It may sound unusual that the big news about the next Dodge Charger is that it will still come with a combustion engine, but we just don’t know very much about the car, even concerning its electric drivetrain. Dodge has teased all-wheel-drive and big power before, but thanks to the same source who provided us with information about the car’s Hurricane inline-six engine, we now have a strong indication of exact figures for the BEV version.
As with the combustion engine news we received about the car, our source agreed to speak about the next-gen Charger program in exchange for anonymity. They shared a number of details confirming their identity and position. Included in what they told us is a fair amount of information concerning the car’s electric drivetrains—and yes, there are several.
There will allegedly be three levels of Charger EV: two operating at 400 volts and a third at 800V. At least one will likely have a single electric motor powering just the rear wheels, while others are likely to be AWD. The base model EV, which will likely be pricier than the normal Hurricane-powered car, is said to have 300 kilowatts, or about 402 horsepower. Dodge previously teased a rating of around 455 hp for the entry-level EV alongside the Charger Daytona SRT Concept that debuted at SEMA a year ago, but this could be obtained just by momentarily increasing the current to the electric motor. It’s likely that this car is RWD only.
The middle trim is probably an AWD version of this car, with a front motor to boost the performance up to 500kW (670 hp), according to the source. It’s also said to operate at 400V.
The powerful 800V version is what Dodge has really been marketing, though. It’s almost doubtlessly all-wheel drive, with a claimed output of 660kW (885 hp). At 800 volts, it’s going to take a lot of current to get that power to the ground. Other EVs pushing this much juice from the battery are typically tri-motor, like the Lucid Air Sapphire, Tesla Model S Plaid, or Hummer EV. A quad-motor Rivian-style setup is even plausible, although that’s pure speculation.
Power outputs for EVs are easily tweaked, so we can’t say whether these figures are locked in for production or more general targets that will be further refined. But if they’re set, the base gas-powered version of the car may have a superior power-to-weight ratio than the lowest level electric model. It’s rumored that the standard straight-six Charger will have 420 hp. The higher-trim 510-hp ICE model could also have a superior power/weight as compared to the 670-hp EV model. The six-cylinder models likely won’t get off the line as well, but with the benefit of AWD, the difference could be slim.
The bottom line is that the performance of all of the new Chargers is probably going to be impressive, and there are going to be a lot of options, as was the case with outgoing cars. I can only begin to imagine the sort of trims and special editions Dodge comes up with, given how configurable both electric and turbocharged drivetrains are. Prepare for an onslaught of choice from Stellantis when it comes to muscle.
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