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]

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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.

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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.

  • Olivehead The Honda Civic wins on looks and interior material quality and style. The Civic looks like a scaled down "real" car (i.e., midsize) while the Corolla never lets you forget what it is-a compact car, harkening back to the Tercel, etc. No comparision either in the interior materials of the Civic (a notch below Acura level) and general layout. There too, the Corolla comes off as a compact runabout. The Civic hatchback is especially cool.
  • Mike Beranek While the product may appear to be "better", only time will tell. The American automotive environment can chew a car up and spit it out. Will these Chinese EVs survive like a quarter-century old Cavalier, or will they turn out like VinFast's "cars"?
  • Mike Beranek This police vehicle will be perfect for when the State of Florida starts tracking every pregnancy.
  • Dave M. The Highlander hybrid, a larger, heavier vehicle, gets better mpgs. Why? Also, missed opportunity - if Toyota had made this a hatchback, they could have scooped up the "want a Tesla S but not ready for a full EV" crowd, however small or large they may be....
  • TheMrFreeze Difficult call...the more the mainstream automakers discontinue their more affordable models and only sell crazy overpriced EVs and trucks, the more appealing the idea of letting in cheap imported cars becomes with the buying public. If the government is going to impose tariffs on Chinese vehicles, at the same time they need to be getting with the Big 3 and telling them to fill the void with affordable models and not use the tariff as an excuse to simply raise prices. Otherwise, public pressure could see the tariffs withdrawn.I seem to recall the last administration put a 25% tariff on Chinese steel, at which point the US manufacturers immediately used the opportunity to raise their prices 25%...that needs to not happen.
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