Jeep to start Europe EV push with 4 new models

Jeep will start its push to 100% EVs by 2030 with four models, from the small Avenger to the large premium Wagoneer.

Jeep plans to move from zero full-electric vehicle sales in Europe this year to 100 percent in 2030. To get there, parent company Stellantis will start by launching four electric SUVs by 2025 and phase out any combustion-engine variant in the following five years.

“We want to become the global leader in SUV electrification,” Jeep CEO Christian Meunier said at a media event on Wednesday.

Jeep is already heavily hybridized, with a range of plug-in hybrid SUVs, but the first zero-emission Jeep will be the Avenger small SUV, which will debut Oct. 17 at the Paris auto show. The Avenger, which will go on sale in Europe next year, is expected to have a range of about 400 km (250 miles).

The Avenger will be built in Stellantis’ Tychy, Poland, factory and exported to Japan and South Korea, but not sold in the U.S. and China.

Jeep’s electrification goals differ in the U.S., where it plans to sell 50 percent zero-emission vehicles by 2030.

The large Jeep Recon, aimed at outdoor enthusiasts, will start production in early 2024, with shipments to Europe later that year.

The first full-electric Jeep available in North America will be a large SUV called the Recon, with boxy styling that recalls the Land Rover Defender. Production in the U.S. will begin in early 2024, with shipments to Europe following late that year.

Unlike the Avenger, the Recon will not have an internal-combustion drivetrain option. Jeep said the Recon is aimed at those who love to explore and have extreme adventures in near silence with a rugged, full-electric vehicle package. As with Jeep’s foundational model, the Wrangler, the Recon will allow for an open-air experience, with a one-touch power top, and removable doors and glass.

Meunier said the Recon had enough battery capacity to complete the 22-mile Rubicon Trail, one of the toughest off-road vehicle trails in the U.S., and then “drive back to town for a recharge.”

The third zero-emission Jeep will be a version of the large Wagoneer, code-named the Wagoneer S, that Stellantis design boss Ralph Gilles called “the art of American premium.”

Jeep says the aerodynamically styled Wagoneer S will be a global product targeting a range of 400 miles (644 km) on a single charge, with 600 hp and a 0-60 mph (97 kph) time of about 3.5 seconds. It will go on sale in 2024. Jeep has not said when it could appear in Europe.

Jeep did not disclose any details of its fourth full-electric model, set to appear in 2025, according to a company slide.