In what must surely rank as the least surprising automotive news since we discovered Ferrari's first SUV would be expensive, Dodge's new electric Charger is reportedly suffering from electrical issues. Yes, that's right. The company that spent decades perfecting the art of shoving enormous V8 engines into family saloons is discovering that making a complex battery-powered computer on wheels is actually quite difficult. Who could have possibly seen this coming? Apart from everyone. According to reports from MoparInsiders, who presumably spend their evenings discussing the finer points of Chrysler carburetors over beers, Dodge has pushed back the dealer rollout of the Charger Daytona by a full 90 days. The delay is apparently needed to "address several electrical issues that have surfaced during testing," which is corporate speak for "the bloody thing keeps going wrong and we don't know why." Stranded on the roadside with a flat battery The scale of these electrical gremlins appears significant enough that Dodge felt compelled to delay allocation orders, ordering processes, and even the official dealer presentation from May to August 2024. It's like sending out invitations to your wedding and then calling everyone back to say, "Sorry, the bride needs another three months to decide if she actually likes me enough to go through with this." In what might be the most telling sign of trouble, one prototype Charger Daytona was spotted being hauled back to Auburn Hills on a flatbed truck, strapped down with cords passed through its open windows like some sort of automotive prisoner being returned to jail. Nothing says "our electric car works perfectly" quite like seeing it immobilized on the back of a diesel-powered recovery vehicle. It's the automotive equivalent of an Olympic sprinter being carried across the finish line on a stretcher. When the boot won't boot In another incident that will surely inspire confidence in potential buyers, engineers were reportedly locked out of the Charger's rear hatch, forcing them to access the cargo area through the cabin like common criminals breaking into a car. Subsequently, prototypes have been seen with cords dangling from the boot area, presumably so test drivers can manually open the power hatch when it inevitably fails again. It's reassuring to know that Dodge's solution to a high-tech problem is essentially a piece of string. This is the automotive equivalent of installing a state-of-the-art smart home system and then keeping a ladder against the house in case you need to climb through a window when the facial recognition door lock decides your face doesn't look familiar anymore. Nothing says "cutting-edge technology" quite like a manual override cord. The confusion surrounding exactly what this delay means for customers is about as clear as mud on a foggy day. MoparInsiders suggests a shift from a summer launch to fall, but Dodge had previously announced a fall 2024 sales launch during the Charger Daytona's reveal in March. This indicates the delay might only affect the behind-the-scenes dealer processes rather than the actual on-sale date. Or, perhaps more likely, nobody at Stellantis headquarters actually knows what's going on, and they're all too busy updating their CVs to clarify the situation. The debut of the Charger Daytona represents a pivotal moment for Dodge – it's their first production EV and the brand's first clean-sheet design since dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The initial R/T and Scat Pack versions promise impressive performance, with dual-motor AWD setups producing 496 hp and 670 hp respectively. But they'll also come with suitably impressive price tags, leading some to wonder if traditional Dodge customers – who typically value horsepower-per-dollar above all else – will be willing to pay the electric premium. For those who find the idea of an electric Charger about as appealing as a vegan barbecue, Dodge is thankfully hedging its bets. In 2025, they plan to introduce the ICE-powered Charger Six Pack, equipped with a twin-turbo 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine available in multiple performance configurations. This is clearly Dodge's way of saying, "We know many of you think electric cars are for people who wear sandals with socks, so here's an internal combustion option that won't make you the laughing stock at your local drag strip." The fact that Dodge is developing a more affordable single-motor RWD version of the electric Charger for next year, reportedly producing around 300 hp and to be called the Charger GT, suggests they're at least somewhat aware that not everyone can afford to drop supercar money on a Dodge. Though I imagine most traditional Dodge customers would consider a 300 hp rear-wheel drive car to be woefully underpowered, like showing up to a gunfight armed with a particularly stern glare. All of this comes amid a global slowdown in EV adoption, as consumers worldwide suddenly realize that electric cars, while impressive in many ways, come with their own set of compromises and aren't necessarily the automotive paradise we were promised. Range anxiety, charging infrastructure limitations, and eye-watering price tags have all contributed to a cooling of enthusiasm for battery-powered transportation. This delay, whether it affects the public launch date or not, doesn't exactly inspire confidence in Dodge's electric future. When your very first EV is having electrical problems before it even reaches dealerships, it's not a great sign. It's like a swimming instructor who shows up to the first lesson wearing water wings and clutching a rubber ring. And yet, there's something almost endearing about Dodge's struggles. Their solution to every automotive problem has traditionally been "add more horsepower," a philosophy that doesn't necessarily translate well to the complex world of electric vehicles. Watching them grapple with the intricacies of EV production is like watching a gorilla try to solve a Rubik's Cube – impressive that they're trying, but you don't expect elegant results. So as Dodge works to iron out the kinks in their electric muscle car, traditional V8 enthusiasts will no doubt be feeling smugly vindicated. After all, when was the last time a Hemi V8 Charger had to be recovered because its "electrical system" failed? Well, actually, quite often if we're being honest – those old Dodge electrics weren't exactly Toyota-reliable. But at least when your V8 Charger broke down, you could pop the hood and stare uselessly at the engine while waiting for the recovery truck, which is somehow more satisfying than being locked out of your EV's software. And on that spark of nostalgia for simpler automotive times, we'll just have to wait and see if Dodge can solve their electrical conundrums before the Charger Daytona finally reaches customers. In the meantime, perhaps they should consider installing a small V8 as a backup power source, just in case.
