And it may be everything we've ever wanted.
Jeep is electrifying its vehicle lineup. We’ve already driven the Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrids. A Gladiator 4xe pickup is likely to arrive soon. Those vehicles — while formidable in their own right — will be a preamble to the Jeep brand going fully electric. And we may find out more about what Jeep has in store very soon.
Jeep announced it will hold a Jeep Brand 4xe day event on September 8th. A social media tease said the event will begin a “new era of electrification,” presumably suggesting a new battery-electric vehicle. The teaser includes a video with a light bulb illuminating a seven-slot grille and round headlights, which seems to refer to the Wrangler.
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Tune in as we enter a new era of electrification 9.8.22#Jeep4xeDay #4xe #EV pic.twitter.com/gu9yqg5The
— Jeep (@Jeep) August 31, 2022
We know Jeep is building a Wrangler EV that is expected to arrive in 2024. And Jeep has been building up to it by presenting Magneto electric concept vehicles at the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab. What’s not clear is how much those vehicles relate to the eventual Wrangler EV we will get.
The Magneto 2.0 unveiled this year packed a bonkers 625 hp and 850 lb-ft of torque and promised 0-60 mph in two seconds — in a Jeep Wrangler. Because that was not enough, it rolled on 40-inch tires with a three-inch suspension lift. It also used the traditionalist-favored two-door format (12 inches longer for added stability) and a six-speed manual transmission.
A production Wrangler EV is unlikely to be that crazy. But the concepts suggest Jeep plans to ensure the first Wrangler EV is supremely capable and hews to Wrangler tradition.
Another (slightly less exhilarating) option could be a Jeep EV that was shown at a Stellantis global press event earlier this year. The vehicle looks like a pint-sized compact crossover. And it’s expected to arrive in early 2023.
That event was held in Europe, however. That sort of vehicle looks like a better fit for Europe. And it would be a bit weird to build up anticipation and embark on perhaps the most significant shift in the company’s history with an EV take on the Compass rather than the brand’s most iconic vehicle.
Jeep could, of course, take the Toyota route and unveil a smorgasbord of upcoming EVs including both of those vehicles while being light on the specifics.