The Dodge Charger Daytona Weighs As Much As A Kia EV9

Electric cars are heavy. This isn’t much of a surprise. What is surprising is that the new Dodge Charger Daytona EV weighs 5,838 pounds, which is much as a long-range all-wheel drive Kia EV9, a three-row electric crossover.

The base EV9, with smaller battery and single motor at the rear, weighs just over 5,000 pounds. Kia quotes between 5,800 and 5,886 pounds for the fully loaded EV9 GT-Line model depending on equipment. So the Charger Daytona in both R/T and Scat Pack trims weigh as much a fully decked-out SUV that has seating for six to seven. Needless to say, the Charger Daytona does not accommodate so many passengers.

While the old internal-combustion only Dodge Charger was a large car, the new Charger Daytona is even bigger. The new Charger Daytona Scat Pack is slightly larger in wheelbase, width and height than the old Charger Scat Pack Widebody, and notably, 5.5 inches longer overall. Its predecessor wasn’t a light car at 4,361 pounds, but the addition of a big 100.5-kWh net (93.9-kWh usable) battery pack and electric motors front and back have upped weight significantly. The Charger Daytona EV also uses the same basic platform, STLA Large, as the upcoming six-cylinder Charger, and the need to accommodate both powertrain types may have pushed up weight further.

Even among electric high-performance sedans, the Charger Daytona is very heavy. A Porsche Taycan Turbo S weighs 5,082 pounds, and a Tesla Model S Plaid comes in at 4,761. As the EV9 comparison shows, you need to look towards electric crossovers to find similarly heavy EVs. Even the all-wheel drive Cadillac Lyriq – which rides on GM’s not-exactly-flyweight Ultium platform – weighs under 5,800 pounds. 

The Charger Daytona’s big weight raises questions about driving dynamics. There’s no doubt it’ll be quick, and while the Charger has never been the last word in handling, making a near-three-ton muscle car corner is no easy task.