Dodge Charger Sales: Gasoline version soared by 404%, while electric Daytona suffered a collapse
When Dodge launched the new Charger, the company bet that electric muscle power would win over experienced gasoline engine enthusiasts. Instead, buyers are massively choosing the gasoline version, which appeared a year later, while the electric model suffered a dramatic decline, proving that old habits are hard to break in the world of powerful cars.
Gasoline Charger: Rapid growth
The contrast could not be more striking. In the first half of 2026, Dodge sold 4,583 gasoline Chargers, an increase of 181% compared to 1,630 cars sold in the same period last year. The second quarter was even more impressive: sales soared by 404% — from 578 to 2,911 cars.
The electric car is moving in the opposite direction
Meanwhile, the Charger Daytona EV, which will become significantly more expensive for the 2027 model year, is moving rapidly in the opposite direction. Dodge delivered only 534 electric Chargers in the first six months of the year, a decrease of 88% from 4,299 in 2025. The second quarter was equally bleak: only 294 cars found owners compared to 2,352 a year earlier, also representing a drop of 88%.
Hemi returns
These successes of the gasoline version are particularly notable because buyers are not even getting the engine that many of them truly want. Today’s Charger is only available with Stellantis’ twin-turbo Hurricane inline six-cylinder engine in two power variants. It is indeed an impressive engine, but many Dodge fans never embraced the idea of replacing the Hemi V8 with six cylinders.
Fortunately for them, Dodge has already confirmed the return of the V8. The company recently announced that the supercharged Hellcat will return to the Charger lineup, most likely as a flagship model that will sit above the Hurricane versions and will be equipped with a massive Superbird-style rear wing. If the six-cylinder car is already selling much better than the electric vehicle, it will be extremely interesting to see what happens when buyers can once again order a supercharged Hemi.
Other models in the lineup
Elsewhere in the Dodge lineup, the unlucky run of the Hornet is finally coming to an end. Sales fell by 87% year-to-date to just 717 units, after Dodge discontinued production of the Alfa Romeo Tonale twin after the 2025 model year. The Tonale remains in production at the same Italian plant, although its own future looks far from secure, and there are reports that it may have to give up its production capacity for affordable Stellantis electric vehicles.
Rounding out Dodge’s sales figures is the aging Durango SUV. Its sales fell by 12% in the second quarter, but rose by the same amount year-to-date, and with 38,575 cars sold in 2026, it remains the brand’s best-selling model by a wide margin.
Even so, the brand as a whole is moving backwards. Dodge’s total sales fell by 15% in the second quarter to 21,818 units and decreased by 6% year-to-date to 44,511, so the revival of the gasoline Charger is not yet enough to lift the overall figures.
Dodge Sales, 2026
| Model | Q2-26 | Q2-25 | Change | YTD-26 | YTD-25 | Change |
| Hornet | 300 | 1,539 | -81% | 717 | 5,647 | -87% |
| Charger | 2,911 | 578 | 404% | 4,583 | 1,630 | 181% |
| Charger BEV | 294 | 2,352 | -88% | 534 | 4,299 | -88% |
| Challenger | 38 | 579 | -93% | 83 | 1,501 | -94% |
| Durango | 18,275 | 20,698 | -12% | 38,575 | 34,399 | 12% |
| Total | 21,818 | 25,750 | -15% | 44,511 | 47,481 | -6% |
These data clearly demonstrate that the muscle car market remains deeply conservative. Despite the global trend of electrification, Dodge buyers clearly prefer traditional internal combustion engines. The 88% drop in sales of the electric Charger Daytona is a serious signal for Stellantis, especially in light of the upcoming price increase for this model. At the same time, the success of the gasoline Charger with the Hurricane inline six-cylinder engine shows that even without the iconic V8 Hemi, the brand can attract buyers. However, the real test will be the return of the Hellcat: if the six-cylinder version is already so successful, the arrival of the supercharged V8 could radically change the balance of power, potentially deepening the gap between demand for gasoline and electric models even further. The brand’s overall sales decline of 6% indicates that the Charger, while a bright spot, cannot fully compensate for the failures of other models, such as the Hornet, and the overall decline in demand for the Dodge lineup.