The Dodge Banshee is the first BEV muscle car
Anyone wondering how muscle cars were going to fare as we transition into in the battery electric vehicle (BEV) era may have their answer in the shape of the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Banshee. We admit to being surprised that the first BEV muscle car to break cover should come from the company which has almost singlehandedly been keeping the “ain’t no replacement for displacement” dream alive the past few years.
However, as Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis explained: “This thing is happening, so we said, 'OK, if it's going to happen, let's go there like Dodge. Let's crash this party and do it differently than everybody else.'”
That does mean doing it in the most Mopar way possible however and it’s fair to say the results are incredible.
The Banshee concept features a transmission with an old school pistol grip gearlever as well as steering wheel-mounted paddles for what Dodge dubs the ‘eRupt’ multi-speed system. The Banshee is also the first BEV to sport an exhaust system, which, rather than a pipe an entirely synthetic sound through external speakers, passes air through an amplifier and tuning pipe to create a sound not dissimilar to a trad muscle car. It’s as loud as a muscle car too; its 126 decibels exactly matching a Hellcat.
Dodge hasn’t released performance figures for the Banshee’s 800-volt system but claims it easily exceeds the 717PS (527kW) Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, which is set to cease production along with all of Dodge’s muscle offerings in 2023. Pushing power to all four wheels, the Banshee drivetrain offers Auto, Sport, Track and Drag modes as well as a ‘push-to-pass’ button on the steering wheel. Also gracing the interior are four full-sized seats, a panoramic glass roof, large central touchscreen, digital instrument and head-up displays and a fighter jet style flip-up cover for the start button.
Clearly though it is the exterior which will set the bar for future BEV muscle cars and takes inspiration from Dodge’s legendary back catalogue. Setting out its case for a direct link to the original Charge of the late 1960s, the Banshee also adopts the low nose of the competition versions which were the first in NASCAR history to crack 200mph. That nose also included a neat ‘R-wing’ integrated spoiler, named after Gary Romberg, a bona fide rocket scientist who helped develop the original racer. Headlight and taillight treatments also echo the 1968 model Charger as does the return of the Dodge ‘Fratzog’ logo.
The rest is decidedly up-to-date with extensive use of carbon-fibre, including in the Stellantis STLA platform which in other applications can offer up to 500 miles of range. Dodge says that won’t be the case for any Banshee production model, pointing out that the Hellcat Redeye currently offers only 170 miles of range. The plan will also be to offer tuning upgrades through the Mopar after-sales network similar to those available to current ICE muscle car owners.
Kuniskis said: “The Charger Daytona will redefine American muscle. It will run to the car shows, it will run the quarter mile, it will run to Costco because of the liftgate and full-flat seats. It's got UV functionality inside. It's all-wheel drive, so it will handle the weather.”
Dodge
Charger
Daytona
SRT
Banshee
EV
Electric Avenue
