Manoli Katakis 
Dodge made a big splash over the summer with the official introduction of a new chapter in its muscle car story. And for many, it’s not a muscle car at all. Why? Because what’s next is fully electric. During “Speed Week” – the days between August’s Roadkill Nights and the 2022 Woodward Dream Cruise – the all-electric Dodge Charger Daytona EV SRT Banshee concept is a huge departure from the stalwart Hemi-powered bruisers we see today, and it’s expected that a production version of the electric vehicle will debut next year. As for production, the target’s been 2024. However, according to the latest forecast, Dodge’s first electric vehicle launch has been pushed back to at least the first quarter of 2025.
Update: a previous version of this story implied that the electric versions of the Dodge Charger and Challenger would be delayed to 2025. However, AFS clarified with MC&T that their intel is following a delay in what can the ICE versions of the next-gen Charger and Challenger – the ones rumored to have Hurricane turbo I6 engines.
AutoForecast Solutions is saying that Stellantis will move the replacements of the current Dodge Charger and Challenger muscle cars from Brampton, Ontario to Windsor, Ontario, just across the river from Detroit, Michigan. At the moment, Brampton is scheduled to end production of the Charger, Challenger and Chrysler 300 by the end of the 2023 calendar year. In other words, this means at least a year of downtime between the longstanding Mopar muscle cars to their battery-powered replacements. This forecast also echoes previous reports that the electric Dodge vehicles will be built in Windsor, as it’s going to be a line for the new STLA Large platform, which they’re based on. This will free up the Brampton plant for “a least one” future product, we were told by Stellantis officials. News of these production shifts are coming at a time where Stellantis and Canadian union Unifor are set to enter new contract negotiations in 2023.
Future Dodge Electric Vehicles
The Dodge Charger Daytona EV SRT Banshee concept previewed several upcoming features that will likely make it into production. Most notably what’s being called a “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust” system, that howls at 126 decibels. Reception of the feature has been mixed, based on social media commentary. Other features, such as a liftback design for extra utility, cutting-edge aerodynamics, and iconically recognizable retro-styling were also previewed.
Powering the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Banshee Concept is an 800V battery pack sending power to a standard all-wheel-drive system, which is key to pushing beyond Hellcat performance while improving all-weather capability. This is expected to be the most powerful iteration of the upcoming Dodge EV family, with lower output and RWD variants to slot below it. Rumors have swirled that Dodge has targeted the outright acceleration of the Tesla Model S Plaid as the vehicle to beat.
Dodge has also developed a new transmission for the Banshee, the eRupt Transmission. Unlike typical BEVs, the Dodge brand’s eRupt multi-speed transmission with electro-mechanical shifting delivers distinctive shift points, throwing shoulders into seatbacks in true Dodge style. In addition, the Banshee also previewed a PowerShot push-to-pass feature which can be activated by pushing a button on the steering wheel. The feature delivers an adrenaline jolt of increased horsepower for a quick burst of acceleration. No nitrous needed.
