Following the announcement of hybrid-powered Jeep Compass and Renegade last spring, the company adds the Wrangler PHEV to its hybrid lineup.
Technically, the latest Wrangler is already a mild hybrid car, because it features a small electric engine starter assisting the main 2.0-liter turbo-four mill during the initial launch, while the engine start/stop system is active, and whenever the SUV brakes (to recuperate the energy).
Plug-in hybrids are technically much come complex than mild hybrids, but Jeep provides few details right now. The Wrangler PHEV will ship based on the top-spec Rubicon version (shown on the video here), and will thus inherit its solid-beam rear axle, transfer gear, and body-on-frame construction. Electrification will make it even more capable off-road, because electric motors deliver maximum torque starting at low RPM counts, the company claims.
Jeep expects to produce PHEV variants of its entire range by the end of next year. A year after that, it expects to have 10 PHEVs and 4 BEVs (battery electric vehicles) on the lineup.