All-unique Dodge Charger Daytona R/T
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The Dodge Charger Daytona R/T, as soon as hailed as the main fringe of Dodge’s electric muscle vehicle future, is being dropped for the 2026 model twelve months.
In accordance with a fable from MoparInsiders, the Scat Pack variant will now lead the Daytona lineup, marking a predominant pivot in Stellantis’ EV intention.
Before all the pieces introduced with intrepid ambitions, the Charger Daytona R/T was designed to give an accessible gateway into electric performance. With its 456-horsepower twin-motor setup and non-compulsory 509-horsepower Tell Connection stage package, it gave the affect poised to excite both muscle vehicle followers and EV novices. Nonetheless, market realities beget painted a thoroughly different image.
Industry and media experiences highlight the core anguish: patrons honest appropriate weren’t biting. Despite its spectacular specs and mawkish function cues, the R/T struggled to account for its brand brand, starting shut to $60,000. At that level, patrons anticipated either more performance or more top rate aspects. Without solid sales traction, Dodge made the harsh name to shelve the R/T variant for 2026, opting in its set to accommodate trims that resonate better with customers.
As we reported in December, the Charger EV was launched with an off-beat advertising message to “set the planet from self-riding sleep pods.” The objective was to defend Dodge’s build identification—muscle, aggression, and driver engagement—even within the electrical generation. The Charger Daytona R/T was speculated to be the preferrred steadiness of brand and performance, but it looks the purpose target market wasn’t ready to assign that soar at that brand.
Importantly, this doesn’t spell the tip of the Charger Daytona altogether. Greater-performance objects delight in the Scat Pack and Banshee are serene within the pipeline and, interestingly, are being adjusted for brand competitiveness. A lot of trims are reportedly seeing brand cuts, suggesting Stellantis is by making these autos more racy and accessible.
For followers, the takeaway is apparent: the electrical muscle vehicle isn’t going anyplace, but automakers are serene figuring out how to put up for sale. The demise of the R/T is less a failure and more a recalibration—proof that even the boldest plans beget to end flexible within the face of user place apart a matter to.
Reduce Godt has lined global industry data on three continents for over 25 years.
The week in EV tech: From sky-high wishes to ground-level drama
Welcome to Digital Trends’ weekly recap of the modern know-how powering, connecting, and now riding subsequent-gen electric autos.
Buckle up, of us — this week we’re taking off with a learn about at the futuristic dream of flying electric automobiles perchance gliding above U.S. roads earlier than you’re thinking that. However sooner than we earn carried away, let’s lift it encourage all the draw down to the bumpy avenue of point to-day realities.
Even in case you’re basically in regards to the tech powering the electrical vehicle (EV) revolution, it’s change into an increasing number of hard to defend far off from the politics spherical it: You guessed it, we’re talking about this week’s public feud between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump.
What does this beget to lift out with EV tech? Smartly, quite quite in actual fact. For starters, the know-how within the encourage of Tesla’s Autopilot and Stout-Self Riding (FSD) modes might perchance return within the crosshairs of regulators: Despite the names, these are serene driver-serve aspects that require active driver supervision, and till Trump’s election, they’d been below heavy scrutiny by safety regulators for plenty of years.
Final twelve months, the National Motorway Visitors Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla autos equipped with FSD. Colossal questions remain in regards to the driver-serve blueprint’s performance below unfavorable, but naturally-happening stipulations equivalent to fog, sun glare, rain, and snow.
When Musk, who spent about $275 million to serve elect Trump, was appointed to accelerate a newly-created Department of Govt Effectivity (DOGE), it raised greater than just a few eyebrows about his power and have an effect on over the regulators who’re speculated to supervise web site visitors safety, and attributable to this truth Tesla.
It didn’t serve that the Trump administration followed Musk’s solutions and relaxed crash-reporting requirements place apart in place since 2021, whereas also stress-free ideas to scramble the deployment of entirely-automatic robotaxis.
