Dodge has laid out the engineering case for the eighth-generation Charger, and the most interesting part is not that one version is electric and another burns fuel. It is that both are being asked to deliver the same idea of a modern muscle car.
The new Charger is built on Stellantis’ STLA Large architecture. Electric Daytona models use a 400-volt system, while SIXPACK cars use the 3.0-litre twin-turbo Hurricane straight-six. The gasoline R/T produces 420 hp, while the Scat Pack SIXPACK H.O. reaches 550 hp. Dodge says the electric Daytona Scat Pack delivers 670 hp, 0–60 mph in 3.3 seconds and an 11.5-second quarter mile.
Choice is the strategy
Instead of forcing one propulsion answer, Dodge is building a single Charger family around different types of performance. AWD is standard, while SIXPACK models can send 100 percent of torque to the rear wheels on demand. The performance toolbox includes Launch Control, Line Lock and, depending on version, track-focused modes. Daytona models add PowerShot and the deliberately theatrical Fratzonic sound system.
The important point is philosophical. Dodge is betting that muscle-car identity can survive a change in hardware if the car still feels dramatic, slightly excessive and driver-focused. That is a more nuanced strategy than simply replacing a V8 with an EV and telling enthusiasts to accept it.
The numbers are not the whole story
The new SIXPACK cars actually outgun the HEMI models they replace on paper. Dodge quotes 420 hp for the R/T and 550 hp for the Scat Pack, both with stronger acceleration than their predecessors. The electric Daytona is quicker again. But the market will decide whether character can be engineered as successfully as speed.
That is why this generation of Charger is worth watching. It is becoming a real-world experiment in whether a famous performance nameplate can stretch across combustion and electric power without becoming two unrelated products wearing the same badge.
Source: Dodge / Stellantis Media, 17 September 2026. Hero image: 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T, photo by Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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