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 on their own — 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.
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.
Stellantis
