Yahoo Autos Hybrids, batteries promise us the quickest, 'most capable Jeep ever'
Jeep quietly introduced a trio of plug-in hybrid SUVs at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Full technical details about the 4xe-badged off-roaders haven't been announced yet, but the company is already planning to speed up its electrification offensive by releasing more hybrids and even a handful of electric models.
One of the battery-powered models on the drawing board is a so-called "adventure" off-roader that would fully leverage the benefits of an electric powertrain to take its occupants far off the beaten path. Autocar learned that, if approved for production, it would rely on individually-controlled wheels to trudge through difficult terrain. Motorists would gain the ability to draw electricity from its battery pack to power accessories like laptops and speakers. Back on the pavement, it would stand out as one of the quickest models Jeep has ever produced.
"Think about a Wrangler Rubicon, full electric or PHEV. This is a car that's going to do zero to 60 mph in six seconds, potentially, so you're going to get acceleration you're never going to get with an engine. You're going to get the most capable Jeep ever," explained company boss Christian Meunier in an interview with the British magazine. The Hellcat-powered, 707-horsepower Grand Cherokee Trackhawk boasts a 3.5-second zero-to-60-mph time, but it's not very well suited to off-roading; it's not the kind of SUV we'd take to the Rubicon Trail.
