2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV First Drive Review: Don’t Be Mad, But…

Activating launch control, I mashed my left foot into the brake pedal and my right foot on the accelerator, waiting for the drag strip “Christmas tree” to turn green. As I anticipated the final yellow light, my twitch muscles readied to release the brake and let it rip to the quarter-mile finish line. It was over almost as soon as I set off, and while no records were set, I reached 118 mph easily and let the exhilaration course through my veins. It was official: the all-new, all-electric 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is a real muscle car.

If you’re skeptical about Dodge’s new electric Charger Daytona, you’re not alone. I was concerned it would be a soulless, compromised experience, but I’ll be the first to tell you I had nothing to worry about. Whether or not you’re willing to accept an electron-powered muscle car, one thing is for certain: the numbers don’t lie. Equipped with a 400-volt dual motor system, the Scat Pack version is good for up to 670 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque, and Dodge says it can run the quarter mile in 11.5 seconds; I did it in 11.7. 

“Let’s do it again,” I told my instructor, unable to wipe the smile off my face.

The Basics

If you’re a muscle car fan, you’ll intuit the connection to Dodge’s iconic body styling immediately. The company entered the muscle car fray in the late ’60s, grabbed the segment by the teeth, and held on tight. While it’s been clear that the Dodge team would launch an electric car for quite some time, the question remained: Could they pull it off?

This new Charger replaces both the old four-door Charger and two-door Challenger in Dodge’s lineup. It’s a coupe at launch, but the sedan version will reportedly be along shortly. As a coupe, it’s already longer and wider than the 2023 Challenger, and rear passengers will be much happier about the significant increase in legroom. It’s not afraid to take up space on the road, asserting its dominance via substantial haunches and a long rear overhang. I was surprised by how easy it was to park this beast, considering it’s nearly nine inches longer and four inches wider than the previous Challenger. The doors are long, though, so you don’t want to swing them out too hard lest you ding your neighbor’s door. 

Inside, Dodge has brought the Charger into the 2020s with a pair of screens measuring 12.3 inches in the center and up to 16 inches behind the steering wheel. There’s a seat pattern that mimics electric current. The doors open with one of those electronic buttons, but there’s a physical handle near the inside lower corner as a failsafe. The power icon on the start button is the same one you’d more likely find on your air fryer or PlayStation than in your car.

Stellantis’ UConnect infotainment system has long been held in high regard, and that continues in the Charger Daytona with easy-to-use commands and standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. At this point, however, I think some of its competition is starting to catch up to and even overtake UConnect and it may be time to refresh the graphics.

The Charger Daytona is the first production car to ride on Stellantis’ STLA Large multi-energy platform. Built to be scalable, the STLA Large platform is like a Lego baseplate. As such, Dodge can bolt in a battery or an internal combustion engine at will. More promising is that Dodge is already planning to test solid state batteries in this model in 2026. Long considered the “holy grail” of battery technology, solid state batteries hold the promise of increased range, better durability, and improved thermal management than the liquid sort. 

Driving Experience

At launch, the dual-motor all-wheel-drive Charger Daytona will come as a 456-hp, 404 lb-ft R/T or as the aforementioned, 630-horse Scat Pack—the full 670 is unlocked for 10 seconds with the PowerShot button.

Minus the mechanical Hellcat roar, this EV looks and feels like its predecessors. Now, the sound is electronic, courtesy of what Dodge calls Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust. Named for the brand’s jet-age Fratzog logo, this feature funnels engineered sounds into a custom cabinet that shapes and bellows them outward. In the very simplest of terms, Dodge took a megaphone to its manufactured engine noise and figured out a way to amplify it both inside and outside of the car—it sings with a robotic twang. 

The first time I heard the unique notes of the Dodge Charger Daytona was on the grounds of the Texas State Fair in October. Surprised by how robust the manufactured exhaust notes felt to my Hellcat-loving ears, I was impressed. Upon encountering the Charger EV, you might also tilt your head and register the sonorous notes as a digital representation. However, that brain puts the pieces together quickly, assembling recognizable satisfaction from aural cues.

And then you feel the rumble.

A physical sensation is indeed an intentional part of the electric Daytona experience, especially in Sport, Track, and Drag modes. “This delivers on our goal to provide a more traditional muscle car experience where you can feel the exhaust and powertrain noise, vibration, and handling while driving in addition to hearing it,” SVP for Dodge and SRT product Kevin Hellman told The Drive. “The added sensation and feedback makes it sound and feel like a Dodge.”

Mission accomplished. And by the way, there’s a Stealth mode available for when you want to sneak out of the neighborhood or just need some dang silence.

At Radford Driving School in Phoenix, Arizona, I wrung the muscle car out on its 15-turn, 1.6-mile road course, drifted it around the skid pad pretending I’m Lia Block, and blazed a path down the drag strip. Drifting was especially satisfying as I practiced taking a run at the cones at full bore, whipping it to the left, shifting the weight to the right, and then flicking the steering wheel to achieve tire-ripping glee. 

