With production beginning soon, Dodge just confirmed pricing for its controversial Charger Daytona EV. Muscle car fans won't like this. The 2024 Charger Daytona R/T will start at $61,950, while the Scat Pack will cost $75,185.
For the vehicle launch, the Charger Daytona R/T will come standard with the "Direct Connection Stage 1 Upgrade Package," with output set at 496 horsepower and and 404 pound-feet of torque from its front and rear electric motors. The Scat Pack will get a "Stage 2" package standard with output rated at 670 hp and 627 lb-ft.
Both trims will qualify for a $7,500 tax credit when leased, but the implication here is that the Charger Daytona doesn't meet the Federal standards for a full tax credit when purchased. It's unclear what, if any, credit Charger Daytona buyers will be eligible for.
No matter how you slice it, both versions of the Charger Daytona are very expensive. The 2023 Challenger R/T cost $43,245 while the R/T Scat Pack cost $50,860. Even the last of the Challenger Hellcats, the SRT Hellcat Jailbreak started at $72,890.
Obviously, the new Charger Daytona models are far more modern and better equipped. And both are more powerful than their gas-powered predecessors. But a more apt comparison for the new Charger Daytona R/T is the old Scat Pack, and the new Scat Pack is closer in power to the old Hellcat. Looking at it that way, the new EVs are a lot more expensive than older, arguably more desirable gas-powered models.
Given both of the Charger Daytona models at launch include a Direct Connection upgrade package, we wonder if there will be cheaper, less-powerful models down the line. The Scat Pack also comes with a standard "Track Package" that includes Brembo fixed-piston brakes, adaptive dampers, upgraded seats, and a video data logger that can record both road-course and drag-strip runs.
Option packages include the $4,995 Plus Group, which adds a number of luxuries including upgrade interior trim, a 360-degree camera system, a power rear liftgate, and for the R/T, 20- instead of 18-inch wheels. A Sun and Sound Package adds a glass roof and an Alpine sound system for $2,495, while the R/T and Scat Pack get their own specific option packages as well.
Production for the two-door will start imminently, while four-door Charger Daytona models will start rolling off the assembly line in the first half of next year. The gas-powered Charger, sporting Stellantis' new twin-turbo straight-six, will begin production in the second half of 2025.
Dodge faces an uphill battle here, and if you don't believe me, just look at social media comments on the brand's posts. A lot of muscle car fans don't want EVs, and the fact that the launch Charger Daytona models are vastly more expensive than their predecessors isn't going to help.
