Jeep’s first plug-in hybrid in the US: the Wrangler 4xe

Here we discuss “Jeep’s first plug-in hybrid in the US: the Wrangler 4xe”. Historical accounts point to 1899 for the invention of the first-ever hybrid car. In the last 20 years, the market has slowly opened to more vehicles powered together by gas engines and electric motors. Hybrid cars’ benefits are their relatively affordable price, eco-friendliness, and efficiency. 

To date, Jeep has not released a traditional hybrid vehicle. And it only released its first-ever plug-in hybrid vehicle in the US last year: the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe. This year, it was followed by the 2022 Grand Cherokee 4xe. Europe got its first Jeep plug-in hybrids in 2020, the Jeep Renegade 4xe and the Jeep Compass 4xe.

Hybrid vs. plug-in hybrid

It can sometimes get confusing, but the functions of the two help point out how different they are.

Hybrids have both gas engines and electric batteries that work together. The car runs on the electric battery at lower speeds, but when you step on it and pick up the pace, it switches to the gas engine for power. Hybrids have a function called regenerative braking, where the electric battery gets charged by the energy created whenever the car decelerates.

Plug-in hybrid elective vehicles (PHEVs) like the Wrangler 4xe and the Grand Cherokee 4xe have gas engines and electric batteries. However, in the case of plug-ins, the electric battery is more powerful and needs to be charged from an external source.

With a fully charged battery, PHEVs can run solely on electric battery power, covering short distances. When driving a PHEV, you may never have to pump gas as long as you only drive to nearby places.

The Wrangler 4xe 2021

Performance

Jeep calls the Wrangler 4xe its “most planet-friendly Jeep Wrangler ever”. It has a 100-kilowatt electric motor that produces 134 horsepower. Its partner is a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine putting out 270 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. It also has an 8-speed automatic transmission. The 2021 Wrangler 4xe has the regenerative braking feature as well as a 33kW starter–generator. All in all, it has a combined output of 375 hp and 470 lb-ft.

Driving modes

The three driving modes for the 2021 Wrangler 4xe are Hybrid, Electric, and E-Save, which can be accessed from a row of three buttons on the front panel. The hybrid model combines torque from both the gas engine and the electric motor. As long as there is at least a 1% battery charge, the Wrangler can run in electric mode. E-save mode draws power from the engine more and reserves the battery for later use. This mode can also be configured to recharge the battery.

Mileage

Pure-electric range of the 2021 Wrangler 4xe can hit 21 miles. On hybrid mode, it can cover up to 20 mpg.

Charging

Using a 110-vols level-1 charger, it takes 10 to 12 hours to charge the Wrangler HPEV fully. But this charging time can be reduced to two hours using a 240-volt level-2 charger.

Price

The Sahara model starts at $47,995 MSRP, while the Wrangler Rubicon starts at $51,695. Under US laws, you are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit for any electric or hybrid vehicle purchase.