Jeep Plans Four Electric SUVs, Including a New ‘Brother’ for the Wrangler
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Jeep, the rugged American SUV brand owned by Stellantis NV, is expanding its lineup to meet more-stringent emission rules and catch up to rival automakers.
The brand known for the off-road Wrangler will bring four fully electric SUVs to market by 2025, including two all-new models, the company said Sept. 8. The Jeep Recon, a zero-emission vehicle its top designer calls a “brother” of the popular Wrangler, will go on sale in the U.S. in 2024. The Jeep Avenger, a compact electric SUV meant to navigate tight urban spaces, will enter the European market next year.
The Wagoneer S, a fully electric version of the luxury three-row SUV Jeep resuscitated in 2020, will also be available in 2024. Stellantis declined to provide the name or other details of a planned fourth new EV Jeep.
While General Motors Co. delivered the first Hummer EVs in late 2021 and Ford Motor Co. brought out the battery-powered Mustang Mach-E the same year, Stellantis has been slow to offer fully electric vehicles. But the automaker has moved more quickly to debut hybrids. The company vows to make half of the brand’s portfolio hybrid or wholly electric by 2025, and increase all-electric Jeeps to 50% of U.S. sales by 2030.
Even so, Jeep is being careful not to alienate die-hard fans of its gas-powered Wrangler. The Recon is meant as an electric nod to the Wrangler, not a replacement, said Christian Meunier, the global head of Jeep.
“The Wrangler stays the Wrangler, the icon of the brand, that’s very clear,” he told reporters.
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