I also sampled both the R/T and Scat Pack versions on the roads around Phoenix. On the highway, the Dodge collects speed as stealthily and efficiently as Pac-Man gobbles pellets. Before you know it, you’re doing 100 mph and looking over your shoulder to make sure a speeding ticket isn’t imminent. It’s actually a good thing this vehicle doesn’t exceed 135 mph, because it ramps up quickly and smoothly with no lag. Press the PowerShot button and punch the throttle for an additional 40-hp burst for 10 seconds. The R/T does zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds while the Scat Pack pulls it off in 3.3.

On the twisties, the Dodge feels lighter and smaller than it is. I felt the shift of the car’s mass when I was threading between cones during my drifting lesson, but the raw power camouflages that weight in the corners. The contact patch on the Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season tires on my test car flattened out nicely to support the car as it poured its bulk from one side to the other. This being a muscle car, it may not boast SUV levels of compliance, but the Dodge still handled itself impressively when I hit a small bump. The R/T uses regular monotube sport suspension while the Scat Pack gets dual-valve adaptive damping and stiffer spring rates.

Steering feels connected and responsive on the skid pad and the street, unwavering in its confidence and commitment to the muscle car persona. Brakes on the R/T were adequate, although I’d choose the fatter 410-mm, two-piece-front Brembos that are standard on the Scat Pack. 

Every Charger Daytona also includes one-pedal driving and regenerative braking controlled by the paddles on the steering wheel.

Dodge Charger Daytona Features, Options, and Competition

At launch, the two-door Dodge Charger Daytona R/T model starts at $61,590. Sticker shock might deter some Charger shoppers if they compare it to the base gas-powered 2023 Challenger, which costed at least $20,000 less. That doesn’t take into account the power differential; the 2023 Challenger R/T Scat Pack squeezed 485 hp from its 6.4-liter V8 compared to the electric version’s 496 ponies. 

I highly recommend taking the plunge for the Scat Pack, which includes the Track Package (i.e. big brakes, adaptive dampers, performance seats, and an on-board performance data recorder) in addition to its 670 hp. It’s going to cost you quite a bit more at $75,185, but you’ll get additional drive modes—Track, Drag, and Custom—plus Launch and Drift/Donut modes.

A nine-speaker Alpine audio system is standard, but a Sun & Sound package is available for an extra $2,495 that adds a beautiful full glass roof and doubles the sound potential with an 18-speaker Alpine Pro system. Much appreciated is a generous driver-assist suite comprising features like blind spot monitoring (needed to overcome the thick B-pillar), rear cross-path detection, and drowsy driver detection.

I can picture my dad’s face right now: Seventy-five grand… for a muscle car?! If you want to add a frunk, you have to buy the Plus package for an additional $5,000, which I’m not sure I understand. An SRT Banshee model is in the works with even more power, and I’m going to guess that one could venture into the six figures, at this rate.

Currently, there isn’t a clear direct competitor to the Dodge Charger Daytona. For sheer power, the Tesla Model 3 Performance is cheaper and it has the chops, but it’s unattractive and poorly built. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N is a snappy EV with an astonishing 641 hp and ICE car-mimicking “gears.” At about $67,500, the Hyundai is more expensive than the Charger Daytona R/T but not much less than the Scat Pack.

Range, Charging, and Efficiency

Back in March, then-CEO of Dodge (and current CEO of Ram) Tim Kuniskis said, “Muscle car owners don’t care about fuel economy.” That’s probably true for the gas-powered version, but even Dodge knows this is going to attract a different audience. Even so, Dodge estimates the Charger Daytona R/T should make it to 308 miles on a full charge and the Scat Pack variant less so at 241 miles, both equipped with a 100.5 kWh battery pack (93.9 kWh of that is usable). 

The Charger Daytona supports DC fast charging up to 183 kW, apparently able to get from 20% to 80% charge in 24 minutes when plugged into a 350-kW charger. Doing the same on an 11-kW Level 2 plug is said to take 5.4 hours. Every 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona model includes the choice of an at-home Level 2 charging station or $600 in charge credits.

The Early Verdict

Compared to a previous-gen Challenger Hellcat, the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is a completely different animal. On the drag strip, launch mode pushes the near-6,000-pound muscle car with linear, even torque whereas the internal combustion version swells and erupts in a burst. Drifting the EV is even more gratifying, as it’s easier to maintain the throttle and squeals across the pavement with just as much vigor as its gas predecessors.

There were a couple of things I didn’t like about this vehicle. One, as I’ve already mentioned, is the price. Two is the lack of small storage space. The door pockets are too small for this car and the console is tiny. Other than that, the new Charger Daytona represents its brand remarkably well, and it’s clear Dodge is not apologizing for leaning into its roots. Judging by the enthusiastic bystander reaction I got and craning necks left and right on the road, this EV is making an impression.

Incidentally, Dodge isn’t leaving its ICE fans behind. Stay tuned for the gas-powered Dodge Charger Sixpack with the Hurricane straight-six scheduled for production in 2025. Four-door versions of the electric Daytona will also be available in the first half of next year, too.

Can Dodge get its gearhead fans to pry their fingers from the Hemi? With a younger demographic and a unique approach to the EV/ICE battle, the brand has a good chance of attracting a new generation of fans. After all, muscle cars aren’t just for Boomers. Tell the Brotherhood of Muscle that the sisters are into it, too.