Where is the battery on a 2016 Dodge Challenger?

The battery on the 2016 Dodge Challenger is located in the trunk. This has become a fairly common location for mounting batteries in recent years for a couple of reasons.

Size Matters!
The batteries used in Dodge Challengers are massive! The Group 94R, also known as the H7 or in the case of the OPTIMA YELLOWTOP, a DH7, is one of the larger batteries you'll find in a car. It's not necessarily because the Hellcat engine needs a huge battery- the 3.6-liter V6 uses the same DH7 battery. It's because of the overall electrical demand of the vehicle.

Modern vehicles often draw a significant amount of electrical energy when the engine is turned off, so manufacturers have responded by installing increasingly larger batteries with more reserve capacity. An easy way for consumers to identify batteries with a lot of reserve capacity is to check the weight of the battery, as there is often a direct correlation. The average Group 94R H7 battery weighs about 50 pounds, but the OPTIMA DH7 YELLOWTOP weighs in at 60.5 pounds!

Why do OPTIMA batteries weigh so much more than other brands? More lead (99.99% pure) and robust cast straps. It's a real difference-maker that you will notice over the lifespan of your battery and OPTIMA batteries will last up to three times as long as a traditional flooded lead-acid battery.

Big batteries take up a lot of space under the hood, so it makes sense to move them somewhere else, if you can. There are still posts under the hood that can be used for jump-starting, but moving that large battery to the trunk frees up a lot of space under the hood. 

Heat Also Matters!
While many people experience battery failures in cold winter months, it's actually the heat of the summer that inflicts the most damage on a battery. For that reason, many manufacturers have begun moving batteries out of the engine compartment, where a lot of heat is generated. While trunks can also get hot, they may not see the intense heat found under the hood with an engine running for hours on end. However, all batteries can vent gas in extreme situations, that is both flammable and toxic. If your battery is in your trunk or interior, make sure the vent hose to the outside atmosphere is properly-connected.

Weight Distribution Matters Too!
Front engine/rear-wheel drive cars tend to be front-heavy with their weight distribution. The weight distribution on the Challenger can range from 52/48 for the SXT to 57/43 for the Hellcat. Being able to move 60.5 pounds to the back of the car can help improve weight distribution and handling.

Take care of your battery and it will take care of you. Keeping your battery fully-charged (about 13.0-13.2V for our DH7 YELLOWTOP) whenever possible will maximize performance and lifespan. We're so confident this is the case, we'll add one year of free replacement warranty coverage, if you buy an OPTIMA battery and Digital 1200 charger from us at the same time.