This is your first look at the first Jeep EV
A new EV from Jeep has been teased during a recent earnings call by parent company Stellantis. The brand’s trail-rated SUVs are used in some of the world’s toughest conditions, and now they’re going fully electric.
Stellantis wasn’t first out of the gate with its announcement to go all-electric, but the auto giant has made a commitment to become carbon neutral by 2038.
Along the way, the company’s many brands, including Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Alfa Romeo, will have to make the shift.
The design of Jeep’s first EV is no secret, as the automaker shared clear images during the presentation. Looking at the shape and defining details, it’s easy to see Jeep DNA and common design elements the EV render shares with other vehicles in the automaker’s catalog.
The traditional Jeep grille is here, along with muscular wheel arches and a two-tone paint job. Around back, the SUV sports familiar looking taillights and a sporty look overall.
This EV may be the first for the Jeep brand, but parent company Stellantis is hard at work on several new battery-powered vehicles.
The Alfa Romeo Tonale will be available with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain, and we know at least a couple of electric cars are coming from the Italian automaker over the next few years.
Dodge, best known for building 700-plus-horsepower muscle cars, will release electric models as well, including a teased all-electric successor to the Hellcat cars.
(Image credit: Jeep)
Jeep’s EV jump makes sense
It makes sense that Jeep is building an EV, and the fact that it will be a small, urban crossover makes even more sense.
The brand’s 4xe PHEV vehicles offer a taste of electrification and provide great low-end torque for off-roading, so the move to a full EV isn’t a stretch.
Electric motors may even make the small crossover viable to use off-road, but charging while off the beaten path remains a problem.
When legacy brands like Jeep start the shift to EVs, it’s a good indicator that the tide is turning. Burly off-roaders are the last vehicles that anyone expects to be viable candidates for electrification, but with the 4xe models, Jeep already proved it’s a possible and compelling option.
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Via AutoExpress
