Jeep is going electric this year with the plug-in hybrid Wrangler 4xe, but there may be much more battery-power to come.
The automaker has released a teaser for an all-electric Wrangler concept that it will be debuting at the Easter Jeep Safari off-road event in Moab, Utah, in late March.
Electric Jeep Wrangler and solar-powered charging station being revealed at Easter Jeep Safari.
The animation appears on the brand’s new The Road Ahead website, which chronicles its upcoming electrification and automated driving tech.
Following a shadowy shot of the exterior of the four-door Wrangler, the animation transitions to a transparent view of the vehicle that reveals its drivetrain layout, which is different than many upcoming 4×4 electric models, like the GMC HUMMER EV.
Instead of a battery in the middle and an electric motor directly driving each axle, the Jeep appears to have three battery packs located under the seat and cargo area and an electric motor under the hood that sends power through a transmission to conventional solid axles.
It’s not unlike the setup used for the 4xe, which pairs a four-cylinder engine with an electric motor that draws energy from a small battery under the rear seats that can deliver around 25 miles of all-electric driving.
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Jeep hasn’t yet said if an all-electric Wrangler of this design is heading for production, but the concept’s design shows such a model is possible using the current JL model, which first went on sale in 2018 and has several more years ahead of it.
(Jeep)
As far as charging such a vehicle in the remote areas it was designed to reach, Jeep said it is already working on a network of solar-powered charging stations that will be installed near several of its certified Badge of Honor trail locations, which include one coming to Moab in time for the safari.
