The Jeep Recon Might Not Be Electric-Only After All
From the beginning, it seemed the Jeep Recon was conceived of as one of Jeep's standard-bearers for EVs. It was designed for Stellantis' STLA Large platform, which was made with fully-electric vehicles in mind. But it turns out the Recon might be available in both fully electric and ICE-powered varieties, after all, now that Jeep is considering giving the Recon a hybrid option, as Autocar reports.
If Jeep decides to go ahead and make a hybrid Recon alongside a fully-electric model, it would be a tacit admission that EVs are not as appealing to the public as automakers hoped they'd be. And it would be merely the latest case of a major industry player walking back its commitment to the EV transition that has gripped the industry these last couple of years. A grip that seems to be losing strength, as automakers lose confidence in their EV plans.
The Recon is not due for release until 2025, so its final specs are not yet set in stone. So far, we've only seen the off-road EV in concept form, and the upcoming vehicle is ostensibly positioned as a competitor to the Land Rover Defender. It will reportedly boast "considerable off-road ability," per Autocar, as well as featuring fully-removable doors like its sibling, the Jeep Wrangler, and the JL's rival, the Ford Bronco. Power output for the Recon EV is reportedly going to be up to about 600 bhp, or 592 hp, while its maximum range is estimated to be 373 miles.
The Recon is planned for a release that coincides with that of the upcoming Wagoneer S, which also represents an EV flagship for Jeep, albeit with a road-going focus compared to that of the off-road Recon. Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa tells Autocar that the new Wagoneer remains an EV-only model, but the Jeep boss struck a milder tone when discussing the Recon, saying that, "Wagoneer S will stay BEV-only, for sure. But [while] being faithful to our main strategy of deep electrification, we can think about opportunities on Recon. Let’s see: Recon will be built on a platform that is very versatile.”
Filosa is not ruling out the possibility of a hybrid Recon, and went on to say that a gasoline-only model is unlikely to make it to production. Any ICE-powered Recon that could eventually be released along with the EV version would have to be a hybrid, although it's unclear if it would be a plug-in model. Given Jeep's expertise with PHEVs and the success it has seen with the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe, it's pretty likely that the Recon could join the PHEV lineup at Jeep.
Whatever form the hybrid Recon ends up taking, if at all, the point is Jeep seems to be cooling on its fully-electric future. The carmakers says it's currently looking at all of its options and is now openly admitting that it needs to "invest in other possibilities" besides fully-electric SUVs.
