One of the most anticipated new EVs made its debut on the streets of Chicago this morning as Dodge brand CEO Matt McAlear rev’ed onto the stage in a pre-production example of the 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EV Scat Pack Stage 2.
Before we get too far, I want to set your expectations low — I didn’t get to drive the Charger Daytona EV. None of the press in attendance for Chicago’s addition to national Drive Electric Week did, in fact, because the low-slung silver stunner was Dodge CEO Matt McAlear’s personal DD, we were told, and he had to, “get it back to Detroit in one piece.”
Despite that, we were able to crawl all over the new-age electric Daytona while McAlear gave us a presentation and some Q&A time, and I have to say that the fit and finish of the car — even in pre-production spec — seemed a step or two above that of the last Mopar coupe (a 2011 Challenger in “Kowalski” white) that I spent any real time in.
I also have to say, with complete objectivity, that the Dodge Charger Daytona EV’s Fratzonic ‘Exhaust’ did not elicit the reactions I expected.
“That’s stupid,” said the man to my right, a former Ford electrical engineer who worked on the Maverick and Mach-E teams. “But it brings a smile to my face.” McAlear put the Fratzonic into “drag mode,” and rev’ed it again. “That’s — I don’t want to like it. But I love it.”
On my left, a smart, successful, attractive woman couldn’t hold back her laughter. “It’s a guy thing, for sure.”
My own notes (hilariously) read, “You can set the exhaust volume to 11 so everyone on your block will know the special boy has a new car.”
Even so, I did catch myself smiling at the vaguely PS2-ish sound quality. I have fond memories of playing GranTurismo in the USAF Tech School dorms, and the Dodge sounded every bit like that game’s digitally recreated big block V8s. I won’t even post my video of the car (shot on an iPhone 15), because the online videos simply just don’t do it justice.
Fake exhaust, real car
As Matt McAlear spoke disparagingly about the “value-driven” Dodge brand of years past that sold Neons and Caravans and Journeys for $19,995, he waxed poetic about Dodge and the brotherhood of muscle, invoking scat packs, Hellcats, and Demons, he said that Dodge was OK with being “that crazy cousin that you’re not sure you want to invite over for Thanksgiving.” The Dodge CEO insists that they’re good with that vibe. They’re comfortable there, with the people “who don’t care what others think about them.”
Ignoring both the fact that your racist uncle is probably also good with that vibe, and the fact that today’s Dodge dealers would probably love a seven-passenger crossover they could sell for under $25,000 out the door, the Charger Daytona EV Scat Pack 2 delivers a surprising amount of value for its asking price.
For starters, there’s a ton of room in the thing. The proportions scream “muscle car” but once you understand how big those tires and wheels really are, you’ll believe me when I tell you there’s room for five actual humans in this thing.
There’s also all-wheel drive. Often seen as a must-have feature here in Chicago, it turns the Charger Daytona EV Scat Pack Stage 2 into a car that will be seen as a potential DD, and not “just” a fair weather friend. With 670 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque available at 0 rpm, that AWD helps deliver straight line performance as well as all-weather safety, too.
Add in the fact that the car is eligible for up to $7500 in lease assistance from Stellantis (and up to 7500 additional dollars from ComEd, if any municipal or state police fleet managers are reading this) make it both faster, cleaner, and more affordable than the current closest V8 Charger … and that, as they say, is progress!
Electrek’s Take
The new Charger Daytona certainly looks the part of a modern muscle car, and there’s no question that it’s faster and more capable than any of the classic Mopars from the 60s and 70s. That said, Dodge seems to be a brand that’s more interested in appealing to the type of car enthusiast that looks back on some imagined “golden age” of chest-pounding automotive performance from days gone by, and not a brand that’s looking to to the future.
The golden age of performance is now. And it’s very, very quiet.
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