2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Debuts With Muscular Electric Powertrain, Fratzonic Exhaust & Cool Donut Mode
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Summary Points
Dodge has officially debuted the 2024 Charger Daytona as the brand’s first battery-electric vehicle and the world’s first electric muscle car.
The Charger Daytona will launch in a two-door coupe body style, but a four-door sedan variant will follow, along with gas-powered models featuring the Stellantis Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six engine.
The 2024 Dodge Daytona with its EV powertrain will out accelerate a current model Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye with a 6.2 supercharged Hemi. “The next generation of Dodge muscle has arrived,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand CEO – Stellantis.
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona: What’s New?
The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is the production version of the brand’s Charger Daytona SRT Concept that debuted in 2022. The concept was a mostly production-ready version of the brand’s first-ever electric muscle car, and the Charger Daytona didn’t stray too far from the concept’s clean-shaven yet bulbous design.
The front has a Dodge-patented and vintage-inspired R-Wing front bumper design to enhance battery cooling while improving downforce, while the rear features a “Ring of Fire” LED taillight design. The brand’s Fratzog logo returns for the Charger Daytona after appearing on a handful of Dodge production cars between the early ’60s and the mid-70s.
The 2024 Charger Daytona is longer, wider, and marginally taller than the outgoing Charger while having a more extended 121-inch wheelbase. It will come in eight curated paint colors: Destroyer Grey, Peel Out, Diamond Black, Redeye, White Knuckle, Triple Nickel, and Bluedicrous.
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack coupe (shown in Bludicrous) and Charger Daytona R/T sedan (shown in Peel Out). Photo: Stellantis.
STLA Large Platform
The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is underpinned by the STLA Large platform, a flexible, battery-electric vehicle platform with the potential to carry extreme power, according to parent company Stellantis.
As further described by Stellantis, the STLA Large platform will support a variety of suspension modules and powertrain cradles, depending on vehicle-specific performance objectives. In the case of the 2024 Charger Daytona, STLA Large will accommodate both electrified and gasoline powertrains.
“The electrified 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack delivers Charger Hellcat Redeye levels of performance and announces its presence through the world’s first Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, while Hurricane engine-powered Dodge Charger SIXPACK models will give the Brotherhood of Muscle a gas option that produces better horsepower and torque numbers than the outgoing 5.7- and 6.4-liter Hemi engines,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand CEO – Stellantis.
STLA Large is available in 400-volt or 800-volt architectures, with the 2024 Charger Daytona utilizing both.
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV Powertrain
All-electric and standard with all-wheel-drive, the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is driven by a 400-volt propulsion system enabled by STLA Large. The system incorporates a high-voltage battery pack, a dual-integrated charge module, and both a front and rear electric drive module (EDM).
The front EDM employs front wheel end disconnect, improving range and efficiency, while the rear EDM includes a mechanical limited-slip differential to increase traction and performance. Both front and rear EDMs feature a three-in-one architecture (inverter, gearbox, and motor), generating 335 horsepower (250 kW) and 300 lb-ft. of torque.
If you are fascinated by how electric drive powertrains like this function, take a listen to this episode of AutoVision News Radio featuring the electrical hardware engineering team from GKN Automotive.
Charger Daytona R/T & Scat Pack
The 2024 Charger Daytona R/T has a standard Direct Connection Stage 1 upgrade kit that adds 40 horsepower for a total of 496 horsepower, while the Daytona Scat Pack has a Stage 2 kit that provides 80 extra horsepower for a total output of 670 horsepower.
Base model Charger Daytonas can be upgraded by purchasing Direct Connection kits to achieve Stage 1 or Stage 2 performance levels.
Although details were slim during the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona’s revel on March 5th, 2024, an 800-volt SRT Banshee is in the works.
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack. Photo: Stellantis.
How Fast Is The Dodge Charger Daytona?
Dodge said it expects the Scat Pack will accelerate to 60 mph from a standstill in 3.3 seconds and destroy the quarter-mile in about 11.5 seconds.
For comparison, the 2023 Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye with a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi will hit 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, although it’s quarter mile time is still quicker at 10.6 seconds (129 mph).
Meanwhile, the R/T is expected to reach 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and breach the quarter-mile in 13.1 seconds. The top speed is 134 mph for the Scat Pack and 137 mph for the R/T.
Battery Pack & Estimated Range
The 2024 Charger Daytona has a 100.5 kW nickel-cobalt-aluminum battery pack with a peak discharge rate of 550 kW that Dodge calls “the battery-electric version of high-octane fuel.” The prismatic battery cell structure enables better thermal performance and maximizes power delivery in a quarter-mile run.
The Charger Daytona R/T is expected to have a range of 317 miles, while the high-performance Daytona Scat Pack is expected to deliver 260 miles of driving range.
