Jeep takes aim at Tesla with its first electric SUV, new Wrangler-like EV coming soon
After launching its first global EV, the Wagoneer S, last week, Jeep believes it can compete with the best, including Tesla. With another Wrangler-like EV launching soon, the rugged SUV brand expects to steal “mainly Tesla” drivers, but they are not the only ones.
Meet the first all-electric Jeep
Although Jeep already launched the all-electric Avenger in Europe, the Wagoneer S is the brand’s first global EV.
Jeep officially unveiled the Wagoneer S last week, a luxury fully electric SUV. The Wagoneer S launch “marks a new chapter in the storied history of Jeep brand,” CEO Antonio Filosa said at the event.
The Wagoneer S is “distinctively a Jeep and 100% electric in every way.” You can immediately see the brand’s iconic design elements updated for the new era.
One of the most noticeable changes is the iconic seven-slot grille, which has been redesigned with ambient cast lighting. The grille is closed without the need to cool a massive engine.
Based on the STLA large platform, the Wagoneer S is expected to offer over 300 miles range. With 600 hp and 617 lb-ft of torque, the premium electric sedan can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 secs.
Although it’s based on the same platform as the Dodge Charger, Jeep designers and engineers tuned the Wagoneer S’s dimensions and powertrain configurations to fit the brand. Jeep included its signature Selec-Terrain and standard 4WD to tackle any terrain.
Inside, the Wagoneer S features a “best-in-class” screen featuring over 45″ of usable space. The system includes a 12.3″ center infotainment and a 10.25″ passenger screen.
Following the Wagoneer S, which is set to hit US dealerships this fall, Jeep will launch the Recon, a Wrangler-inspired electric SUV.
Jeep expects new Wagoneer S EV to attract Tesla drivers
Jeep’s CEO believes its first electric vehicles will help attract new buyers to the brand. Filosa told Automotive News, “Something like 100% will be conquested” for the Wagoneer S and Recon EVs.
“The brands we are targeting are mainly Tesla… but there are many others,” Filosa said. The comments come as Filosa, who took over as Jeep CEO last November, looks to revamp the brand.
After sales quadrupled in 2018, nearly reaching the 1 million mark, Jeep has struggled to gain traction amid a five-year sales slump in the US. Jeep sold 642,924 vehicles in the US last year, down 6% from the 684,614 handed over in 2022.
Filosa said the brand can reach 1 million in the US with new models launching in key segments. However, Jeep won’t do so by offering exclusively electric options.
Bill Pefer, head of Jeep North America, said, “We’ve got a suite of different powertrain offerings,” including fully electric, range-extending electric, PHEV, and mild-hybrids.
Meanwhile, new EVs will “give access to the Jeep brand to people who would never consider us before,” according to Pefer.
The Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition will hit dealerships in the US this fall with a starting price of $71,995. Will Jeep’s first EV attract Tesla drivers?
The Tesla Model Y starts at $44,990, with up to 320 miles range. The AWD version starts at $47,990 while the Performance with a 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 secs starts at $51,490. And that’s before the $7,500 tax credit.
Tesla’s Model Y starts at just $37,490, with the tax credit included. The Model X starts at $77,990 with up to 335 miles range. With the tax credit, Model X prices start as low as $70,490.
Can Jeep’s new EV compete with Tesla? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Hyundai is about to launch a new electric SUV in China. With its big debut coming up, Hyundai just dropped a sneak peek, and it looks like it could be the IONIQ 4. Check it out for yourself in the video below.
Is Hyundai teasing the IONIQ 4?
We caught our first glimpse of the new EV model last month after Beijing Hyundai released a few official “spy” photos.
Despite the camouflage, you can see a few design elements, like a light bar across the front, slim LED headlights, and a closed-off grille. At first, it almost looks like a smaller version of the IONIQ 9, Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV, but with a much sportier, shaped profile.
Beijing Hyundai released a new teaser for the upcoming electric SUV this week. The video shows “a wave of high-end operations” as the vehicle dances across the snow.
The video highlights features like real-time torque control, high-speed cornering, and the SUV’s impressive body control while driving around cones.
Hyundai’s new electric SUV is being called “OE” internally, according to The Korean Car Blog, suggesting it could be an IONIQ model.
All other Hyundai IONIQ EV models were also codenamed with an “E” internally, which is raising speculation that this could be the IONIQ 4.
Like most global OEMs, Hyundai is fighting to compete in an intense Chinese EV market, which is dominated by domestic automakers like BYD.
Hyundai opened its first overseas R&D center last year in China to spearhead its comeback. It will work with local suppliers and tech companies to develop EVs designed for Chinese buyers. The new electric SUV is expected to launch in China later this year, followed by three new energy vehicles, including EVs and EREVs.
Beijing Hyundai will release more information on April 16, with the electric SUV set to “challenge the limit of driving performance.”
What do you think of Hyundai’s new electric SUV? Is this the IONIQ 4? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Charge point provider char.gy has secured a £130 million contract to install 6,000 curbside EV chargers for Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) – the UK’s largest installation of its kind.
London-based char.gy has also been awarded a 15-year contract to operate and maintain the charging network.
Installing Level 2 chargers curbside, where most drivers in the UK park, will enable more people to take advantage of cheaper charging rates while juicing up their EVs overnight. (charg.gy’s pay as you go night tariff, between midnight and 7 am, is £0.39/kWh, compared to its £0.59/kWh day tariff.)
John Lewis, chief executive of char.gy, said the project is “a huge moment for the UK and its EV ambitions. This partnership alone will empower thousands of residents to confidently make the switch to electric vehicles, knowing they have easy access to chargers.”
Brighton and Hove City Council is among the first to tap into the government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, designed to help English local authorities roll out charging solutions for residents without off-street parking. Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said making EV charging as accessible as possible is “crucial to making the switch to electric a success.”
The UK now has over 75,000 public EV chargers, according to the Department for Transport—and it looks like the country’s on pace to hit its 2030 target. Back in December, the National Audit Office said the rollout is “on track” to meet the DfT’s estimate that at least 300,000 chargers will be needed by the end of the decade.
Read more: Meet the UK’s largest solar + storage EV charging ‘Superhub’
Now is a great time to begin your solar journey so your system is installed in time for those longer sunny days. If you want to make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate partner
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway
Comments