The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Banshee EV Could Have Way More Than 670 HP
Dodge isn’t done yet making promises for the next-generation EV muscle cars, but what they’ve said so far is promising.
In the run-up to SEMA, Dodge announced Tuesday its electric Charger Daytona SRT concept will be offered at several power levels, just like its internal-combustion predecessors. They could start at a Scat Pack-rivaling 456 horsepower, and soar well into Hellcat territory with the Banshee—if not beyond, with plug-and-play performance software upgrades that Dodge is calling "crystals."
The EV's "possible" power levels were explained in a graphic outlining the Daytona's performance tiering scheme, which revealed that the Banshee will have drivetrain hardware that differs from the base models. Entry-level Charger Daytona SRTs will have 400-volt drivetrains, while the Banshee will get an 800-volt system. (As Dodge also plans to sell electric crate motors, one imagines its aftermarket-oriented hardware might be 800 volts too, and that it could bolt into the Daytona.)
As for power outputs, Dodge said the Daytona's "possible" (again, not necessarily final) power output will start at 340 kilowatts on the base model, or 456 horsepower. That's well more than the 372 hp of the current R/T, and approaching the 485 hp of the Scat Pack. While torque wasn't specified, it's an EV, so grunt will be plentiful and instantly available. With all-wheel drive, it'll put that power down without a problem too. Considering the less-powerful Polestar 2 Dual Motor does zero to 60 mph in only 4.6 seconds, it's easy to see this Charger EV managing the mid-low fours.
Owners will be able to make it quicker too, as Dodge says it'll offer plug-and-play power upgrades through its Direct Connection parts program. Dodge proposed a pair of "eStage" tunes, boosting the car to a—remember, just "possible"—495 horsepower and 535 horsepower respectively, making cracking into the upper three-second range look doable. That applies to the second tier of Daytona powertrains too, which will make about 590 hp to start with, and may be upgradable to 630 or even 670 hp.
That's absolutely Hellcat territory, and it'll only get better on the Banshee. Its power output wasn't announced, but it too will have two tiers of upgrades available. About 700 horsepower seems a fair baseline expectation, while the Demon's 840 hp is probably a fair guess for the maxed-out Banshee. Assuming nothing comes in above it, anyway.
As for installing these upgrades, they won't be issued through over-the-air updates, but rather a process that gets a bit... wook-ish. Dodge says it'll unlock these performance upgrades through "crystals" (basically just chips) that plug into the dash. Their software is VIN-locked, so you won't be able to lend it to a friend. It may help to think of them as being like the Hellcat's red key, but for an EV, and it doesn't come with the car.
Whether you like this system or think it's stupid, you can voice your opinion to Dodge at this year's SEMA sho where it'll show off a new version of the Charger Daytona SRT concept in Stryker Red, with two-piece, carbon fiber-rimmed centerlock wheels with drag radials. It'll also be taking feedback on that wonky Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust—in case you feel like helping them make it sound less generic.
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