QOTD: How Charged Up Are You?

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

Today's Dodge Charger launch is going to drive a lot of conversations.

Including this question of the day.


The big question is, will Dodge be able to sell muscle-car aficionados, some of whom are probably anti-EV and/or very much in favor of internal-combustion engines, on a pure battery-electric vehicle? Especially since there was no intermediate electrification step involving a hybrid or plug-in hybrid?

I also wonder if the Hurricane-engine Chargers will sell well amongst those who are reluctant to go EV.

Maybe it will go the other way -- maybe old-school folks will be won over by the power on tap, especially since EVs can put their torque down instantly.

Personally, I am not bothered by the idea of an EV muscle car, though it is a bit sad to say goodbye to natural V8 sounds -- I am not sure fake exhaust sounds will be a proper replacement.

I am simply curious how the all-EV version of the new Charger will do. I am also curious as to how the EV/ICE mix will break down.

Some folks here think I am anti-EV -- I am not. That said, I wouldn't own one at present, as my current living situation makes charging a hassle. So whether I would buy an EV Charger is academic for the moment -- and I reserve final judgment on any new vehicle until I drive it, anyway.

With that in mind, I could see, based on the car's specs, a scenario where I'd own one, if I could charge it easily. I am also intrigued by the six-cylinder version -- it may not have a V8's snarl, but the power numbers are strong, the price will probably be less dear, and even if you're not anti-EV, buying a Hurricane-equipped Charger could be the best way to have one in your driveway. Imagine wanting the Daytona but buying the six because it's cheaper and/or you can't charge an EV easily. That's one way to get into a cool-looking new Charger.

What say you? Do you like the car's looks? Would you drive/own the EV Daytona? Is this muscle-car blasphemy or a step into the performance future as the motoring world evolves? Do you prefer the Hurricane, and if so, is that because it's ICE or for some other reason? And so on, and so forth.

Some of these questions will be answered, at least for me, whenever I finally drive the car.

Until then, sound off below.

[Image: Dodge]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by  subscribing to our newsletter.

Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

More by Tim Healey

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 65 comments
  • Lou_BC Lou_BC on Mar 06, 2024

    I guess they could mount the hurricane tilted and call it a slant 6.

  • Alex Mackinnon Alex Mackinnon on Mar 07, 2024

    Its 1000 lbs heavier than my Mach E GT. I'm really not sure why. The battery is about the same size, the HP is a little bit higher (but not much), torque is similar. Longer body, but shorter profile.


    Looks cool, and I like the sedan/hatchback profile though. Quite slick. I'm just not sure why it's so heavy.

  • TheMrFreeze So basically no manual transmissions in US cars after 2029.I just raised one finger in the general direction of NHTSB's main office. Guess which finger it is!
  • TheMrFreeze Wife drives a Fiat 500 Turbo 5-speed (135hp vs. 160 in the Abarth), it's a lot of fun to drive and hasn't given us any headaches. Maintenance on it is not as bad as you'd think for such a cramped engine compartment...Fiat did put some thought into it in that regard. Back seat is...cramped...but the front is surprisingly roomy for what it is.I honestly wouldn't mind having one myself, but yeah, gotta have a manual trans.
  • Bkojote Tesla's in a death spiral right now. The closest analog would be Motorola circa 2007.The formula is the exact same. -Vocal CEO who came in and took credit for the foundation their predecessor while cutting said efforts behind successful projects.-A heavy reliance on price/margin cuts and heavy subsidies to keep existing stock moving. The RAZR became a $99 phone after starting out as a $399 phone, the same way a Model 3 is now a $25k car.-Increasing focus on BS projects over shipping something working and functional to distract shareholders from the failures of current products. Replace "iTunes Phone" (remember that?) with "Cybertruck" and when that's a dud focus on "Java-Linux" the same way they're now focusing "Robotaxis".-Increasingly cut away investment in quality-of-ownership things. Like Motorola, Tesla's cut cut cut away their development, engineering, and support teams. If you ever had the misfortune of using a Motorola Q you're familiar with just how miserable Tesla Autopilot is these days.-Ship less and less completed products as a preview of something new. Time and time again at CES/Trade Shows Motorola was showing half-working 'concept' devices. The Cybertruck was announced 5 years ago yet functionally is missing most of its features- and the ones it has don't work. And I mean basic stuff- the AWD logic is embarrassingly primitive. A lot of Tesla hyperbole focuses on either he's a 4D-chess playing genius visionary or all of Tesla's being propped up by gov't mandates. But the reality is this company hasn't delivered any meaningful product evolution in the better half of this past decade.
  • Pig_Iron Stellantis is looking for excuses to close plants. Shawn Fain just gave them one. 🐹
  • SCE to AUX Unresolved safety issues are a good reason to strike.
Next