Dodge Wants To Shake Up Quiet EV Market With Loud Muscle Electric Cars

While one of the highlights of owning an electric vehicle is its nearly-silent engine, not everyone’s keen to say goodbye to the powerful muscle cars of old. 

To serve this subset of petrol heads, Dodge, the automaker famed for its iconic gas-guzzling cars, is planning to keep the same loud engines it’s known for, even when it transitions to more environmentally-friendly EVs. 

The brand says the concept car—the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT—unveiled earlier this week will resemble a production model that’s scheduled to go on sale in 2024, and will join a smaller SUV, known as the ‘Hornet’, that will be available as a plug-in hybrid later this year. 

Bucking the trend of “boring” and “quiet” EVs, the concept car’s propulsion system exceeds even the company’s popular Hellcat engine, incorporated with an industry-first exhaust sound system to give drivers the unmistakable 126 dB roar they crave. 

The car’s façade marries a modern exterior with a functional aerodynamic design, with its exclusive three-pointed Fratzog badge—originally used on its cars from 1962 to 1976—making a comeback on the front grille.

In addition, the vehicle’s interior elements are specially selected to give passengers an immersive experience, including the automaker’s largest-ever 12.3-inch center screen and a 16-inch instrument cluster that’s curved for a driver-focused feel. 

A panoramic glass roof gives passengers the feel of an open-air ride, while the race-inspired carbon fiber “tub” floor and hatch provides larger families with more storage space than any other Dodge car on offer. 

“Dodge is about muscle, attitude, and performance, and the brand carries that chip on its shoulder and into the BEV segment through a concept loaded with patents, innovations, and performance features that embody the electrified muscle of tomorrow,” says Tim Kuniskis, Dodge Brand Chief Executive Officer.

“Charger Daytona does more than define where Dodge is headed, and it will redefine American muscle in the process. … When we said it was going to be an electric summer for Dodge, we meant it,” he adds. 

[via CNN and Stellantis North America, images via Stellantis North America]