Man compares his Dodge Charger King Daytona and EV Dodge Charger to actually find out if gas or electric is best

The Dodge Charger is at the epicentre of the gas-powered versus electric debate.

For some, electric vehicles are both the present and the future – a natural evolution in the motoring industry. For others, gas vehicles will always be the best.

They argue that the sound, the feel and the experience can never be beaten.

Now, one YouTube creator has decided to do a direct head-to-head to determine which is really best.

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Dodge Charger King Daytona: Hellcat-powered beast

YouTuber @CJ_ON_32s just so happened to have access to both vehicles, so he decided to test them both.

The YouTuber happens to own the Dodge Charger King Daytona.

The King Daytona is a very special edition of the legendary muscle car.

The 2023 car was limited to just 300 copies. Based on the widebody Hellcat Redeye, this car is powered by an 807 bhp, 6.2 litre, supercharged Hennessy V8.

According to Dodge, the King Daytona was inspired by the West Coast drag racing scene of the 1960s and 1970s – hence the bright orange-mango colour.

Strong representation for team gas cars.

EV Dodge Charger: Is the future here?

In 2024, Dodge released the long-fated EV version of the legendary Charger.

The eighth-generation Charger is actually a hybrid, available with a 3.0 litre V6 alongside a pair of electric motors.

However, the car being tested in the video is the Daytona, which is fully electric. The all-electric Daytona is powered by two electric motors, so it’s far from a slouch.

Again, strong representation from the EV side.

Direct head-to-head: which Charger reigns supreme?

Straight off the bat, CJ makes it clear how excited he is to test the all-electric Daytona Charger.

He mentions the extreme cold where he lives, which naturally lends itself to storage challenges for an EV.

He gets into the electric Daytona to charge it before starting but is unhappy with the internal layout, referring to the gearstick and display as ‘trash’.

Next, CJ compares the two directly.

A lot of praise is given for the EV’s body design, as it is definitely more retro.

However, he much prefers the gas-version King Daytona for performance.

CJ notes his belief that Dodge would be more successful if the EV Daytona had a gas motor option (which is, in fact, coming later in 2025).

CJ also compared the noise of the two, which went exactly how you would expect – a deep, menacing growl versus very little.

He then compares the interiors, and ‘much prefers’ the interior of the original.

CJ said he thought there was too much plastic used in the new interior, which will come as a disappointment to some.

Interestingly, the YouTuber also noted that, much like a Tesla, the EV Daytona Charger comes with a key card instead of a traditional car key.

Some people very much like this, so that’s a big plus.

Final verdict: Which Daytona Charger is the true king?

In the end, CJ has a very balanced and fair opinion.

He gives big props to the EV Charger for its retro style, as well as the convenience of the trunk storage.

However, he is unimpressed by the performance of the EV, as well as the interior, especially compared to the conventional, gas Daytona King Charger.

On the other hand, as far as everything under the hood goes, there is no comparison for CJ.

He remarks on how underwhelming the EV Charger is under the hood, while also preferring the performance and power of the Hennessy-powered King Charger.