by Matt Konkle
Torque Editor-in-Chief
When the all-electric Jeep Wrangler Magneto concept rolled out into the Utah desert during last spring’s Easter Jeep Safari, many around the industry believed it would mark the brand’s first ever North American fully-electric production vehicle.
After all, Jeep’s parent company Stellantis said last summer that it expects to have a fully-electric Jeep Wrangler in place by mid-decade.
However, during Tuesday’s Stellantis press event dubbed ‘Dare Forward 2030’, the automaker instead unveiled renderings that showed its initial all-electric Jeep offering would fit more into a smaller urban-type SUV category.
“Today, we are thrilled to present the Jeep brand’s first-ever fully electric SUV launching in early 2023,” Stellantis said in a statement. “Our journey is fueled by a focus on innovation and engineering excellence that will put the latest technology into all our vehicles – from the most affordable to the high-performance and luxury – all offered through the extensive product portfolio of our incredible and unique house of brands.”
Stellantis did not announce a name for the vehicle during the event, nor did the company confirm it would actually reach North America next year — only saying the model will launch in Europe early in 2023. This does leave the door open for Wrangler to capture that ‘first-ever’ Jeep all-electric status should it be the first to sell in North America. The company said more information on the battery-electric Jeep will be released in the coming months.
At first glance, Tuesday’s released images show off a battery-electric crossover that is chiseled out somewhat like the brand’s Cherokee or Compass gas counterparts, except there is no tailpipe on this edition. The seven-slot grille design also mimics a style somewhere between Compass and Cherokee with a slightly more aerodynamic face.
Size-wise, although it is tough to tell from a rendering, many around the industry believe this crossover will be slightly smaller than a Renegade, making it appealing to urban European buyers looking to navigate tight streets and heavy traffic.
The Jeep EV will feature Stellantis’ STLA Small platform, one of four dedicated electrified architectures announced back in December that will underpin all its BEV nameplates under the Stellantis umbrella. The other architectures: Medium, Large and Frame, will apply to premium, all-wheel drive, muscle and capability (truck) vehicles.
During the ‘Dare Forward 2030’ event, Stellantis said its goal is to have 50 percent of U.S. sales being EVs by 2030, with that figure hitting 100 percent in Europe. The automaker said it expects to have 25 EVs on sale by 2030 — including Wrangler and Grand Cherokee models.
“Dare Forward 2030 inspires us to become so much more than we’ve ever been,” said Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares. “We are expanding our vision, breaking the limits and embracing a new mindset, one that seeks to transform all facets of mobility for the betterment of our families, communities and the societies in which we operate.”
Jeep has embraced this electrification philosophy faster than most other Stellantis brands, with its Wrangler 4xe recognized last year as the market’s top-selling plug-in hybrid. The brand is also expected to show off several electric and hybrid Jeep concepts at the upcoming Easter Jeep Safari event in Moab, Utah this April.
“Jeep embodies freedom of mobility. Freedom of mobility is going wherever you want in nature. And when you’re in nature you want to protect it with a vehicle that’s sustainable and zero-emission,” Tavares said during an EV day event last summer.
Jeep Magneto Concept
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