The Dodge Charger EV, a powerful gasoline-powered car, is revealed

DETROIT – Dodge won't abandon its traditional high-octane Charger and Challenger owners with its next-generation engine.

The automaker on Tuesday revealed the new Dodge Charger as both an all-electric vehicle and a next-generation gasoline-powered muscle car. It will be Dodge's first all-electric car.

The traditional car has been in doubt since late 2022, when Dodge said production of the aging Charger and Challenger would be discontinued late last year. At the time, the company said an electric vehicle would replace them, and declined to discuss the potential for future gasoline models.

Offering electric- and gasoline-powered versions of the vehicle will allow Dodge to be more flexible when it comes to production, as sales of all-electric vehicles have grown more slowly than expected. The initial vehicles will be followed by more gas- and electric-powered Chargers, including a “Banshee” electric vehicle.

Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis called the electric vehicle a “game changer in the industry.” Meanwhile, the new gasoline-powered models will outperform their V-6-powered predecessors, as well as some of the V-8 variants.

“We are taking performance from the 'golden age' that we know today and by which we judge everything and we are taking the technology of the future to make sure that [the Dodge brothers’] The legacy does not die,” Kuniskis said during a press conference. “The Banshee will be our greatest exponent.”

The 2024 Charger EV, known as the Daytona, is expected to go on sale this summer with up to 670 horsepower, 627 pound-feet of peak torque and a 0-60 mph time of 3.3 seconds.

Two-door EV versions will be first, followed by four-door models during the first quarter of next year. Gasoline Chargers with a new inline-six engine are expected to go on sale in 2025.

Prices for electric and gasoline vehicle models will be announced closer to production, Kuniskis said. Current starting prices for the Charger and Challenger gasoline models range from approximately $33,000 to $96,000.

Both the EV and gasoline models will eventually come in two- and four-door variants to replace the four-door Dodge Charger and two-door Challenger. That change is expected to reduce parts and costs, following the mandate of Carlos Tavares, executive director of stellantisowner of Dodge, to the executives of his brand.

Dodge said all electric and gasoline vehicle models will share interior and exterior designs, which should also help with production complexity and cost reduction.

When asked if the electric vehicle will be profitable, Kuniskis reiterated comments made by Tavares that the company will not sell electrified vehicles at a loss to boost sales or meet federal fuel economy standards.

As many brands in recent years shifted to smaller, more fuel-efficient engines, Dodge launched Hellcat models and other high-performance vehicles. Such models helped generate attention for the brand, but did not help reduce the automaker's carbon footprint, forcing it to purchase carbon credits from automakers such as tesla.

Stellantis' “Dare Forward 2030” strategic plan includes moving toward more efficient, electrified propulsion systems, reducing its global carbon footprint by 50% by 2030, and leading the transportation industry in achieving net zero carbon by 2038.

Kuniskis said there are no plans for V-8 or plug-in hybrid electric models for the new Charger, which will be produced at a Stellantis assembly plant in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

The Charger Daytona EV will initially be offered in “R/T” and “Scat Pack” models with 496 horsepower and 670 horsepower, respectively. Range on a full charge is expected to be 317 miles for the R/T and 260 miles for the Scat Pack, Dodge said.

A feature called “PowerShot” will be standard on Charger Daytona models and will provide an additional 40 horsepower for 15 seconds when activated.

“We're going to displace the superchargers and replace them with kilowatts and PowerShots,” Kuniskis said.

The design of the new Charger is largely based on a concept car that Dodge revealed in August 2022. It is a modern, but retro, version of the current Dodge Challenger with a more aerodynamic and still muscular design. In particular, the front features a large opening for air to pass through, which the company calls the “R-Wing.”

Kuniskis said the concept car was “the production car hiding in plain sight” in an attempt to get customers used to the new design.

Dodge is still working on what the electric vehicle will sound like, Kuniskis said. The goal is to try to retain the roaring sound and driving characteristics of Dodge's current gas-powered Charger and Challenger.

While electric vehicles can be quick, with “linear acceleration” that produces impressive 0-60 mph times, they often lack the driving dynamics enjoyed by many high-performance car owners. It's a problem auto executives have been privately trying to solve as the industry transitions to electric vehicles.

The gasoline Charger will be powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo “Hurricane” inline-six engine that powers other Stellantis vehicles such as the Jeep Wagoneer and Ram 1500.

The only difference between the electric vehicles and the gasoline vehicles could be the use of a “Fratzog” split deltoid logo for the electric vehicles instead of Dodge's current dual racing stripes. Kuniskis said the company is still determining whether to use Fratzog, a made-up word initially used by Dodge between 1962 and 1976, for gasoline models.