Jeep global president Christian Meunier reportedly claimed the entire lineup, including the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator, will get either plug-in hybrid or battery-electric drivetrains in the next couple of years.
For a brand that only just got a diesel-powered Wrangler to the market, a rapid move to electrifying its entire lineup in just two years seems a little far-fetched, though we know plans are already in place for a hybrid Jeep Wrangler next year, and the Renegade and Compass are already offered as a plug-in in Europe.
Jeep has introduced its very first production plug-in hybrids in the form of the Jeep Renegade.
But the move to hybrids and EVs will also signal a big culture change for Jeep, which some of us may not be too thrilled to hear come out of the global president’s mouth.
In short, the last decade, globally, has been a significant one for the brand, given the fivefold increase in sales. Jeep believes a roll out of forward-facing electrified models will only help its sales growth continue.
“We want to make it more of a sustainable, iconic brand, not only an off-road brand,” Meunier said.
“Expand the capability off-road into more of on-road capability, all-weather capability, and fully sustainable and I think that’s why when I said we want to become the greenest SUV brand in the world, we mean it and that is what the company is going to deliver.”
