. We’ll have to wait until sometime in 2024 to finally get our hands on Dodge e-Muscle cars powered by the Banshee propulsion system to find out if the engineers succeeded in creating a worthy successor to Hellcat. But based on this first look, the prospects look good.

Pricing for the upcoming production versions is still anyone’s guess. We expect to learn more details closer to its projected 2024 arrival date.

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