Jeep

The American SUV maker is bullish not just on plug-in hybrids, but also on traditional hybrids going forward. Jeep is anticipating the sales of its plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) by a cool 50% this year itself. That is quite ambitious considering its Wrangler 4xe is already the best-selling plug-in hybrid in the U.S. since Q2 2021. What is more fascinating is the fact that Jeep makes some of the most successful and hardcore off-roading vehicles on the planet. When we talk about electrification, this is not the first segment that comes to mind. However, come to think of it, the assistance by the electric components toward the powertrain can be quite handy on such vehicles. That is why the Wrangler 4xe is so successful. Jeep wants to build on that and launch the 4xe iterations of the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee as well. In fact, Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa has already confirmed the Gladiator 4xe for 2025. Hence, the future of Jeep certainly looks overtly hybrid, if not fully electric. You might also like: VW CEO Says PHEVs Are Necessary Transitional Technology Jeep Wants More PHEV Sales Talking about PHEV sales by Jeep last year (2023), it managed to sell a decent 113,113 units in the U.S. However, Antonio has kept his expectations significantly high this year at around 160,000-170,000 units. That is over 50% surge if the American SUV giant is able to achieve it. Considering the recent slowdown in pure EV sales, more customers might be looking at PHEVs. Therefore, this number might not be out of the realm of possibility. The Gladiator 4xe is expected to carry a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbo petrol engine with a 17.3 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack and an electric motor. The combined output with this configuration is a healthy 375 hp (280 kW) and 470 lb-ft (637 Nm) of peak power and torque. Being a true PHEV, the pure electric range is a usable 21 miles (34 km). This is the same engine as the Wrangler. Additionally, Jeep revealed plans to introduce the 4xe variants of the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer by 2025 as well. As a matter of fact, they will come with a range-extended powertrain, something becoming quite popular with large SUVs lately. It could borrow the configuration from the Ram 1500 Ramcharger. This setup includes a ginormous 92 kWh battery pack along with a 3.6-liter V6 engine which acts as a generator and two electric motors for an all-wheel-drive configuration. The result is a respectable 663 hp (494 kW) and 615 lb-ft (833 Nm) of peak power and torque. However, the main attraction is the range of up to 690 miles (1,110 km). In addition to PHEVs and EVs, the company also remains interested in traditional hybrid powertrains. In fact, we might see one on the redesigned Cherokee. Anyway, the future of Jeep SUVs is certainly hybrid. You might also like: How Are EREVs Different From BEVs, PHEVs or HEVs? Learn Electric Cars Says We know that Jeep has been massively bullish about plug-in hybrids for a long time. Its remarkable sales have further boosted its confidence and they are a testament to the customers’ demands. While potential buyers expect plug-in hybrids to offer a much more useable range to run daily errands, it doesn’t seem to be that big of a problem with hardcore off-roading SUVs. I guess the applications and hence, the expectations are different. That could be the reason for these sales. As Jeep prepares to introduce hybrid powertrains in more segments, a wider range of potential buyers will emerge. Hence, the estimation of selling around 170,000 PHEVs in 2024 might not be unfounded. Many industry experts are anyway looking at PHEVs are more viable options than pure EVs, at least in the near future. Let us see the response of the consumers as more PHEVs from Jeep arrive in the market.