Charger Daytona SRT Banshee To Have Over 880 Horsepower?

Despite recent leaks, Dodge remains quiet about its upcoming all-electric Dodge Charger Daytona (LB) muscle car. With automakers being vocal about the lack of demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in the North American market, Dodge continues to soldier on with their next-gen “e-muscle” cars.

While Dodge has shared its power figures for the upcoming 400-volt Dodge Charger Daytona 340 and 440 models, official numbers for the 800-volt SRT-focused “Banshee” architecture remain a mystery. However, this week, TheDrive posted that the SRT Banshee model could produce around 880 horsepower (647 kW).

Back in 2021, at the Stellantis EV Day 2021 presentation, the automaker stated it was working on three new electric drive modules (EDMs) that combine the motor, transmission, and inverter. The largest EDM, EDM #3, was projected to produce 150 to 330 kW (201 to 442 horsepower) in STLA Medium, Large, and Frame applications. With the new Charger Daytona being based on the STLA Large architecture, Dodge has already confirmed that the SRT Banshee will have all-wheel drive (AWD). So TheDrive’s statement of 880 horsepower could be right on the money for a dual EDM setup.

However, there is only one thing we question about that. Dodge is known for their extreme horsepower muscle cars, and we know entering the EV segment, an SRT model would want to deliver some shock and awe to the competition. One other American EV sedan sets the standard for performance at the moment, the Tesla Model S Plaid, and we doubt Dodge doesn’t have that car in its crosshairs.

The Tesla Model S Plaid uses a tri-motor setup with AWD, allowing the sports sedan to produce 760 kW (1,020 horsepower) and 1,050 lb.-ft. of torque. MotorTrend said its testing results of the Plaid showed the car could do 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 2.07 seconds (1.98 seconds on a prepped drag strip with PJ1 TrackBite) and cover the 1/4-mile in an outstanding 9.31 seconds @ 152.2 mph. That doesn’t include the car’s top speed of 200 mph.

Now, if Dodge does not match or beat those numbers with the new Charger Daytona, enthusiasts will just shrug off the Charger Daytona completely. The only way Dodge customers would likely look at the Charger Daytona over a HEMI®-powered option is if it could destroy the Model S Plaid across the board.

Now, while the Charger Daytona 400-volt models will have dual EDMs making up its AWD system, it doesn’t mean a tri-motor layout similar to the Model S Plaid couldn’t be used. Stellantis has already shown a tri-motor AWD layout in its all-new Maserati GranTurismo Folgore. The GranTurismo Folgore uses an 800-volt tri-motor setup with three 300 kW (402 horsepower) EDMs (one in the front, two in the rear) to deliver 500 kW (761 horsepower) and 995 lb.-ft of torque.

So, if the Charger Daytona got a tri-motor setup similar to the GranTurismo Folgore, and had the so-called Direct Connection eStage 2 for the 800-volt Banshee system equipped, harnessing all the power from three EDM #3 motors, the car could have the potential to produce 990 kW (1,336 horsepower) and a lot more torque than the Plaid. Given Dodge would just need to work on something like 800 kW (1,072 horsepower) to overcome the Plaid’s power and still have more left on tap to play with for future models down the road.

Nevertheless, if Dodge does not surpass Tesla with its new e-muscle car, we seriously believe Dodge’s chance at electrified muscle cars is dead in the water. And this could be a reason why Dodge has been so secretive about the SRT Banshee to begin with.