When the concept form of the new Charger was unveiled last year, Tim Kuniskis, CEO of Dodge, stated, “We’re just going to use electrification to make it faster, not more politically correct.”
In an effort to comply with more stringent emissions rules, Dodge is limiting its power options to gasoline in order to avoid upsetting long-time customers who prefer the sound and feel of mechanical power.
Other than the faint hum that most make at low speeds due to legal restrictions, EVs are usually silent. In order for others to know that an automobile is approaching, that sound is necessary.
This is elevated to a new level by the electric Challenger Daytona variants. The “exhaust” system on these vehicles will only be used to produce loud noises while the vehicle is being driven. Instead of using speakers like standard EVs do, air pulses sent through pipes with baffles and chambers within create the noises.
This will produce an audio signature similar to what one would typically hear from a conventional internal combustion engine, pleasing drivers and those in the vicinity. As the accelerator pedal is depressed further, the noise level rises to decibel levels reminiscent of the high-output V8 muscle cars that the new Charger will replace.
With a maximum output of 670 horsepower, the Charger Daytona Scat Pack will be the most powerful variant, at least initially. According to Dodge, with that kind of power, it can accelerate from zero to sixty miles per hour in 3.3 seconds. All chargers will have all-wheel drive, whether they are electric or gas-powered.
The 1,025 horsepower supercharged V8 Challenger muscle vehicle, which was the last model produced, was made available to buyers at the end of its production run. Though nothing further has been revealed as of yet, it seems unlikely that all-electric chargers will max out at 670 horsepower given recent experience.
The gas-powered Dodge Charger SixPack H.O., with a 550 horsepower engine, will be the second most potent variant.
The front end of the Daytona vehicles will include an aerodynamic wing. Because the wing is intended to be flush with the car’s side profile, it won’t be visible from the side. Dodge has filed for patents on the design of its front wings as well as the exhaust system that produces noise.
