Dodge has discontinued the entry level Charger Daytona EV as it re-evaluates the Charger lineup in wake of the Trump Administration’s tariffs.

Just two model years in and Dodge has shaken up the Charger Daytona EV lineup in a big way. The Charger Daytona EV is down to just a single trim as the entry level R/T has been dropped for 2026

Dodge confirmed the news to me with a statement from Dodge CEO Matt McAlear. In the statement, McAlear confirms that the R/T has been dropped due to the Trump Administration’s tariffs:

“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.”

The move makes an already niche vehicle an even bigger niche by raising the price of entry to the Charger a second time. Back in 2023, you could get into a base Charger SXT for $34,230 before destination charges. By the time the Charger Daytona was introduced for 2024, the base price of a Charger had risen to $59,595 for the R/T (again before destination) an increase of over $25,000. Now, with the elimination of the base Charger Daytona R/T, the entry price to the Charger Daytona has risen another $14,390 as the sole trim for 2026 is the Scat Pack which starts at $73,985. 

Luckily there’s a bit of hope on the horizon if you’re in the market for one of these things. Discounts on the Charger Daytona are big because of low sales with many dealers across the country slashing prices by the thousands to move the big electric muscle cars; this leftover Charger Daytona Scat Pack for sale at one Florida Dodge dealership has a $24,000 discount on it. The other light at the end of the tunnel is the arrival of the gas powered Charger SIXPACK trims in both two and four door variants. Buyers turned off by the all electric Charger Daytona will have a bit of reprieve with the Hurricane I6 powered Charger SIXPACK. While we still don’t know how much the SIXPACK trims will cost, they should start arriving at dealers later this year. Hopefully the Charger SIXPACK can help bring buyers back to the dealer for Dodge’s muscle car; just 1,947 Charger Daytona EVs were sold in Q1 of 2025.