Dodge will not build the base R/T version of its electric Charger Daytona for the 2026 model year. A more expensive, higher-performance Scat Pack trim is still planned.
In a statement sent to several media outlets, Dodge CEO Matt McAlear explains, “Production of the Dodge Charger Daytona R/T is postponed for the 2026 model year as we continue to assess the effects of U.S. tariff policies. The Charger’s flexible, multi-energy STLA Large platform allows us to focus on the Charger Daytona Scat Pack’s performance as the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car, add the new four-door model to the Charger mix for the 2026 model year and lean into the new Charger Sixpack models that will launch in the second half of the year.”
There’s a lot of very Dodge-specific lingo in that statement, so let’s unpack it.
One Car, Two Powertrains, Two Bodies
Dodge radically remade its lineup for 2024, dropping 2-door Challenger and 4-door Charger models that were perhaps its most recognizable products.
In their place, the company debuted an all-new Charger. It planned to produce both 2- and 4-door versions, with the coupes coming first.
It also planned to build them as both electric and gas-powered cars. The electric model, the Charger Daytona, first came in two trim levels: R/T with 496 horsepower and Scat Pack with 670.
Later, gas-powered models will appear. Called Charger Six Packs, they will use turbocharged inline-6-cylinder engines. A persistent industry rumor says Dodge could temporarily bring the famed Hemi V8 back because of new, looser fuel-economy regulations. Dodge has not confirmed that plan.
McAlear’s statement means the 496-hp Charger Daytona R/T will not be built for 2026. It may not disappear completely. He calls the model “postponed.” 2025 models still sit on some dealer lots now, and a 2027 version remains possible. But, for 2026, the only electric Charger Daytona will be the pricier Scat Pack version.
This move raises the 2026 Charger’s price of entry. The current 2025 Charger Daytona R/T starts at $61,590, including delivery fee. The Scat Pack begins at $70,190.