Jeep’s first global all-electric SUV, priced at $72,000 | Wilnesh News

NEW YORK — The first all-electric Jeep SUV in the United States is the Wagoneer S, which starts at about $72,000 and is scheduled to go on sale this fall.

this starThe brand unveiled the vehicle and pricing on Thursday, describing it as a “new chapter” for a quintessential American SUV brand that has struggled with domestic sales in recent years.

“This means a lot,” Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa said in an interview with CNBC after revealing the vehicle. “This is the first global (global) vehicle to be built in North America, designed in the United States, and designed for the world.” electric vehicles). “This is a milestone in our history. “

Filosa, who started leading Jeep in December, said the brand is in “great shape” but is in “the same transition period as all automotive brands today” when it comes to electrification.

Although the adoption of electric vehicles in the United States has been slower than expected, Filosa said the brand is not worried about consumer adoption because it complements the Jeep lineup, which will continue to offer traditional gas-powered SUVs, plug-in Hybrid electric vehicles and “extended” products.

The “launch version” of the Wagoneer S will initially feature a 400-volt, 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack capable of over 300 miles of range on a single charge, 0-6 kph horsepower, and 617 pound-feet of torque. According to the company, it can be charged 20%-80% in 23 minutes using a DC fast charger.

Jeep also showed off the Trailhawk off-road performance concept electric vehicle, which Filosa said “hopes it will become a product soon.”

Filosa said a cheaper model of the Wagoneer S will be released about six months after the Launch Edition.

The Wagoneer S EV starts at $71,995, placing it between the gas-powered Wagoneer (which starts at about $63,000) and the more luxurious Grand Wagoneer (which starts at about $92,000).

Filosa said Jeep will also launch a new, unnamed mid-size SUV next year to replace the discontinued Cherokee.

He also said that the company will launch electric range-extended versions of the traditional gasoline-powered Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer in 2025.coming Ram Ramcharger pickup truck.

The Wagoneer S is the start of what Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said this week is the automaker’s U.S. electric vehicle offensive that will see six to eight all-electric vehicles launched this year.

“There’s a lot of opportunity in the U.S. and we’re just starting our electrification offensive,” Tavares said at a Bernstein investor conference on Wednesday.

For Jeep, Tavares said Wednesday that the Wagoneer S is expected to be followed by a Wrangler SUV called the Recon later this year and a new electric vehicle “soon” priced at about $25,000, but gave no details. Lots of details.

Tavares has been outspoken for years about the company being forced to produce electric vehicles at a 40% cost increase due to regulatory requirements rather than consumer demand. On Wednesday, he described electric vehicles as a “cost-cutting move” to ensure the vehicles are profitable.

Electric vehicles are a shift for Jeep in the U.S., where the brand has been focusing on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) such as its Wrangler and Grand Cherokee SUVs. Plug-in vehicles account for 17.5% of Jeep sales this year.

The Wagoneer S will be produced at the Mexican factory and is based on Stellantis’ large electric vehicle platform, which is expected to underpin eight cars Company 2024 to 2026.

Despite sharing the “Wagoneer” name with Jeep’s current gas-powered models, the five-passenger, two-row electric vehicle has little in common with its three-row conventional internal combustion model, other than some Jeep styling.

The most notable difference on the outside is a more modern interpretation of the brand’s signature seven-slot grille, which the electric car doesn’t really need for cooling. It’s zigzag compared to seven separate slots, and the slots are solid and interconnected with each other.

“We reinvented the traditional seven-slot grille,” said Ralph Gilles, head of design at Stellantis. “I’m very proud of that.”

The Wagoneer S also features a large “R-Wing,” an open spoiler at the rear of the SUV. Giles said the goal is not to make “gummies” like many of the aerodynamically good electric vehicles currently sold in the United States.

The company says the Wagoneer S’s profile is far less boxy than its gasoline counterpart, which helps it become the most aerodynamic Jeep the brand has ever produced.

Giles said the Wagoneer name better represents the luxury of the vehicle rather than a single design.

There are more than 45 inches of screens inside, including a 12.3-inch center display, and a mix of metal, faux leather and other sustainable materials.

Giles, the company’s longtime well-known automotive designer, said wood would be banned from the car’s interior. There is also no chrome on the exterior of the SUV. These decisions were made with input from young designers, with the aim of making the vehicle more sustainable and attractive to more young buyers.

“If this is a green car, we have to rethink interior materials,” Giles said. “There’s a big push for sustainable materials everywhere.”