The Trump/Musk conflict takes place honest appropriate as Tesla is attributable to originate its robotaxi pilot progam in Texas later this month. Whereas Trump is now threatening to pull billions of bucks in authorities subsidies and contracts from Musk’s firms, it’s unclear whether he might perchance rigidity the Department of Transportation to again tighten the regulatory screws on Tesla. What’s apparent is that Trump has on no tale been keen on electric autos and is already in search of to conclude federal subsidies on EV purchases and leases. And whereas he had made a huge deal about procuring a racy red Tesla Mannequin S encourage in March, Trump now says he wishes to put up for sale.
Back to the tech
Meanwhile, Tesla is serene required to answer to data and data requests from NHTSA referring to the safety of its robotaxis by July 1. And indirectly, it will near all the draw down to the performance of the know-how.
For Autopilot and FSD, Tesla has opted for less expensive navigational tech counting on more than one onboard cameras that feed AI machine-learning objects. However especially for so-known as unfavorable riding stipulations, it’s the costlier know-how counting on a mix of pre-mapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar, and lidar (a laser-light radar) which has obtained the nod of regulators.
Waymo, the only real real robotaxi service for the time being operating within the U.S., and Zoox, Amazon’s upcoming robotaxi service, both use that blend of navigational tech.
For its robotaxis, Tesla is declared to beget upped its game in terms of self reliant riding with its Hardware 4 (HW4) know-how, which does embody radar sensors and guarantees enhanced environmental concept.
Will that be enough for Tesla to convince regulators, rep up with Waymo, or compete successfully with Zoox?
We’ll beget to help and glance.
Flying automobiles
In a contemporary model, we phenomenal that whereas user self belief about robotaxi know-how is on the upward thrust, most folk also desire more data sooner than they hop into a self-riding vehicle.
What about flying taxis? In accordance with a contemporary watch by Honeywell, almost about all U.S. airline fliers, or 98%, acknowledged they would take be aware of the use of a so-known as electric vertical take-off and touchdown vehicle, or eVTOL, as section of their shuttle sprint.
However whereas the buzz spherical flying electric autos has basically mad by air taxis— delight in Archer Aviation’s Midnight, anticipated to wing athletes all the draw during the 2028 LA Olympics, or Joby’s slick air taxi, backed by Toyota — one California startup is shooting for one thing moderately more… driveable.
Meet Alef Aeronautics, a Bay Field company that should position the “vehicle” encourage in “flying vehicle.” This week, Alef introduced it has obtained over 3,400 pre-orders for its electric flying vehicle, the Mannequin A — and earn this: it’s no longer a futuristic prototype gathering dirt in a lab. Alef says manufacturing might perchance start by the tip of 2025, or early subsequent twelve months.
On the ground, the Mannequin A operates delight in a low-tempo electric vehicle, complete with hub motors within the wheels and—await it—an real steering wheel. That you just would perchance perchance legally power it at as much as 25 mph on public roads, parking it in a in kind storage delight in any thoroughly different EV. It’s refreshingly guide in an an increasing number of hands-free world.
However when it be time for blueprint shut off, the steering wheel takes a backseat. For vertical takeoff and flight, the Mannequin A transforms into a drone-delight in aircraft. Its cabin rotates sideways to function blueprint shut, and eight electric rotors—managed by a flight blueprint and joysticks—take over. No pedals, no yoke, honest appropriate quite of joystick magic (or autopilot, in case you prefer).
The Mannequin A has already obtained the nod from regulators for test flights.
Whereas the $300,000 brand brand obtained’t match all americans’s budget, the corporate is clearly having a bet on a future the set you don’t beget to pick out from a vehicle and a flying machine—you would perchance perchance perchance perchance beget both.
8 key stuff that you must know from Apple’s WWDC 2025 match
From a unique learn about and updated names, to unique aspects, more intelligence and dwell translation
The WWDC 2025 keynote ran for honest appropriate over an hour and a half of. For those of you who don’t delight in sitting through your complete presentation, we have pulled out among the predominant stuff that you must know from among the well liked Apple match.
1. Welcome to the 26 membership
Tesla’s robotaxi service is quite here, but it’s no longer the vehicle you prefer to beget to review
Tesla chief Elon Musk has acknowledged that the automaker is aiming to originate its robotaxi service on June 22, in Austin, Texas.
“Tentatively, June 22,” Musk acknowledged in a submit on X on Tuesday, including: “We are being gigantic paranoid about safety, so the date might perchance shift.”