It was to be the top dog of the Dodge Charger EV lineup; the one that would brute force through any and all criticisms by muscle car traditionalists with immense power backed by an 800-volt charging architecture. I say “was,” because a new report suggests the Charger Daytona SRT Banshee is no more. Stellantis has apparently canned the car, as the automaker unwinds its EV investments to run back to the warm embrace of Hemi V8s.
The news arrived by way of MoparInsiders, citing “internal whispers from supplier channels.” Stellantis did not explicitly deny the claim and responded to the outlet with the following statement:
“Stellantis continues to reassess its product strategy to align with consumer demand. Our plan ensures we offer customers a range of vehicles with flexible powertrain options that best meet their needs. With the great news announced in July that Stellantis is bringing back its iconic SRT performance division (Street and Racing Technology), it follows that we are also reviewing the plan for future SRT vehicles.”
The Drive reached out to Stellantis for confirmation as well and received the very same response. Reading between the lines, it sounds like the company is couching the Banshee’s death as part of a “reviewed plan” for future SRT models without explicitly acknowledging it. Still, the Banshee was to be the flagship Charger, and Dodge hasn’t exactly been quiet about that up until now. In fact, if the brand hadn’t spent so long publicly teasing the car and mentioning it by name, it wouldn’t necessarily be in this position, having to answer for its absence.
The Banshee’s purported cancellation would go hand in hand with Stellantis’ decision in the spring to kill off the cheaper of the two electric Charger trims, the Daytona R/T, leaving only the $74,000, 670-hp Scat Pack. Meanwhile, Hurricane I6-powered Sixpack vehicles should be rolling into dealers before the year is done. And then, you’d figure it’s only a matter of time before a V8 finds its way into the engine bay. It’s not like it wouldn’t fit.