Almost a year ago to the day, Dodge revealed some tantalizing details about its next-generation muscle car, the electric Charger Daytona SRT. It's been radio silence from the automaker since then regarding the EV, but reports of various powertrain and power outputs have percolated in recent months. There's a new rumor floating around from The Drive that claims the range-topping model will boast no less than 880 horsepower from its electric powertrain.
It's important to note this is an unconfirmed report at this time. Moreover, when we asked Dodge about this figure a company spokesperson referred us to the aforementioned year-old announcement featuring some "potential" power outputs. None of them mentioned 880 hp, and that announcement also conflicts with some other details mentioned in this recent report. But there's been some conflict from Dodge in recent months, which we'll discuss in a bit.
Gallery: Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Stryker Red Concept
None of this suggests 880 hp is unrealistic by any means. Dodge already confirmed the Charger Daytona SRT Banshee – the electric equivalent of the current Charger Hellcat – will boast power that meets or exceeds modern-day Hellcats. That means 800-plus hp, and the company also confirmed Banshee models will use an 800-volt system to generate said power.
Making use of that power will be at least a dual-motor arrangement, if not a tri-motor setup similar to that on the Tesla Model S Plaid and Lucid Air Sapphire. The Charger Daytona SRT Concept debuted with all-wheel drive and there's no reason to think production Banshee trims won't follow suit. In addition to rumors of nearly 900 hp in the most powerful electric Dodge Charger, The Drive cites an anonymous source claiming the entry-level version has just over 400 hp.
Here's where the conflicting information starts to fly. This is slightly lower than Dodge's "potential" claims of 455 hp announced a year ago at the 2022 SEMA Show, the news Dodge specifically referenced regarding this new rumor. The anonymous source also mentions just three Charger EV trims, two running a 400V system and just one Banshee at 800V. This conflicts with last year's official announcement listing six different trims in the 400V range, ranging from 455 hp to 670 hp. Meanwhile, the Banshee at 800V was said to have three trims of its own, for nine all total. Perhaps only three Charger EV trims will be featured at launch?
And then there are the rumors of a next-gen combustion-powered Dodge Charger being sold alongside the EV. This is yet another area of conflict between official reports and rumors, as a Dodge spokesperson previously told us the next-gen Charger was EV only. Since then, numerous reports have surfaced claiming there is a plan to offer the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six engine with various power outputs. Curiously, when we asked a second time about the persisting combustion-engine rumors, Dodge replied with a simple no comment.
However you slice it, Dodge's future is still filled with muscle cars packing serious power. As for exactly how much power, that likely won't be known until an official debut finally takes place.