Both cars feature regenerative braking with driver-selectable modes to help improve the range, and both can replenish the battery in under 30 minutes using a 350-kW DC fast charger.
All Charger EV models have optional Level 2 wall-charging units and public charging credits via Free2move Charge.
All-electric and all-wheel-drive, the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is supported by a 400V propulsion system that delivers supercharged V8 power levels with zero tailpipe emissions. Drivers can adjust the level of regenerative braking (0.1g, 0.2g, or 0.3g regen) using paddle shifters. This illustration of the Charger Daytona Scat Pack highlights the wheels, half-shafts, front and rear electric drive modules, and the high-voltage battery pack. Photo: Stellantis.
Gas-Powered Charger Daytona
Despite all the chatter around the EV powertrain option, the gas-powered era of muscle cars will still live on with the Dodge Charger Daytona! Available in 2025, Dodge said its new lineup of Hurricane engines will have better horsepower and torque numbers than the existing 5.7 and 6.4 Hemi engines.
Headlining the charge (pun intended) is the SIXPACK H.O. with its 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged high-output Hurricane inline-six with 550 horsepower. Meanwhile, the SIXPACK S.O. has a standard-output twin-turbo Hurricane engine with 420 horsepower. Both SIXPACK Chargers are standard with all-wheel drive, although the system can be disengaged.
To avoid confusion, gas-powered Chargers will get “Charger” badges, and EV variants get “Daytona” badges.
PowerShot & Donut Mode
The Dodge Charger Daytona EV has many notable features inherited from its gas-fueled predecessors. The PowerShot button on the steering wheel is standard on Charger Daytona R/T and Scat Pack. Pushing the button unleashes 40 more horsepower for 15 seconds.
Exclusive to the Charger Daytona Scat Pack is Donut Mode and Drift Mode. The former allows the vehicle to spin only the rear wheels and create magnificent donut burnouts without the traction control interfering. The latter enables luscious drifting action via user-selectable slip angles and suspension adjustments to mimic an oversteer condition.
Other fun features include line lock, launch control, performance pages, a drive experience recorder, and a new race prep feature that cools or pre-heats the battery to support drag or track racing applications.
High-Performance Hardware
The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona combines a multi-link front suspension and a fully independent rear suspension (a unique-to-Charger four-link rear suspension geometry, said Dodge). Adaptive dampers are optional for the Charger Daytona Scat Pack with the Track Package.
The Track Package option for the Daytona Scat Pack includes the most extensive braking setup on a Dodge vehicle yet, consisting of 16-inch Brembo vented rotors and red six-piston front and four-piston rear fixed calipers. The brake-by-wire eBoost intelligent braking system optimizes pedal feedback and braking force.
Similarly, the Dodge Charger Daytona will have the most oversized tire package to date by the brand. The Track Package for the Scat Pack features 20-inch wheels with staggered and bespoke Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 tires measuring 305/35ZR20XL in front and 325/35ZR20 in the rear.
Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust
Debuting in the Dodge Charger Daytona is the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust System, an attempt to mimic the barrel-chested exhaust soundtrack of vintage and modern Mopar machinery. The system utilizes two passive radiators to deliver a sound “worthy of the Brotherhood of Muscle,” said Dodge.
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona interior layout. The “pistol-grip” shifter is a highlight of the interior. Photo: Stellantis.
Throwback Interior Design
The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona has an interior that mixes the old with the new. The instrument panel has lines and textures that hark back to the 1968 Dodge Charger, but the equipment is anything but classic.
There’s a 10.25-inch or 16-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen powered by Uconnect 5, including TomTom navigation, SiriusXM, Amazon Alexa, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Moreover, the cabin has 64-color “Attitude Adjustment” ambient lighting with varying intensities. The standard equipment includes a nine-speaker Alpine stereo, cloth and leatherette seats, and a digital key.
Dodge Charger Daytona Safety Tech
The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is standard with active lane management, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection, traffic sign recognition, drowsy driver recognition, and active driving assist.
More advanced safety features like front/rear/side distance warnings, a 360-degree camera, and front tire-to-curb cameras are optional across the board.
Production Dates
Production of the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T and Scat Pack coupe will begin at the Windsor Ontario assembly plant in mid-2024, while the four-door versions will enter production in Q1 2025, together with the gas-powered Charger SIXPACKs.
We expect the base MSRP to start around $62,000 for the Charger Daytona R/T and above $80,000 for the Charger Daytona Scat Pack.
Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and a noted sports car expert. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten with his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.
Photos & Source: Stellantis.
Original article: 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Debuts With Muscular Electric Powertrain, Fratzonic Exhaust & Cool Donut Mode