Dodge’s EV Gamble Falls Flat as Buyers Cling to Old Muscle

Muscle car fans stick with what they know

Dodge’s effort to steer its muscle car legacy into the electric age is off to a rocky start. Despite the fanfare around the new all-electric Charger Daytona, more buyers chose the outgoing gas-powered models, vehicles that have been out of production since late 2023. In Q1 2025, Dodge sold 1,947 units of the Charger Daytona EV, but it sold 1,052 internal-combustion Chargers and 922 Challengers during the same period. That’s a combined 1,974 old-school muscle cars, just edging out the futuristic newcomer.

Daytona EV sales are slow nationwide

Spread across the country, sales of the Daytona EV averaged just 22 cars per day. That’s a far cry from the numbers Dodge is used to seeing in the muscle segment. For comparison, Ford sold 9,377 Mustangs during the same timeframe — even while facing a 32% drop from last year. A year ago, Dodge sold over 9,700 Challengers in the first quarter. That kind of context makes the Daytona’s early figures hard to celebrate.

Inventory hangover lingers

One reason the older models are still outselling the new one: there are plenty left on lots. As of early April, 657 Chargers and 691 Challengers from the 2023 model year were still listed for sale. That’s a lot of metal sitting around 15 months after the end of production. Clearly, there’s still demand, but not enough to clear the backlog quickly.

Deep discounts signal weak demand

Dealers are slashing prices on the Dodge Charger Daytona EV to try and spur buying. CarScoops reported that some models have seen discounts of up to $21,000 off MSRP, a rare sight for a brand-new performance vehicle. One dealership in New York listed a Scat Pack model at $61,740, down from $82,175.

These heavy discounts suggest that despite its performance credentials and bold styling, the Daytona EV is struggling to win over traditional muscle car fans. With the internal combustion version of the Charger now being fast-tracked for release, Dodge appears to be acknowledging that its core buyers may not be ready to make the jump to electric, especially not at full price.

Dodge sales dive across the board

The Charger Daytona’s struggles are just part of a broader sales collapse for the Dodge brand. Total sales dropped 49% year-over-year, falling from 42,948 units in Q1 2024 to just 21,731 in Q1 2025. The Hornet compact SUV was down 45%, while the aging Durango dipped 9%. Every model in the lineup posted declines, showing that the brand’s troubles go deeper than just one slow EV launch.

Final thoughts

Dodge isn’t giving up on its muscle car roots just yet. The brand plans to launch new variants of the Charger, including a four-door Daytona and models powered by a twin-turbo inline-six. These could appeal more directly to traditional buyers who aren’t ready to go electric. But for now, the numbers speak volumes: Dodge’s core audience isn’t buying into the EV transition just yet.