Dodge is building its next chapter around a striking contradiction: a 670-horsepower electric muscle car that could soon share a showroom floor with a supercharged, gasoline-burning Hellcat. The automaker’s next-generation Charger lineup pairs a battery-electric Daytona with an internal combustion SIXPACK variant, and persistent industry speculation suggests the ICE side of the equation could push toward 900 horsepower. If that proves true, Dodge would be selling the loudest and the quietest versions of American muscle at the same time.
The Electric Charger That Hits Like a Hellcat
Dodge has staked a bold claim: the Charger Daytona is the world’s first and only electric muscle car. That is not just marketing copy. The Daytona Scat Pack produces 670 horsepower, a figure the brand says delivers Hellcat Redeye levels of performance. For context, the previous-generation Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye topped out at 797 horsepower, but it also weighed less and relied on a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 to get there. The electric Scat Pack closes that gap through instant torque delivery and a powertrain that does not need to build revs before unleashing its full output.
The entry point into the electric Charger lineup is the Daytona R/T, which produces 496 horsepower. That is a substantial number on its own, roughly matching what a naturally aspirated big-block V8 delivered a generation ago. But the Scat Pack is the headliner. According to Dodge’s performance data, the Daytona Scat Pack posts a 0–60 time that puts it in direct competition with supercars costing three or four times as much. For buyers who want straight-line violence without a drop of gasoline, the electric Charger delivers a credible answer.
The SIXPACK ICE Option and Hellcat Rumors
What makes the next-generation Charger lineup unusual is its deliberate split personality. Dodge has confirmed a multi-energy strategy that includes both the BEV Daytona and an ICE variant branded as the SIXPACK. The SIXPACK is expected to use a twin-turbocharged inline-six engine, a sharp departure from the brand’s long association with V8 power. Dodge has not released final horsepower figures for the SIXPACK, but the architecture is designed to support high output while meeting tighter emissions standards.
The real heat in enthusiast forums and automotive media centers on whether Dodge will revive the Hellcat name for an even more extreme ICE variant. No official Stellantis or Dodge statement confirms a 900-horsepower Hellcat for the new Charger platform. The speculation draws energy from the brand’s history of pushing power numbers higher with each generation, from the original 707-hp Hellcat to the 797-hp Redeye to the 807-hp Super Stock. A jump to 900 horsepower would follow that escalation pattern, but it remains unverified based on available sources. Dodge has kept its ICE performance cards close, and that silence is feeding the rumor cycle.
Why a Dual-Powertrain Strategy Matters for Buyers
For the average buyer considering a high-performance sedan, the practical question is straightforward: do you want your power delivered silently or with a soundtrack? Dodge is betting that the answer depends on the customer, not the calendar. The electric Daytona Scat Pack with its 670 horsepower targets drivers who want cutting-edge technology, zero tailpipe emissions, and the kind of instant acceleration that only electric motors can provide. The SIXPACK targets those who still want the visceral experience of combustion, the engine note, the heat, and the mechanical connection that defined muscle cars for decades.
This split also carries financial implications. Electric vehicles generally cost more upfront but less to operate over time, while high-performance ICE cars face rising insurance premiums and potential regulatory surcharges in emissions-conscious states. Dodge is essentially asking buyers to choose their tradeoff. The brand’s willingness to offer both options under the same nameplate is a direct acknowledgment that the market has not settled on a single answer. Forcing every muscle car buyer into an EV would risk alienating a loyal customer base that has spent years chasing horsepower through gasoline.
Where the 900-HP Speculation Falls Short
Most coverage of the potential Hellcat revival treats the 900-horsepower figure as nearly confirmed, but the sourcing does not support that level of certainty. Dodge’s official product pages list 670 horsepower for the Scat Pack and 496 horsepower for the R/T, and they detail the multi-energy layout of the new platform. No equivalent spec sheet exists for a Hellcat-branded variant on the new architecture. The multi-energy lineup announcement references the BEV Daytona and the ICE SIXPACK by name, but the word “Hellcat” does not appear in the official press material for the next-generation Charger.
That does not mean it will never happen. Dodge has a well-documented pattern of teasing high-performance variants months or even years after a platform launches. The original Hellcat arrived as a mid-cycle addition to the previous Charger and Challenger, not as a launch model. If Dodge follows the same playbook, a Hellcat-level SIXPACK variant could appear after the initial lineup establishes itself. But treating 900 horsepower as a done deal misreads the available evidence. The smarter read is that Dodge has left room in the architecture for exactly this kind of escalation, and the brand’s track record suggests it will eventually fill that room with something extreme.
Electric Muscle and Gas-Powered Excess Under One Roof
The tension at the core of Dodge’s strategy is whether two fundamentally different powertrains can coexist under one performance brand without diluting its identity. On paper, the Daytona EV and the SIXPACK ICE car answer the same brief: fast, aggressive, unapologetically American performance. In practice, they appeal to different instincts. The electric Charger leans into the future, using software, battery management, and instant torque to create speed that feels almost effortless. The ICE version leans into nostalgia, promising boost, revs, and the familiar rhythm of gear changes. Dodge is trying to convince buyers that both experiences belong to the same family of “muscle,” even though the sensations behind the wheel will be radically different.
How well that works will depend on execution. If the Daytona delivers the promised performance and character, through features like simulated exhaust sound and aggressive driving modes, EV skeptics may be more willing to accept it as a legitimate evolution of the muscle car. If the SIXPACK delivers enough drama, power, and tuning potential, traditionalists may forgive the loss of cylinders and embrace the inline-six as the new canvas for modification. The real risk is not that one side fails, but that one side so clearly outshines the other that the weaker sibling feels like a compromise rather than a choice. Dodge is threading a narrow needle, asking its most passionate fans to trust that both silence and thunder can wear the same badge.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
