Yahoo Autos Electric Jeep Recon and Wagoneer S blaze trail to brand's EV future
The Jeep 4xe Day is here, and in addition to laying out electrification plans, the brand revealed some all-new and very interesting products. And we'll get to those in a bit, but first let's cover the broad strokes. The long-term goal is for Jeep to only offer electric models in Europe by 2030. In the U.S., half of its models will be fully electric, but the entire lineup will be either battery-electric or some kind of hybrid. On the way to that goal, it will launch a total of four full electric models across North America and Europe by 2025, three of which have been announced today. And with that, let's start talking about those new EVs, plus an upcoming plug-in hybrid, in rough order of relevance and what has us excited.
Jeep Recon
The Recon caught us by surprise, and it's a good surprise. It's a very, very Wrangler-like machine with its boxy shape, short overhangs, high ground clearance, big tires, removable doors and more. But from what Jeep executives were saying, it is NOT a replacement for the Wrangler. So fans of the classic SUV shouldn't panic.
The Recon is fully electric, and it won't have an internal combustion counterpart. And despite the similarities between the Recon and Wrangler, there are distinct differences. The most obvious one of course is the pair of square headlights up front. The hood is much wider, as are the metal fenders. And if we zoom in really close, it looks like the Recon has independent rear suspension; probably independent front, too. That's just what we can tell from the photos, as Jeep hasn't said anything about the Recon's specifications or construction short of saying it will have off-road tires, locking axles and skid plates. If anything, this seems like a Wrangler for someone that wants something a bit more refined for on-road use. But we're sure it'll still be quite capable off-road. While this design will likely see some tweaks, Jeep said that the Recon will start production in North America in 2024, and it will start taking reservations early next year.
