Dodge revealed its future vision of American performance when it debuted the all-electric Charger Daytona SRT concept on Wednesday. Important details about this long, low coupe are scarce, but a one-on-one chat with Tim Kuniskis, Dodge’s affable and engaging chief executive officer shed light on what customers can expect when the brand launches an all-electric muscle car in the coming years.
Whatever it ends up looking like or being called, Kuniskis confirmed to EV Pulse the production version the Charger Daytona SRT concept will be built on the STLA (pronounced “Stella”) Large platform, one of four battery-electric vehicle architectures parent company Stellantis announced last summer. The STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA Large and STLA Frame underpinnings should allow this global automaker to compete in practically every vehicle segment there is.
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To provide a more engaging driving experience, to shove you back into the seat under heavy acceleration, the Charger Daytona SRT concept is fitted with a transmission, something that’s really not necessary in an electric vehicle. Company representatives have not confirmed how many ratios this electromechanical gearbox will have, though Kuniskis gave some context, saying “it’s going to be more than two speeds.” The high-performance Porsche Taycan features a two-ratio transmission that sends torque to the rear wheels, so Dodge’s design could be more advanced than this.
For added traction in varied conditions, the Charger Daytona SRT concept features all-wheel drive, but beyond this, almost nothing is known about the car’s powertrain. Kuniskis declined to answer questions about horsepower, torque or battery capacity, but he did say, “We’ll have a 400-volt system and then the top-of-the-line Banshee is 800 volt.”
Dodge’s upcoming all-electric performance car will be offered in a variety of trim levels and price points to appeal to a wide range of drivers, not just power junkies that crave Hellcat-trouncing speed. Three base power levels will be offered, but Kuniskis said, “We built each car mechanically to handle nine power levels and then we’ll sell them up to you through Direct Connection.” This means six performance upgrades will be available form Dodge’s factory-backed performance parts portfolio, so drivers can customize their vehicle.
You’ll be able to purchase an upgrade for your vehicle online from Direct Connection, just like shopping on Amazon. As for the performance enhancements, “[We’re] working on doing it the same way we do with our stage kits today, where you actually get an off-board controller, because that off-board controller is going to give you more than just big power upgrades,” explained Kuniskis. This will also enable other functionality like Drag Mode, Drift Mode and Doughnut Mode.
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Dodge is aiming to redefine American muscle with its upcoming battery-electric performance car that’s presaged by the Charger Daytona SRT concept. With handsome styling and plenty of standout features the biggest question that remains is whether this concept’s patent-pending Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system will call the performance faithful to worship the same way a supercharged Hemi V8 does today.
“[We] knew that the only way Dodge could come into this space is if we had enough soak time for our base … we couldn’t drop this car in 2024 and expect them to go, ‘OK, got it. Dodge, this is good,’” said Kuniskis. “And that’s why we launched this car so far in advance,” to get everyone ready.
