The Dodge Charger EV gets a lot of hate, no matter the trim. I’ve yet to talk to another automotive writer who didn’t have very nice things to say about it. Several dealt with software issues, others had it die on them and put them in a situation where a tow truck was necessary, others say it worked fine, but it’s… Cheesy. And in a lot of ways, that assessment is fair. The “exhaust” sounds, the Donut Mode, Drift Mode, and Power Shot are just a few features that are put under a microscope.
Kristen Brown
(Kristen Brown)
With that in mind, I do think I’m one of the only people who’ve reviewed one who actually kind of liked it. Would I buy one? No—but that’s not because it was too cheesy. It’s because I’m not in the market for an expensive EV. Otherwise, I was quite surprised by how much I liked it. Though I think I liked it because, in human form, the Charger EV would be the guy who shows up to a high-end restaurant with a strict dress code covered from head to toe in tattoos and piercings wearing a band shirt and ripped black jeans, who laughs a little too loudly, and gets dirty looks from the other patrons because he doesn’t fit in. They’re just surrounded by the wrong crowd. Before I get too deep into this metaphor, let’s talk about why I think there is a place for it.
There’s some cool technology baked-in to make it a regular at a drag strip
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and since my dad worked at Sonoma Raceway (in my house, we still call it ‘Infineon’ or ‘Sears Point’), I spent many school nights watching people on the drag strip making bets as to who would win. Because I have a soft spot for drag strips (despite their declining popularity), I was naturally drawn to the drag strip-oriented technology that came with the Charger EV. It’s all-wheel drive from the factory, and that can be manipulated to make for a fun Donut Mode. There’s a Launch Mode to precondition the battery and heighten acceleration when the tree turns green, and then a Drift Mode for… Well, for fun.
Kristen Brown
(Kristen Brown)
There’s also a Power Shot mode, which temporarily unlocks an extra 40 horsepower when in motion, taking the place of a Nitro boost, to help bring us nostalgic drag strip folks back to the strip feeling woozy after huffing tire smoke. Plus, to wrap it up nicely, Dodge fitted it with what they call a Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, which is the company’s take on “active sound enhancement,” unlike the synthesizer-based systems in other EVs like the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N or Porsche Taycan. This is a physical acoustic system installed at the car’s rear.
How it works is actually quite interesting. A dedicated 600-watt amplifier powers two high-bandwidth transducers (essentially speakers without traditional paper cones). These transducers are housed in a tuned resonance chamber featuring passive radiators and “pipes” that cleverly mimic a conventional muffler. The physical manipulation of raw sound waves through these chambers results in a deep, bassy rumble that reaches 126 dB in Track, Sport, or Drag mode—matching the volume (and almost the sound) of a Hellcat V8.
Kristen Brown
(Kristen Brown)
To fully immerse the driver, Dodge also incorporated force generators (actuators) into the chassis. These vibrate the car’s frame in synchronization with the sound, ensuring the driver can physically feel the “idle” through the seat and steering wheel. What’s nice, though, is that the sound is a more electronic rumble, not a direct rip-off of a gas-only V8. The two electric motors also produce 670 horsepower, too, and with a zero-to-sixty time of 3.3 seconds in launch mode, I’d bet you’d be at the strip a lot.
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When you’re not punking others for pinks, it’s quite a nice drive
This is what I found most interesting: even though it was made for the track, it wasn’t all that bad an around-towner. The maximum range is about 241 miles, which is on par with a lot of other mainstream EVs, there’s room for the whole family in the back (complete with USB-C charging ports and A/C vents), it has a trunk large enough to fit two Costco hauls (yes, that’s from personal experience), the front seats are incredibly comfortable, bolstered, and heated, and there’s a trove of clever storage spaces and compartments. My two toddlers and their car seats fit perfectly fine in the rear, and the inclusion of a fixed, tinted sunroof made for a surprisingly open and bright interior.
Kristen Brown
(Kristen Brown)
If you don’t want to assault your neighbors’ eardrums, there’s an Auto, Stealth, and Eco drive mode that squelches the exhaust to make it substantially quieter. It also softens the adaptive suspension, so you can drop the kids off at school without turning their internal organs into scrambled eggs. My mother-in-law, who has a bad knee and a bad shoulder, said it was surprisingly easy to get in and out of, too. She enjoyed going on my errands with me. It’s built on the STLA Large platform, which means it shares a platform with the Wagoneer S and new Jeep Recon, so that comfort and space make a surprising amount of sense.
Kristen Brown
(Kristen Brown)
Because the Charger EV is built with a 100.5-kWh battery (93.9 kWh usable) that supports DC fast charging up to 183 kW, it can charge from 20% to 80% in approximately 24 to 27 minutes. I hooked it up to a fast charger at my local Safeway, and it was back up to 89% by the time I was done grabbing what I needed to make dinner. If you have an at-home charger (which is the ideal scenario for EV owners), you could have it charge overnight at Level 2 without issue. But I liked how quickly it charged at a public station.
There’s nothing else like it, and that’s kind of why I like it
The added packages and features drove the price up to $70,375. In all, that’s not a bad price for a car that can make multiple passes at your local drag strip, and then go grocery shopping on the same day. Most track-oriented cars aren’t that multi-purpose, and that makes it pretty impressive to me. It was built to capture the soul of a muscle car, and while nothing will ever beat the rough and tumble of a V8, the unique “exhaust,” drive modes, dashing looks, usable interior and excellent sound system made it a daily driver that’s unlike any other.
Kristen Brown
(Kristen Brown)
Plus, I’ve heard from some auto writers in New England that the all-wheel drive system is insanely good in the snow and on ice. So, if you’re looking for an EV that gets looks, has a lot of fun-oriented technology that comes standard, and can easily be driven every day, the Charger EV is worth a gander. Now, if Stellantis can just iron out those software issues…
Related: Dodge Is Finally Giving the Gas-Powered Charger Some Love
Final thoughts: Is it a gimmick? I wouldn’t say so
And I say that for the same reason I don’t think the Hummer EV is a gimmick: there’s a place for it in this day and age. The problem is, it’s different, and maybe a little too different. But to me, that’s what made it a fun car to drive. Did the exhaust sound loop, making it a little distracting? Yes. When in a louder mode, did it sound like it was in an endlessly high gear that never downshifted? Yes, though that’s reportedly being fixed. Were the menus surprisingly annoying to navigate? Also, yes, and for the money, that would frustrate me as an owner. But if I bought one specifically for track use and the occasional errand, it wouldn’t bother me too badly.
Let’s hope next year’s model addresses those issues. The Charger EV deserves to succeed.
This story was originally published by Autoblog on Mar 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Features section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
