EV buyers want crossovers and SUVs. To hell with sedans, hatchbacks, wagons and coupes. This means manufacturers are focusing on filling out their EV lineups with plenty of SUV options. An increasing number of these models are designed to go off-road, as America's interest in adventure vehicles grows.
There are a handful of off-road-focused EVs that have already been launched, but many more seem to be set to arrive in the next few years. Some are from established automakers, and some are from newer companies that only make EVs, but they all share the promise of being able to take you into nature without any tailpipe emissions.
Off-Road EVs Already Launched
One of the best EV choices for outdoor enthusiasts is the Rivian R1S. It's seriously versatile and capable once the tarmac runs out, although it’s also great to drive on-road. Another solid option is the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally. It's not going to win awards for its rock-crawling ability, but as its name suggests, you can slide it around a loose surface and feel like a rally driver.
The GMC Hummer EV SUV is another off-road-focused EV, but while it has lots of power and traction, it’s also very heavy and a bit unwieldy for serious off-roading. The Scottish-built Munro Mk.1 is the ideal electric off-roader with its solid axles and ample wheel articulation. However, its production numbers are very low , and its availability is limited.
Off-Road EVs Still In Development
Rivian R2
Rivian has shown what it can do with the R1T and R1S, which are excellent off-road EVs that just got better with a recent overhaul. However, the manufacturer is targeting higher-volume sales with its second (and smaller) model, the R2, which will retain the R1 models’ penchant for going off-road, but in a smaller and more affordable package.
The Rivian R2 should enter production in the first half of 2026, and it will be offered in a base single-motor rear-wheel drive, as well as dual- and tri-motor all-wheel drive configurations. It won’t be available with the R1’s air suspension system, which means you won’t be able to park it on an incline and have the car level itself out, but it’s going to be a lot better off-road than most of the other electric crossovers in the same size range.
Scout SUV
We don’t know a great deal about the upcoming Scout SUV other than the fact that it will be styled to harken back to the International Harvester Scout off-roader built from the 1960s until the 1980s. In keeping with the original’s character, the new EV, which is being built under Volkswagen’s umbrella, will be a rugged vehicle specifically designed to be good off-road.
It will be built on a bespoke EV platform and should enter production in 2026. It'll be built at a new factory currently under construction in South Carolina. Scout will reveal the concepts that preview the SUV and pickup models on October 24.
Mercedes G580 with EQ Technology
The Mercedes G-Class is one of the most capable and rugged vehicles that you can buy today, and it owes its off-road prowess to its roots as a military vehicle and its truck-like body-on-frame construction. Now Mercedes has launched a fully electric version of the G, which retains most of what made the original great off-road but makes it more powerful and capable with the addition of four individual electric motors, one for each wheel—it can do tank turns. It was originally going to be called the EQG, but Mercedes made the bizarre decision to call the production version the "G580 with EQ Technology."
With a combined output of 579 horsepower and 859 pound feet of torque, the four-motor system provides strong acceleration. More importantly, it allows for precise torque control for each wheel. This should make it even more capable than the regular combustion version at going over obstacles, making light work of tricky off-road situations despite its over 6,800-pound weight.
Baby Mercedes G-Wagen
The G-Class is an international success story for Mercedes that stretches back decades. It continues to sell well and retains a loyal fan base today. The automaker wants to capitalize on the G-Class image by offering a smaller “baby G” model, which will come exclusively as a full EV.
The G’s smaller electric brother will debut around 2026 and offer buyers a more affordable entry point into G-Class ownership. Company officials have said that it’s not going to ride on the MMA platform that underpins the upcoming electric CLA replacement, but it will feature a bespoke architecture that uses components from Mercedes’ lineup of larger, rear-wheel drive models to allow engineers to make it good off-road.
Mysterious Midsize Lucid
We’ve known for months that Lucid is working on midsize models, one of which is a direct rival to the Tesla Model Y. Lucid plans to boost its total sales into the hundreds of thousands and eventually reach one million. However, the manufacturer recently announced that it’s actually working on three rather than two midsize models, and it gave strong hints that the mysterious third model was going to be an off-road-focused crossover.
Jeep Recon
Jeep is a name synonymous with traversing tough terrain, and the manufacturer wants to retain its image as it moves into the electric age. The Jeep Recon is scheduled to go on sale later this year with a starting price of around $60,000. It reportedly impressed dealers during a meeting in 2023, and will offer removable doors like an internal-combustion Wrangler. There is a chance Jeep will also offer it with some kind of combustion power, but Jeep hasn’t confirmed this yet.
Jeep Wagoneer S
The Jeep Recon will share its STLA Large platform with the larger and more luxurious Wagoneer S, which will cost from $71,995 when it goes on sale later this year. However, unlike the Recon, the Wagoneer S is intended more as luxurious on-road transportation. It won’t be as good as its smaller brother at going off-road, but there will be a reasonably capable Trailhawk variant.
The Wagoneer S packs a dual-motor configuration with 600 horsepower and sprints to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. Jeep is targeting an EPA range of over 300 miles on one charge.
Jeep Wrangler EV
Jeep said that an electric Wrangler isn’t in the cards before 2027, but it’s still going to arrive at some point. Making the Wrangler electric is important for Jeep’s image, as well as for the Stellantis group as a whole. When Jeep eventually launches it, you can expect it to be a beast with over 600 horsepower and crazy performance numbers for such an off-road-focused vehicle. Jeep has already previewed an electric Wrangler with the Magneto concept, which we drove back in 2022.
Range Rover EV
Range Rover's first EV will be an electric version of the combustion model. The manufacturer doesn't want it to shout about being electric, so it will look like the ICE variant with only subtle details to signal that it is electric. The biggest giveaway will be the lack of tailpipes.
No word on specs or range yet, but Land Rover will release these important details closer to the electric Range Rover's debut. We expect it to bow next winter before it goes on sale in early 2025 as the flagship model in the range.
Ineos Fusilier EV
Ineos announced a smaller off-roader, the Fusilier, which will sit below the Grenadier in the lineup. This new smaller Ineos will be available as a full EV but also as an extended-range EV. Not much is known about it other than the plan to start production in 2027, as well as its targeted WLTP range of 248 miles, which will be about 200 miles on the EPA test cycle.
