Jeep has been teasing for some time that an all-electric iteration of its iconic off roader, the Wrangler, is on its way. The company’s Wrangler 4xe hybrid is a reality and a new 4xe Grand Cherokee is too coming out soon. The auto giant is now paving the way for Jeep's first fully electric production vehicle, and it could arrive sooner, as the Wrangler EV concept is barely a month away.
The company recently shared information about where and when such a model will debut on their ‘The Road Ahead’ website, and also mentionedthat it will exhibit a battery powered Wrangler BEV concept as part of a group of concepts to be revealed at the end of March at the Easter Jeep Safari, at Moab, Utah.
Christened as the Wrangler BEV Concept, the short video is morphed between a outlined Wrangler body and a cutaway showing an electric powertrain. The brand has released no information on the concept vehicle, apart from the fact that it will be part of Jeep's concept line-up at the annual Moab event.
On the website, a couple of screenshots give us a taste of what's under the electric Wrangler's skin. We can see that the electric Wrangler appears to still rely on a series of transmissions or gearboxes that deliver power to the front and rear wheels,individually, and what appears to be multiple battery packs connected to an electric motor in the front, that sends power through a conventional transmission and transfer case. It is a shift when compared to other EVs that incorporate multiple motors for four wheeled drive capability. However, this unique concept adapts traditional off-road technology with electric propulsion that may appeal to four wheeling enthusiasts who are still unsure of electric power in such applications.
Also, based on the photos on their webpage, its propulsion architecture shows, Jeep doesn’t need a long wheelbase to fit enough battery packs for a usable long-range electric vehicle. It appears to be installed on a standard two-door Wrangler, however, we have to wait until March to see how the rest of the vehicle pans out.
The company introduced the Wrangler 4xe hybrid concept in January 2020 and followed-up with a production version in September. As such, a fully electric Wrangler concept shown in late March could mean a production Wrangler EV might debut by Christmas this year.
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