DETROIT – Three new hybrid electric Jeep models are making their domestic debuts at the annual CES technology conference in Las Vegas this week as part of Fiat Chrysler’s plans to electrify all vehicles of the iconic SUV brand by 2022.
The Italian-American automaker is showing off plug-in hybrid electric versions of the Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Compass and Jeep Renegade, which all feature a new “4xe” badge — a play on Jeep’s reputation as a 4x4 off-road brand.
“Electrification, including the upcoming no-compromise Jeep 4xe vehicles, will modernize the Jeep brand as it strives to become the leader in ‘green’ eco-friendly premium technology,” Fiat Chrysler said Thursday.
The vehicles are expected to assist Fiat Chrysler in meeting U.S. fuel economy standards and help in reshaping the brand’s gas-guzzling SUV image.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs, traditionally offer a range of all-electric driving before a traditional internal combustion engine is needed. That compares to all-electric vehicles that do not use any fossil fuels. Fiat Chrysler currently offers the Chrysler Pacifica minivan as its only PHEV in the U.S.
Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley previously said all of Jeep’s SUVs would offer a form of electrification by 2022. Other Jeep models in the U.S. lineup include the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SUVs and Wrangler-based Gladiator pickup.
The plug-in models of the Compass and Renegade were shown off at the Geneva International Motor Show in March, while the Wrangler was previewed as part of a presentation in 2018.
Fiat Chrysler declined to offer additional details about the vehicles being shown at CES, saying more information will be released later this year.
When initially unveiled last year, Fiat Chrysler said the Compass and Renegade plug-in models would offer about 50 kilometers, or 31 miles, of pure-electric range and a new 1.3-liter turbo gasoline engine.
The PHEV models will be featured alongside a new design concept called the “Airflow Vision.” The vehicle, according to Fiat Chrysler, will showcase the “next generation of premium transportation” and how passengers can interact with advanced technologies.
At CES, Fiat Chrysler also will feature the all-electric Fiat Centoventi, a concept vehicle that debuted at the Geneva show last year.
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