Dodge mastered muscle cars and isn’t giving up. The new Dodge Charger Daytona brings the heat, but there might be some things you should know about it.
The new Dodge Charger Daytona EV brings serious muscle with up to 670 horsepower and some crazy driving modes, but early reviews are showing the real story. What does that PowerShot feature actually do? What are some of the trade-offs you’ll face? How long do you have to wait to charge up? How fast does this car actually drive?
Retro-Inspired Electric Muscle Car
Dodge made sure the world knew that the end of the Hellcat and Hemi V8-powered Challenger and Charger models was a big deal. While celebrating those Last Call models, Dodge shared information regarding a new electric version of its muscle cars that would appear on the market. The 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EV is that electric muscle car. It looks like the old Challenger but has the electric powertrain to help drivers get excited about going electric and using an EV to rocket off the line.
So far, this new EV has had some mixed reviews. On paper, it should be a huge hit. The electric powertrain comes with 670 horsepower, and as an EV, the acceleration is blistering. The driving range exceeded 300 miles, and the batteries can charge quickly. All of these are positive points, but there could be a few picadillos to deal with when driving this new electric Charger.
What is the PowerShot feature?
The new PowerShot feature of the Dodge Charger Daytona EV is like having launch control on steroids. When you need a little extra horsepower to pass another car on the track or on the highway, you can push the PowerShot button and enjoy a boost of 40 additional horsepower for 15 seconds. That should be more than enough time to get past the other car and show them nothing more than your rear end as you continue to lead the way around the track.
Is the Dodge Charger Daytona EV fast?
If fast is defined as the top speed, that figure might be a little disappointing, as this EV is limited to 134 MPH. Unfortunately, many electric cars are limited to lower top speeds compared to gas-powered cars. This has to do with the single-speed reduction gear transmission used in EVs. Thankfully, this electric muscle car can hit 60 MPH in 3.3 seconds and finish a quarter mile in 11.5 seconds, which are both stellar numbers. If you intend to race your Dodge EV, stick to sprints and drag races.
Is this Car Well-Designed?
If you admire the classic lines of a 1960s-style muscle car, this EV is for you. In addition to the classic styling, the Charger is a big car, making it comfortable. It’s more than eight inches longer than the outgoing Challenger, and the rear hatch provides lots of storage space to make this electric muscle car a great choice when you want to take road trips. The sweeping dashboard features the high-end electronics you expect in an electric car, but they don’t detract from the old-school styling that makes this Dodge bring a bit of nostalgia to the party.
What’s the Driving Range of the Charger Daytona EV?
This car comes in two versions: the R/T and the Scat Pack. The R/T has a driving range of 308 miles while the Scat Pack posts a 241-mile range. These figures aren’t going to make road trips easy unless you’re patient and don’t mind spending time at chargers along the way. It takes the Charger batteries 28 minutes to charge from 20 to 80 percent using a 350-kW fast charger. That means nearly 40 percent of the full driving range isn’t usable to you when you rely on public charging during your time on the road.
How Easy is it to Use the Infotainment System?
Traditionally, the Uconnect infotainment systems have been rated as some of the best in the industry. Unfortunately, the Uconnect 5 system is a hit and a miss in the Charger Daytona EV. It’s a cluttered mess with menus and bunched-up buttons that make it nearly impossible to use while driving. The EV section seems like an afterthought, which makes it hard to use. Drivers are better off sticking to their phone systems which run through the screen and connect wirelessly.
Does It Sound Like a Muscle Car?
Part of the draw to the new Dodge Charger Daytona EV is the pumped-in muscle car sounds that you miss from the V8 cars. Unfortunately, the “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust” sounds aren’t quite where they should be. The sounds are pretty good, but they aren’t paired with any type of fake gears, which means it doesn’t sound like you’re reaching the need to shift gears or transmission changes, which is what you would expect in a car with pumped-in sounds. Instead, the sounds make the car sound like it’s using a CVT, which simply isn’t acceptable.
The Verdict
The new Dodge Charger Daytona EV can be an exciting and fun electric car to drive. It looks great and has plenty of tech across the dashboard; you can sprint to highway speeds in a hurry, get a boost of power when you need it, and enjoy the zero-emissions driving offered.
On the other hand, the sounds need work, the top speed is lacking, and the driving range doesn’t lend itself to the romance of American road trips. The Uconnect 5 system needs work, but you can use your smartphone and get around that.
Overall, this new Dodge EV is a pretty good car for the first EV muscle car to hit the market. Expect Dodge to make improvements as the years go on.
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