The Jeep Recon EV is finally almost here and it’s ready to join the Wrangler off-road
The Recon EV will be revealed in full soon. Jeep’s CEO shut down rumors that the Wrangler-sized electric off-roader was dead, saying the Recon EV will go on sale shortly.
Jeep’s electric off-roader will go on sale in Spring 2026
Although the Recon was initially set to debut in 2023 with sales starting the following year, don’t count it out just yet.
Bob Broderdorf, who took over the reins as Jeep’s new CEO in February, says rumors that the electric off-roader has been cancelled are far from true.
In fact, Jeep plans to sell it, even if you don’t want it. According to MotorTrend, Broderdorf is promising more details on the Recon EV are coming soon with sales kicking off next spring.
With Stellantis shaking up electrification plans, speculation began to spread that the Jeep Recon EV would be next to get the axe. Luckily, it doesn’t look like that will be the case.
Jeep first unveiled the Recon EV as a concept in 2022, promising the electric off-roader would be not only be able to tackle the Rubicon trail with enough charge to get back to town and recharge. It’s not a replacement, but the Recon is “inspired by the legendary Wrangler,” according to Jeep.
The Recon will be Jeep’s first true off-road EV. Leading up to its official debut, we’ve seen the electric off-roader out in the wild a few times now.
Spy shots of the interior surfaced on JeepReconForum last year, confirming the SUV will feature Jeep’s signature Selec-Terrain traction control system with different modes like “Rock” and “Mud.” The closer it gets to its final form, the more the Recon looks like a Ford Bronco rather than the Wrangler.
Even if it doesn’t sell well, Jeep considers the all-electric Recon as a key model as it looks to corner the off-road market.
Stellantis will build the Recon at its Toluca, Mexico plant alongside the Wagoneer S, Jeep’s first electric SUV in North America. The Jeep Cherokee and Compass are also built at the facility, all of which share the same STLA Large platform.
“We can shift and move. It is OK if [Recon] is low volume,” Broderdorf said, adding “If I have to sell more Cherokees, so be it.”
Although Jeep has yet to reveal final specs and prices, the Recon EV is expected to debut with about 350 miles of range. Prices are expected to start at around $60,000, or slightly less than the Wagoneer S. More premium trims, like the MOAB and Rubicon could cost closer to $80,000.
Broderdorf promised more details are coming soon. He also said the company plans to reveal more info on the future Wrangler shortly. Will we see an electric Wrangler? If so, it likely won’t be until the next generation in 2028.
Until then, Jeep will use the Recon EV and Wrangler as a twin threat as it looks to gain control of the off-road market.
While the Recon will arrive soon, Stellantis cancelled Ram’s first fully electric pickup and trimmed the Dodge Charger EV to just one variant.
Jeep’s CEO sees a market for electric vehicles, in particular the Recon. “We’ve got a great car. We’ve already built it. We should sell it, we should learn. I don’t know how many it will be. I’m not really that worried about it,” Broderdorf said. Even with the $7,500 federal tax credit now expired, Jeep expects EVs to sell in markets like California.
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Electricity demand is surging in Texas, and solar, wind, and battery storage are meeting it.
According to new data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity demand across the Texas grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) hit record highs in the first nine months of 2025. ERCOT, which supplies power to about 90% of the state, saw demand jump 5% year-over-year to 372 terawatt hours (TWh) – a 23% increase since 2021. No other major US grid has grown faster over the past year.
Solar and wind keep ERCOT’s grid steady
The biggest growth story in Texas power generation is solar. Utility-scale solar plants produced 45 TWh from January through September, up 50% from 2024 and nearly four times what they generated in 2021 (11 TWh). Wind power also continued to climb, producing 87 TWh through September – a 4% increase from last year and 36% more than in 2021.
Together, wind and solar supplied 36% of ERCOT’s total electricity over those nine months. Solar, in particular, has transformed Texas’s daytime energy mix. From June to September, ERCOT solar farms generated an average of 24 gigawatts (GW) between noon and 1 pm – double the midday output from 2023. That growth has pushed down natural gas use at midday from 50% of the mix in 2023 to 37% this year.
Battery storage is filling in the gaps
Batteries charge during the day when wind and solar generation are the highest, and they produce electricity when generation from wind and solar slows down. ERCOT began reporting battery output separately in October 2024 in its hourly grid data, and it’s clear that batteries are now helping to smooth out evening peaks. This past summer, batteries supplied an average of 4 GW of power around 8 pm, right as solar production dropped off.
Natural gas is flatlining
Natural gas is still Texas’s dominant power source, but it isn’t growing like it used to. Between January and September, gas-fired plants generated 158 TWh of electricity, compared to 161 TWh in 2023. Gas comprised 43% of ERCOT’s generation mix during the first nine months of 2025, down from 47% in the first nine months of 2023 and 2024.
More demand growth ahead
The EIA expects Texas electricity demand to keep rising faster than any other grid in the US. In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA projects ERCOT’s demand will climb another 14% in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 425 TWh. That means Texas will need even more solar, wind, and battery storage to keep up with its breakneck growth.
Read more: This $900 million solar farm in Texas is going 100% to data centers
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GM is recalling nearly 23,000 Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models due to a defect where the tire tread could fall off.
GM is recalling more Chevy Equinox EV models
In a letter sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM said it has decided to issue a safety recall for certain Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models from model years 2025 to 2026.
This time, it isn’t necessarily GM’s fault. The vehicles may be equipped with 21″ all-season tires that Continental Tire is recalling.
According to Continental, the tires were produced during the week of October 6, 2024, and may have a defect where the tire tread could partially or fully detach. The records show the defect is due to a nonconforming tread base rubber compound.
Owners of affected vehicles may notice unusual tread wear or bulging, vibration while driving, or tire noises. GM is unaware of any incidents related to the defect, but is issuing the recall out of an abundance of caution.
On September 18, 2025, GM inspected the assembly plant and confirmed there were no suspect tires in stock. The 21″ tires come standard on RS trims and are optional on LT1 and LT2 grades.
Although GM is recalling 22,914 Chevy Equinox EVs and Cadillac Optiqs, it estimates that only about 1% of them have the defect.
The recall includes:
- 2026 Cadillac Optiq: 214
- 2026 Chevy Equinox EV: 1,832
- 2025 Cadillac Optiq: 3,468
- 2025 Chevy Equinox EV: 17,400
GM dealers will check all four tires and replace them if needed, free of charge. Dealers were notified on October 16. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed out on December 1, 2025.
You can contact Chevrolet’s customer service number at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac’s at 1-800-333-4223. GM’s recall number is N252525030. Owners can also call the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit the nhtsa.gov website for more information.
The Chevy Equinox EV is now the third best-selling EV in the US, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. Meanwhile, Cadillac’s entry-level Optiq SUV is the fifth-most-popular luxury EV. The recall is minor and only affects a small percentage of models, so it’s not expected to have a major impact.
If you want to test one of them for yourself, we can help you get started. Check out our links below to find available Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models near you.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s earnings madness, Rivian layoffs, Ford pausing F-150 Lightning, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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