‘World’s first and noisiest electric muscle car’ goes on sale

Dodge has opened ordering in the US for what it calls ‘the world’s first electric muscle car,’ the Charger Daytona EV. Customers can choose from two versions, the Charger R/T and the Charger Scat Pack. The first, with 496 horsepower, starts at $61,590 (€55,350); the Scat Pack’s whopping 670 hp will cost you at least $75,185 (€67,568).

To convert its “Brotherhood of Muscle,” as Dodge calls its die-hard petrolhead customers, the Charger Daytona EV gets the ‘Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust,’ an artificial V8 sound that mimics the screaming Hellcat roar of its gasoline siblings. It also undoubtedly ensures the title of ‘world’s noisiest EV.’

The 5.2-meter-long two-door body with sharp lines should revive the spirit of the famous 69 Charger, used by the Dukes of Hazzard in the popular TV series from 1979 to 1985.

Those ordering before November, get a two-day performance-driving course, a personal ‘VIP counselor’ to answer questions, and a pair of leather gloves. And if this isn’t enough to convince, all Challenger Daytona buyers in 2024 can get $600 in charging credits or a wallbox Level 2 charger at home.

Messenger from the future

Dodge realizes it will be hard to get the ‘Brotherhood’ on the electric track and has spent quite some money to make a mini-movie starting in the streets of Detroit in 1910, where the Charger EV suddenly appears in a thunderstorm mimicking the DeLorean from ‘Back to the Future.’

The Dodge ‘messenger from the future’ confronts some blue-collar car workers from the ‘Brotherhood’ who are ready to beat up this ‘alien’ with a wrench, warning their legacy is under attack. “We need your help. Not to fight the system, but to compete.”

“You’re at an important decision point in your lives. Do you want to keep working for the system, or do you want to take on the system? This is your future. I know it sounds crazy, and I assure you I haven’t been drinking, but you’re gonna want to get in.”

Speaking of ‘sounding crazy,’ this ‘Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust’ system’ Dodge is adding for its EV is not a digital sound through speakers but is created purposely by moving air through a speaker box with chambers, pipes, and an exhaust outlet at the back of the car.

And for those who hate the ethereal silence of an electric vehicle, it can do that loud – up to 126 decibels – like on a Hellcat-powered Dodge Charger SRT.

To give you an idea, 126 dB equates to the pain threshold in humans, which tends to vary from 120 dB in adults to 130 dB in teenagers, according to scientists. “Prolonged and repeated exposure to that level causes cumulative and permanent hearing loss. Anything above 80 dB can do that.” So maybe Dodge could offer hearing aids to its older ‘Brotherhood’ in time?

Adding vibrations

Dodge is not going so far as faking gear shifting, but faking the old ICE’s vibrations must also add tactile sensations to the driving experience. Dodge’s parent company, Stellantis, has filed patents with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for what it calls Active Sound Enhancement (ASE) and Active Vibration System Enhancement (AVE).

ASE combines several sensors monitoring motor speed, acceleration, wheel speed, and torque with a central controller that tailors the sounds of a combustion engine to the driving conditions. Stellantis argues that an EV’s near-silent operation can pose safety challenges for pedestrians, but Dodge is instead blowing them away.

Power to whet the appetite

More than the sound, the ‘power’ will whet the appetites of muscle car enthusiasts. As Dodge puts it in its promo video, “We’ve been told not to build HEMIs anymore in the future, but not that we have to become boring.” Adding laconically, consumption figures have never bothered muscle car lovers.

The two-door coupé with all-wheel drive gets a 100.5-kWh battery, providing up to 317 miles (510 km) of EPA range. The range-topping Charger Daytona Scat Pack’s two electric motors produce 670 hp and 850 Nm of torque and accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 3.3 seconds.

Dodge announces there will also be four-door and ICE versions with a 3.0-liter straight six. So far, no exact plans for launching the Charger Daytona EV in Europe, have been communicated.