Can a gas-powered Charger Hellcat muscle car coexist with a 900-hp Charger Banshee EV in Dodge's lineup? Recent reports and remarks from Dodge's CEO seem to suggest they can, even though both of these models were written off entirely not that long ago.
We recently learned from a new report that the glorious Hellcat V8 may eventually find its way into the engine bay of the eighth-generation Charger, as Dodge has apparently green-lighted the Charger Hellcat for the 2028 model year. While the insider information hasn't been confirmed yet by Dodge, previous comments from top-level Stellantis executives point in that direction.
Don't Dismiss the Banshee Before Dodge Does
Dodge
While welcoming the Hellcat V8 back into Charger does make sense in the current market environment where EVs are losing ground to ICEs in the U.S.—especially when it comes to enthusiast cars—one thing we didn't expect is Dodge giving the Charger Daytona SRT Banshee electric muscle car a second chance—well, technically, a first chance as it was shelved before even reaching showrooms.
You may remember that the Charger Daytona SRT Banshee halo car, which was supposed to become the all-electric successor to the Hellcat, was reportedly canceled before reaching production, mirroring the fate of the Ram 1500 REV all-electric truck.
But in a recent interview with Canada's Driving, Dodge CEO Matt McAlear suggested that the fate of the Charger Daytona SRT Banshee is not yet sealed. "Banshee is never completely dead. I mean, SRT has never… we'll see. I mean, everything is, uh, is all about timing," the executive noted.
That's an interesting statement and it may hint at Dodge waiting for better market conditions to launch the flagship Banshee. Or maybe not; maybe what Dodge is waiting for is to have both the supercharged Hellcat V8-powered Charger in the lineup and the Charger Daytona SRT Banshee as its all-electric sidekick.
According to McAlear, "one of the best things for the EV's powertrain will be having the [gas-fueled Hurricane] sitting right next to it on the showroom floor… the ability to compare and to test-drive both back-to-back, I think will be unique versus some of the other competitors."
Former Stellantis CEO's Departure Gave Dodge More Powertrain Flexibility
Dodge
The executive also said that the brand did not make "any changes to the plan" after the departure of former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares.
"The only thing we've changed is the mix from a production standpoint," McAlear said, referring to the addition of the Hurricane six-cylinder gas engine to the Charger lineup and the axing of the 496-hp Charger Daytona R/T entry-level EV variant.
Currently, the only all-electric Charger on sale is the 670-hp Daytona Scat Pack and Scat Pack Plus. The 900-hp tri-motor Banshee, with its 800-volt architecture, would be a big step up both from the 400-volt, dual-motor Charger Daytona Scat Pack and the rumored 777-hp Charger Hellcat.
Speaking of Tavares, Dodge's CEO noted that his departure "allowed us to be more flexible and to get back to offering multiple powertrains," and that the powertrain lineup available today in the Charger "was always the plan from the beginning."
Here's hoping that a Charger Hellcat is also part of that plan; and even if it's not, we wouldn't mind seeing it happen as an afterthought.
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