Dodge Charger Daytona EV: Can Electric Muscle Cars Win Over Traditionalists? | Taha Abbasi

Stellantis has brought the Dodge Charger Daytona EV to market, putting one of America’s most iconic muscle car badges on an electric powertrain. Taha Abbasi explores whether this audacious move can bridge the gap between EV technology and the visceral appeal of American muscle.

The Muscle Car Identity Crisis

Dodge faces a unique challenge that Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid never had to confront: their buyers don’t just want a fast car — they want the sensory experience of internal combustion. The rumble of a HEMI V8, the smell of exhaust, the mechanical connection between right foot and rear tires. These are emotional triggers that define the muscle car experience, and they’re inherently tied to combustion engines.

Taha Abbasi finds this tension fascinating. “Dodge isn’t just selling transportation or even performance — they’re selling identity. The question isn’t whether the Charger Daytona is fast enough (it is). The question is whether it makes owners feel like they’re driving a Dodge.”

Fratzonic Exhaust: Engineering Sound From Silence

Dodge’s answer to the sound question is the “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust” — an amplifier system that produces 126 dB of synthetic exhaust sound through a tuned chamber. It’s not a speaker playing recordings; it’s a resonance system that creates sound from the electric drivetrain’s vibrations. Whether this satisfies muscle car purists is an open question, but Taha Abbasi gives Dodge credit for addressing the issue directly rather than pretending it doesn’t matter.

Performance Numbers

On paper, the Charger Daytona delivers. The top-trim R/T Scat Pack produces over 670 horsepower with a 0-60 time under 3.3 seconds. This puts it in the same performance bracket as the Tesla Model S Plaid at a significantly lower price point. The standard R/T offers 496 horsepower — still more than enough to embarrass most vehicles on the road.

Range is where EVs typically compromise for performance, and the Charger Daytona faces this tradeoff. Estimated range around 300 miles on the EPA cycle is competitive but not class-leading. For a vehicle designed primarily for enthusiast driving rather than cross-country touring, Taha Abbasi considers this acceptable.

The Broader Significance

The Charger Daytona represents something larger than one vehicle: it’s a test of whether American car culture can embrace electrification. If Dodge can convince muscle car enthusiasts that an EV deserves the Charger name, it opens the door for electric versions of every beloved nameplate. If it fails, it reinforces the narrative that some automotive segments are fundamentally resistant to electrification.

As Taha Abbasi sees it, the answer will depend on execution, not ideology. “People said the same thing about pickup trucks — that real truck buyers would never go electric. Then the Cybertruck and F-150 Lightning proved them wrong. Performance speaks louder than tradition.”

Read more: Legacy Automakers EV Transition | Software-Defined Vehicles

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About the Author: Taha Abbasi is a technology executive, CTO, and applied frontier tech builder. Read more on Grokpedia | YouTube: The Brown Cowboy | tahaabbasi.com