The iconic American muscle car brand Dodge, whose soul and identity have long been tied to the legendary Hemi V8 engine, now faces a serious challenge. The company introduced an all-electric version of the Charger Daytona to consumers. As expected, this technological leap stirred up a real storm in the market. Demand for the electric Charger Daytona has been so low that even with significant discounts, dealers are struggling to sell them.
Loyal muscle car enthusiasts are demanding the return of the Hemi engine, as well as the Sixpack version. Following a wave of protest, Stellantis, Dodge’s parent company, was forced to revise its plans. Company representatives confirmed to Carscoops that the Charger Daytona R/T model will be discontinued starting in 2026. For now, it remains available only as a two-door 2025 version. As for the four-door Charger Daytona, which was initially scheduled to launch this spring, its debut has been postponed to late 2025 or early 2026, though the project itself has not been fully canceled. This information is supported by a Car and Driver report.
By the end of 2025, Dodge plans to release four-door "Sixpack" Chargers, which will be equipped with Hurricane Twin Turbo I6 gasoline engines. Notably, at the moment, the only model in Dodge’s current lineup is the electric Charger Daytona Scat Pack. While this decision may seem pragmatic given industry trends, it can also be viewed as a step backward—underscoring the unwavering consumer preference for traditional engines.
Meanwhile, other Stellantis electric vehicle projects have also faced delays. The fully electric Ram 1500 REV has already been postponed once, and its release has now been pushed to 2027. The Ram 1500 Ramcharger, a plug-in hybrid, is now expected in the first quarter of 2026.
The decision to cancel the Charger Daytona R/T model was driven by two main factors: poor sales performance and import tariffs in the U.S. Although the R/T version was positioned as the most affordable among electric Chargers (starting at $61,590), paradoxically, it failed to be competitive when compared to the much more powerful Scat Pack model (priced at $70,190). It’s likely that the Scat Pack will also undergo a price adjustment.
In this climate of strong market resistance to electrification strategies, Dodge has reassessed its course of action. It could be said that if the company brings back its legendary engine, it would mark the return of a golden era. After all, imagining a muscle car without the mighty Hemi V8 is simply unthinkable. Currently, the iconic Hemi V8 is only preserved in the Durango, but analysts strongly speculate that it may soon return to the Ram 1500 series and potentially to the Charger lineup as well.
