Jeep is bringing its first electric vehicle to the U.S.
The automaker, on Thursday, debuted the Wagoneer S, a fully electric SUV that will go on sale in the U.S. and Canada later this year—and in other worldwide markets over the following months. It’s a test of the company’s customer base, which has long identified Jeep as a gas-powered off-road line of vehicles.
The Wagoneer S isn’t the first EV for Jeep, but it will be the first in the U.S. The Avenger EV is already sold in Europe.
“The launch of the all-electric Jeep Wagoneer S marks a new chapter in the storied history of the Jeep brand,” said Antonio Filosa, Jeep brand CEO, in a statement. “This first global EV will introduce a whole new generation of owners to an experience that is distinctly Jeep and 100% electric in every way.”
The Wagoneer S will have a range of over 300 miles on a single charge, the company said, and will go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds, producing up to 600 horsepower via its two electric motors.
Drivers will be able to select one of five “drive modes” in the vehicle—Auto, Sport, Eco, Snow, and Sand —to better handle different terrains.
Jeep’s move to EVs comes as more automakers are rethinking their dedication to them. Ford recently announced plans to delay its new F-series EV to allow the consumer market to “further develop” before it's released. General Motors has also said its EV production has cost the company money.
One report by automotive research firm JATO Dynamics noted US EV adoption is still “in the slow lane,” and a Bank of America report in January said EVs were one area of the auto market that “still appears relatively soft,” due to “a lack of affordability, limited choice, and ‘range anxiety,'" or the worry that people will be stranded if the battery runs out.
