Is the American brand Jeep on the way to successfully moving towards the electrification of its range? Yes, if we are to believe the announcements made by Christian Meunier (he has run Jeep since 2019) during the “Jeep 4xe Day” video conference on September 7. By 2030, the American brand, which is part of the Stellantis group, only wants to sell electric vehicles in Europe and 50% on the North American continent. When we talk about electrification for Jeep, we are talking about hybrid vehicles at the moment. The Jeep Wrangler 4xe is the best-selling plug-in hybrid model in the United States. While in France, only 4xe hybrid vehicles are now on sale, the versions with a thermal engine having been withdrawn from the catalog since June 1. And as for 100% electric vehicles, there are not yet, but that will come very soon. Four electric SUVs are already planned and Jeep presented us with three of them, the fourth will be revealed later.
The first 100% electric model is the Jeep Avenger. This is a small SUV that we have talked about extensively in Caradisiac (until now it was called “Baby Jeep”). Built on a Stellantis STLA Small platform (extrapolated from the e-CMP), this small vehicle is in the range below the Jeep Renegade. It should exist with thermal engines in certain markets, but it should only be offered in electric in France. At the moment, the technical details of this model are confidential and will only be revealed on the first day of the Paris Motor Show, on October 17. With good ground clearance and good angles of attack and flight, this car is a true Jeep and will be available in 4×2 and 4×4, these versions will be discovered at the Mondial. The Avenger should also have a 136 hp electric motor, which is already equipped in the urban SUVs of the Stellantis DS 3 Crossback E-Tense group, Peugeot e-2008 and Opel Mokka-e. At the moment Jeep only announces its autonomy, it would be 400 km.
Avenger may make you think of an American superhero movie, but it’s also the name of a Dodge coupe, another Stellantis brand, that was marketed from 1995 to 2000 (then as a sedan from 2007 to 2014) and didn’t enjoy much commercial success. . We wish more luck to the small Jeep SUV that will be presented at the Paris Motor Show. This time around, it will be immediately available to order in a limited Launch Edition series, before its arrival in dealerships and its commercial launch really start in the first days of 2023. As we told you, this SUV is produced in Poland at Tychy , as will be the future other small SUVs of the Stellantis group: a model for Alfa Romeo (which would be called Brennero or Palade) and probably another for Fiat. In addition to Europe, this Avenger model will also launch in Japan and South Korea.
The second model, planned for 2024, is the Jeep Recon. It’s a completely new model, as Jeep engineers designed it from the ground up. It is exclusively electric and has true off-road capabilities. It is equipped with the Jeep Selec-Terrain traction management system with electric axle locking technology (e-locker). It also benefits from underbody protection, tow hooks and off-road specific tires. Like the five-door Jeep Wrangler, the Jeep Racon is a true Jeep convertible with a sunroof and removable doors. It seems capable of off-road feats, as Christian Meunier indicates that this model “…fully electric it has the ability to traverse the prestigious Rubicon Trail, one of the toughest trails in the United States, and reach the end of the trail with enough range to go back to town to recharge”.
Modern, this vehicle benefits from the latest advances in technology and features the latest generation Uconnect system, with a detailed trip guide of the most outstanding off-road trails. It is a truly global vehicle that will be produced from 2024 in North America. It should be noted that customers in the United States will be able to reserve it in early 2023, but for Europe it will be a little longer, probably 2024 or 2025.
The third and last model that was presented during this “Jeep 4xe Day” videoconference is the 100% electric Jeep Wagoneer. Codenamed Wagoneer S, this model will join the Wagoneer family in 2024, which consists of two models, Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. In the United States, these SUVs are powered by V8 and 6-cylinder engines waiting to receive a plug-in hybrid engine. Although Jeep does not sell these vehicles here, it will not be the case of the new electric Wagoneer that will go into production in 2024 and that should reach the old continent some time later.
This model is a very large SUV that is adorned with a sleek and streamlined design. To stand out from other Wagoneers, the Jeep Wagoneer S revisits Jeep’s famous seven-slot grille with LED lights. The electric Wagoneer will be, like the thermal Wagoneer, a true high-end off-roader. If it is very luxurious, the electric Wagoneer will also be powerful with an announced power of 600 hp, it will be able to go from 0 to 96 km/h in about 3.5 seconds and thanks to high-capacity batteries. it will exhibit a good range of 400 miles (643 km).
For Jeep, the switch to electric is important. Thus, in Europe, the regulations oblige, Jeep will only sell battery vehicles from 2030 (BEV: 100% electric), no more PHEV (plug-in hybrid) unless European regulations are relaxed, some manufacturers campaign in this regard . For the United States, Jeep has 50% of sales in BEV. Suffice it to say that more than four vehicles will be needed to get there and others will have to be presented after 2025. This will not prevent the American brand from continuing to market thermal models in certain countries, such as India, where Jeep must replace Fiat, which has failed to establish itself. in this market. In the near future, Jeep wants to become the world leader in “zero emission” SUVs and at the same time become a high-volume global brand, this is the ambitious goal that Christian Meunier set for himself when he came to head Jeep. in May 2019, so Jeep will do everything possible to achieve it.
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