Two Opposite Opinions On New Dodge Charger Daytona EV- Could They Both Be Right?

We contrast two professional reviewers’ takes on Dodge’s new Charger Daytona electric muscle car. One loves it; the other does not. Here’s why I think they are both right. 

No brand exemplifies muscle car perfection more than Dodge. The supercharged V8 SRT variants of the Charger and Challenger will go down in history as the pinnacle of internal combustion muscle cars. Now that a vocal and powerful minority of America’s leaders have decided to end the ICE era, Dodge will continue forward. Adapt and overcome, so to speak. The first step in doing so for Dodge is its new Charger Daytona battery-electric vehicle. 

Two people I hold in the highest regard in the automotive media are Kyle Conner and Patrick Rall. Kyle is the world’s most knowledgeable expert on electric vehicles. The fact that he is not an advocate of EVs, but loves them nonetheless makes him almost unique. Kyle is also a self-described “combustion enthusiast.” He exists among - but also separate from - those who want to force EVs on you by any means necessary. Kyle is more chill. He loves EVs, clearly, but he doesn’t go out of his way to press his views on anyone. Kyle owns so many EVs we’ve lost count. Suffice it to say, nobody has owned and driven more performance EVs than he has. Jump to Kyle's online review here. 

Patrick is a TN alum. He was here from the start and then for more than a decade after. He is well-known as the top writer/owner/fan of all things Dodge. Patrick owns and races a Dodge racecar. His daily driver is an SRT Challenger. He also owns a RAM truck. He is on racetracks in Dodge products so often I don't know where he finds time to do any “real” work. Jump to Patrick's online review here. 

Kyle Doesn’t Like the Dodge Charger Daytona
Each of these two industry experts have now had a chance to try the new Dodge Charger EV and each came away with polar opposite views. I’ve read and watched their reviews, and the funny thing is that I agree with much of what both of them say. Kyle’s main point is that the Charger Daytona EV is not a great EV - from the perspective of those who live that life and find small details of living electric at the top of their list of important aspects of a vehicle. 
Here are a few words from Kyle’s video review:

I had a chance to drive the RT and Scat Pack on road and on track, and, I am left, to be brutally honest,  completely disappointed. 
I love the culture and tech, and innovation that comes from performance with electric cars, and I’m really not sure we are finding any of that here. 
I can’t find any redeeming qualities from my point of view. 
The driving experience of this car at low speed is dreadful.
One-pedal drive tuning is absolutely terrible. 
The motors clunk…This just doesn’t have it. 
The fake sound doesn’t simulate anything other than driving around in fourth gear. This is just like “Brrrrr.” 
$85,000 - you are touching Tesla Model S Plaid territory here. 
When we drifted the car it went into turtle mode. We had to switch cars. 
Maybe this isn’t fully baked and fully sorted yet. 
This has none of the fun or playfulness you would expect from a rear-drive muscle car. 
I’m sorry to be so harsh, but it’s the truth. 
From my point of view, there’s not a single redeeming quality to this vehicle, except for trunk and rear-seat space. Which on a muscle car is the least important thing ever. 
Not fast. No particularly fun. It’s extremely expensive. 
I hate to be so harsh on this thing, but I want it to be good. 

Patrick Does Like the Dodge Charger Daytona
Patrick has driven the Charger Daytona and he sees this vehicle from the lens of a die-hard Dodge owner/fan/racer. Patrick points out that this muscle car has better performance numbers across the board than the best ICE muscle cars that Dodge ever made. Patrick’s summary of his testing of the Charger Daytona is summed up by these words he wrote:

I have a ton of experience on the Radford track, and this new Charger performed as well as any car I have tested there, shy of the Viper TA. For that, it gets the glowing review that it deserves.

The Charger Daytona Scat Pack Stage 2 is quicker than just about any factory gas-powered vehicle on the street.

Not everyone loves the Tesla brand, their styling or their owner. For those EV buyers who want a roomy coupe or something fun to drive that isn’t shaped like an SUV or a Tesla, the new Dodge Charger Daytona is the perfect option, serving as the most unique EV on today’s market.
I like the fact that it makes noise. While I currently own three V8-powered cars with loud exhaust, I have previously owned several 4- and 6-cylinder cars with loud exhaust. I like sound – all kinds of sound, not just V8 sound – so I prefer that an EV makes some noise as well. For those who like how the car drives, but still don’t like the sound, it can be turned off altogether.

If we really do end up with an automotive future filled with electric vehicles, the new Dodge Charger Daytona is the electric vehicle that I want to be driving. The Scat Pack’s range of 241 miles isn’t as high as some of the competitors, but the new Dodge Charger Daytona offers driving excitement that is well out of the reach of most vehicles in the BEV segment – serving as the most engaging car in the electric vehicle world today.

As you can see, two vehicle experts can have two very different impressions of the same vehicle. Now that you’ve heard both sides of the argument, tell us your thoughts about the car. Would you consider buying one?

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John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading. 

Image of Charger Daytona courtesy of Dodge.