Dodge is in a bit of a pickle. The brand has built its name, in part, on raucously loud, powerful internal combustion engines, and now has to pivot to electric propulsion like the rest of the industry. Many of the brand’s customers are EV skeptics, believing that the only proper engine for a motor car is the V8. I don’t fault them for this; V8s are great. (And, to be fair, many people outside of Dodge’s customer base are are EV skeptics). But getting those skeptics onboard with Dodge’s new EV direction is going to be tricky, and it seems Dodge’s strategy is to acknowledge those customers’ skepticism, commiserate a bit, and then use that commiseration to build trust that gets customers to buy into electrification. At least, that’s what the strategy looks like to me based on this quote from Dodge’s CEO Tim Kuniskis, who showed off the new Daytona concept at the company’s annual drag race-filled event on Detroit’s fabled Woodward Avenue: Dodge also seems to be trying to keep some of the elements that fans of ICEs like, such as engine noise. In fact, the Daytona SRT Concept comes with an “exhaust” system as loud as that of the Hellcat Charger, which is kind of hilarious. Dodge calls it the “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust,” referencing the Fratzog Dodge logo. From Dodge’s press release: So Dodge has built some sort of acoustic chamber that takes the electric motor’s natural sound and massages it in just the right way before amplifying it, and presumably delivering it through speakers. Here, listen to the new Dodge Charger Dayton SRT Concept “rev” its two (presumably) electric motors that drive all four wheels: The industry-first Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust pushes its one-of-a-kind performance sound through an amplifier and tuning chamber located at the rear of the vehicle. The Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust represents the next generation of tactile, bone-shaking, muscle attitude, creating a visceral “Dark Matter” sound profile experience in concert with the eRupt transmission.
Not only does the new concept come with an exhaust, there’s also a multi-speed transmission, which is unusual for an EV. Electric motors’ ability to produce good torque across a huge range of revs means most automakers simply bolt those motors up to a ~10:1 gear reduction, and offer no shifting at all (there are some exceptions, like the Porsche Taycan). So this is quite interesting: I don’t have many more details on this; I’m curious if this is a literal transmission as we know it or a simulated one. The way that’s written makes me think this is literally a transmission with multiple gear ratios. Dodge even says that the “shifter” for this transmission even looks more conventional. I’m excited to dig into the tech as soon as I have the opportunity.
Dodge isn’t giving too many details about performance right now. The automaker says that the Daytona is riding on a 800V Banshee propulsion system. It has standard all-wheel-drive and Dodge says that it’s faster than a Hellcat in “all key performance measures.” So, we’ll have to wait to see what this can really do. In the meantime, let’s continue to check out what Dodge has rolled out for us to see. You can’t easily see it in the press images thus far, but Dodge has done some neat trickery with the front end. It maintains the squared-off muscle car look while also getting better aerodynamics. Dodge did it by turning what would normally be a gaping grille into a sort of wing. Dodge calls it the R-Wing.
The R-Wing functions as an homage to the original Charger Daytona design. And more than that, Dodge says that it helps with giving this new Daytona better aerodynamics and downforce. The Fratzog logo stands proud on the Daytona SRT Concept, and it’s a welcome departure from the twin stripes that we’ve been seeing for so long. That logo was previously used on Dodge muscle cars from 1962 through 1976. Dodge says that it was previously used without context, but now the Fratzog will represent both the brand’s electric future and its commitment to performance. The interior of the concept keeps the vehicle’s functions driver-centric.
Look towards the center stack and you’ll see another nod to the past: a pistol-grip shifter. As expected with today’s vehicles, there are huge screens with a 16-inch curved instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and an 8-by-3-inch HUD. The interior also sports a glass roof and instead of a typical trunk lid, there’s a liftback. Some of this may sound silly to you, but I actually like Dodge’s approach. I don’t think ignoring ICE enthusiasts and simply saying “We’re building EVs now, and they’re going to be silent and not offer any shifting” is the right move. There are lots of EV skeptics out there; meeting them where they are, and showing the way to EV salvation step-by-step, while giving them some of the joys that many electric vehicles today don’t offer (like sound and shift points) is an okay strategy to win V8-lovers’ hearts.
This is a dumb idea. Loud, fake exhaust noise won’t fool anyone, but it will annoy the hell out of a lot of people. This might be the most infantile and asinine vehicle ever created, which is unfortunate since it probably will be an absolute riot to drive. If they make ever one for adults, I might consider one. Also, Dodge’s CEO sounds like a tremendous douche. No this is stupid. Get on board or be left behind. It’s not like Diehard Anti-EV luddites are just gonna stop buying cars when ICE’s aren’t available anymore. Consumer demand for cars will not lessen based on what’s under the hood. It’s a charger with better acceleration and an even more intimidating sound than before. I think after some red-light races, the man-on-the-street’s going to appreciate EVs in a new way.
