Dodge Debuts the Charger Daytona SRT BEV Concept

The 2022 three-day Dodge Speed Week event series was a blockbuster this time around. Not to say Dodge doesn’t wow us every year with something new, but the electric vehicle (EV) plans for Dodge with eMuscle got everyone’s attention. Before the muscle car automaker went fully electric, there were multiple flirtations with a plug-in hybrid for various models, and finally Dodge decided to go with another nameplate and revealed the 2023 Dodge Hornet PHEV. Debuted during Dodge Speed Week, the Hornet was also joined by the first official eMuscle entry, a Dodge battery-electric vehicle (BEV), the Charger Daytona SRT Concept.

“One day ago, the brand’s first-ever electrified performance vehicle was unveiled, the all-new 2023 Dodge Hornet. Today, we revealed a peek at our eMuscle future with the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept. When we said it was going to be an electric summer for Dodge, we meant it.” – Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief executive officer – Stellantis

Although the 2023 Dodge Hornet PHEV is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), Dodge calls it the introduction to the automaker’s eMuscle lineup. The rest of these models will surely be more BEVs, and this new Charger concept not only backs the Dodge Rep leak that the next-generation Dodge Charger will be an EV, but bolsters the “Last Call” edition of the Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger. These really will be the last models consumers can get if they want a fully-gasoline-powered Dodge muscle car. The two-door Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept already calls back some of that Dodge heritage style – the Challenger wasn’t the only Dodge muscle car to only come with two doors – and the new propulsion system for the BEV comes with an industry-first BEV exhaust sound that rivals the famed SRT Hellcat engine.

Called the “Banshee”, the name sounds familiar. Joining the high-horsepower household names such as HEMI®, Hellcat and Redeye, the new 800V Banshee propulsion system is the newest addition to the Brotherhood of Muscle. Faster than an SRT Hellcat and equipped with an all-wheel drive (AWD) system standard, there are three patent-pending features that define the new Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept – R-Wing design, a Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, and the eRupt transmission. Let’s start with the power specs, as usual when it comes to discussing the next all-new Dodge model.

No numbers have been released for the new propulsion system in terms of horsepower and torque, and we’re not sure if it bodes well for the BEV, but Dodge does claim an engine “roar” of 126 decibels that is equal to that of the SRT Hellcat, but is generated through the new, patent-pending Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system. An industry-first BEV exhaust, this is the next generation of muscle attitude for Dodge eMuscle, working in tandem with the eRupt multi-speed transmission system. Engineered with electro-mechanical shifting to deliver distinctive shift points, the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept comes with the same PowerShot feature of the Dodge Hornet. Able to provide a small boost of horsepower that lasts 15 seconds, and can be performed every 30 seconds (15-second cool down period), all it takes is the push of a button on the steering wheel.

Dodge style needs to resonate with this BEV concept, and that’s why a unique aerodynamic pass-through design has been chosen for the Charger Daytona SRT Concept’s patent-pending R-Wing. Paying respects to the design of the original model, allowing air to flow through the front opening, carbon-fiber intakes have been tucked into both sides of the front and rear-fascia to increase aerodynamic performance. An illuminated front grille stands out with the new three-pointed Fratzog badge, known as the icon of the new eMuscle lineup. Simple and clean, the front grille calls back to the iconic 1968 Dodge Charger and finishes the look with Greys of Thunder, a high-gloss graphite paint job with deep textures, and muscular wheel fenders. Also featured on the latter are Banshee fender badges that announce the new propulsion system. Riding on painted-pocket 21-inch wheels with diamond-cut faces, the headlights almost disappear under the R-Wing design that interestingly enough opens up in the back with a new hatchback design for more storage capacity inside.

Speaking of the interior – driver-centric is the word a lot of automakers use now a days, and the curved display(s) that make up the center console and dashboard are quickly becoming a staple of interior design ever since “mobile living spaces” were introduced during the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). From left-to-right, the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept interior has a 16-inch curved instrument cluster, a 8”x3” head-up display (HUD), and a 12.3-inch center screen for the infotainment system. With a unique Ultraviolet color for the instrument panel, multiple interior surfaces, such as the console, doors and seats also get the same color treatment that work with the new Attitude Adjustment Lighting™ to enhance shadows and highlights of the interior design.

Also new is a parametric texture that adds fluidity and was as a sculpted look to the center console and rear console, with circuit-like graphics that surround the occupants that wraps around the interior cabin and meet back up with the driver like a circuit board. Reminding the driver this a BEV they’re driving, a unique lightning bolt shape has been planted onto the accelerator pedal, bolstered by dual Blue Plasma and Silver stitching throughout the interior. Bringing an all new kind of performance to the lineup, the Charger Daytona SRT Concept comes with a jet-fighter inspired cap that flips up when engaging the start button and a unique pistol-grip shifter for precision as well as tough interior styling.

With a new steering wheel design that is flat on the top and bottom, it has a floating feel due to the center spoke not being connected to the rim. Paddle shifters are there for easy shifting without needing to let go of the wheel, plus the PowerShot button on the right and drive mode controls on the left – Auto, Sport, Track, and Drag. The seats are lightweight and come with a race-inspired design perforated pattern of the Fratzog logo. A panoramic glass roof gives this BEV an open-air feel to complement the parametric interior texture and “tub” floor of the cabin. This “tub” design and fold-flat rear seats add to the increased storage space mentioned with the new hatchback design of the exterior.

There has been no mention of driver-centric tech in terms of the infotainment system, software, navigation, voice-command, or entertainment. We can only assume similar additions like those added to the 2023 Dodge Hornet PHEV as a preview of what’s to come, such as Uconnect 5 operating on an Android-based operating system with a suite of Amazon services with the STLA SmartCockpit. Safety features are also missing at the moment, but EVs and BEVs are getting plenty nowadays. If you’d like to stay informed, the best way to learn what’s new for the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept is to follow us on Aventura Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram social media.

Photo Source/Copyright: Dodge