Dodge Charger EV concept shows highly tunable future for e-muscle cars

Dodge has no intention of dooming its muscle cars to obsolescence as the world switches over to electric vehicles. In fact, its latest Charger Daytona SRT Concept shows that its electrified muscle car lineup will be even sharper and more tunable than its traditional ICE line. The new Charger concept has 400- and 800-V architecture options with no fewer than nine tuning stages, including a top-tier Banshee model that exceeds Hellcat levels of fury. The deep gloss of the tri-coat red paint and the white glow of the full-width LED headlamps suggest that e-muscle cars will look even better than their emissions-coughing predecessors, too.

Dodge first showed the Charger Daytona SRT Concept in August during its own Speed Week event, stating its goal of reimagining "what a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) can be." At the time, the Concept wore a gloss-black look and an unspecified "Banshee" output. All that changes at SEMA 2022, where the concept takes center stage on Dodge's exhibit wearing a "Stryker Red" paint job, 18-in carbon fiber concept wheels and an accompanying list of outputs.

Dodge presented both 400- and 800-V powertrain architectures, each split into several available stages. The 400-V powertrain has base options of 455 and 590 hp (340 and 440 kW), and each of those can be upgraded with eStage 1 and 2 tunes, unlocked via OTA software installation and "DC crystal key" verification hardware, for up to 535 and 670 hp (400 and 500 kW), respectively.

For the top-tier Banshee package Dodge cranks the voltage to 800, with to-be-announced base, stage 1 and stage 2 power tunes. The company previously classified the Banshee as an all-wheel drive propulsion system surpassing the SRT Hellcat engine in performance.

The Daytona SRT concept includes a series of driving modes accessible via steering wheel controls, with Auto, Sport, Track and Drag options. The PowerShot button delivers an instant horsepower boost for a burst of acceleration perfect for passing traffic ... or maybe escaping a tail in a high-speed movie chase.

Knowing that a guttural, deep-throated soundtrack is as much a part of the muscle car experience as all-out straight-line speed, Dodge also gives the Charger Daytona SRT concept what it calls a Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust. Instead of the near silence of a typical EV, the rear amplification system lets out a 126-dB growl every bit as loud as the Hellcat engine.

The Fratzonic exhaust is meant to work in concert with the eRupt multi-speed electromechanical transmission, supplying sound to accompany the distinctive shift points. At SEMA, Dodge will be conducting clinics in order to gain feedback about different exhaust note tunes, helping it zero in on just the right sound.

The Charger Daytona SRT Concept previews an upcoming all-electric production Charger and serves as a clear signal to Dodge buyers and enthusiasts that the brand won't be easing up on all-out performance in its shift to electric power. It will be on show at SEMA through Friday.

Source: Dodge/SRT