Dodge bringing Charger Daytona SRT EV concept with 'a different flavor' to SEMA
In August, Dodge shared its vision of an electric muscle car. If the battery-powered Charger Daytona SRT Concept was an honest peek into the EV crystal ball, our Fratzonic-filled future is going to hit some lovely notes. Apparently there’s more to check out in that crystal ball, too. Via Mopar Insiders, Dodge chief Tim Kuniskis visited the hot seat on Autoline After Hours for an episode where he “Defends Dodge Going Electric.” Early on, he explains that the automaker showed the concept so far ahead of launch because it believes hardcore enthusiasts are going to need “some soak time” to adjust to electrification. Seems that means we can expect the concept to evolve over the next couple of years, starting with a second version of the coupe at the upcoming SEMA show.
Kuniskis said, “We’re going to show a different version of this car at SEMA because we know it’s absolutely critical to our buyers. 50% of them modify their cars today.” When one of the show panelists asked what kind of tuning might be coming along, the CEO mentioned the sound profiles for the different ICE engines used in Dodges today, from Pentastar V6 to Hellcat Redeye. With the EV muscle car, he said, “We’ll have nine different power levels, three directly from us, and another two on each of those, and the extra six will be from Direct Connection.” He clarifies that he’s talking about kilowatt levels, so buyers would buy their preferred trim at the dealer, the max being the 800-volt Banshee powertrain. When the buyer wants more, they’d hit up Direct Connection for some kind of expansion pack that would add two more power levels to one of the three base levels. On top of that, each of the nine power levels will come with a different sound profile run through the Fratzonic Chamber Exhaust.
He told the audience that Direct Connection offerings will “unlock the features [drivers] want … like Slam mode, Drift mode, Drag mode and even a Donut mode.” That’s an intriguing line, making us wonder how the car will be configured on the showroom floor and how many goodies will be locked into the aftermarket.
The two-speed transmission is part of a long-term performance play, too. Kuniskis said Dodge engineers frequently remind him that the gearbox isn’t making the concept any faster. He said on the show that “We have some other things coming along in the lifecycle that will take advantage of [the two-speed transmission] and will make [the car] faster.”
He wouldn’t reveal how much of this, if any, we’ll get to see at SEMA, only that it will be another take on the concept. “We are going to show you a different flavor of this car … and we’re also going to talk about how and why we launched Direct Connection well in advance on ICE so that we could transition to electrification.”
Kuniskis gets into numerous issues surrounding Dodge’s move to electrification and how the decision-making has been expressed throughout this vehicle, we recommend checking out what he has to say.
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