The Wrangler 4xe: The “e” Stands for Excitement!

One of America’s most popular vehicles is the Jeep Wrangler. It’s a cultural icon with military roots and an 80-year legacy of off-roading prowess. While it isn’t as practical as a pickup truck, as frugal as a sedan, or as comfortable as a standard SUV, the signature utilitarian look and fun-loving character of the Wrangler have carved its own distinct niche in the market. Now in 2021, that niche has gotten a little wider with an answer to the environmental dilemma that off-roading SUVs pose to some customers: the Wrangler 4xe (read as four-by-e). As any 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe dealer could tell you, the first plug-in hybrid electric Jeep offers the chance to take on any off-roading adventure without burning a gallon of gasoline!

Could it be the most unheralded industry advancement of the year? Electric pickup trucks dominate headlines, and off-roading fans are rightfully going bonkers for new developments like the V8-powered Wrangler 392 Rubicon, but where’s all the hype about the 4xe? It’s there if you know where to look, like the AutoTech Breakthrough Awards and Green Car Journal, where the Wrangler 4xe has won the Hybrid Technology Solution of the Year and Green SUV of the Year awards for 2021! As the 4xe quietly arrives on dealership lots around the country, we’re here to sound off on this electrified alternative to the typical gas-powered Wrangler.

Batteries Included

The realm of electric vehicles expanded beyond odd-shaped city cars with superb aerodynamics and bland personalities some time ago. The market has been growing for beautiful, exciting, and thoroughly road-bound electric vehicles; it’s great to see, but it hasn’t mattered much to SUV and truck drivers until now. The age of the electric utility vehicle is very much here, and Jeep is thrilled to be among the first to offer a performance-oriented plug-in hybrid in the 2021 Wrangler 4xe!

We’ll take some time to remind you just what a Wrangler is capable of in a minute. First, you’re probably wondering what’s the deal with the electric version? The 4xe is a plug-in hybrid, which means that not only does it boost fuel efficiency by getting some of its power from electric motors – it’s also capable of driving for short ranges without using a gas engine at all! The EPA-rated electric-only range of the Wrangler is 21 miles, though, in practice, it seems capable of 25 miles or more. Level 1 recharging (which comes standard and plugs into a typical household outlet) takes roughly 12 hours to complete, which is no problem for most commuters to do overnight, but the optional Level 2 charging system can get it done in only 2 hours. Jeep has partnered with Qmerit to simplify the home installation of this system when purchased.

All this means that drivers with commutes of 10 miles or less (up to 20 miles if there’s a charger at work) can easily use a Wrangler 4xe for daily driving with virtually no fuel expense. But what about people who want to put the Wrangler through its paces off-road? Jeep’s got your back! While the Hybrid and eSave drive modes allow you to travel without using up your battery, Jeep is also partnered with Electrify America to install Level 2 charging stations at trailheads across the country! They started with Rubicon, Moab, and Big Bear, and the solar-powered, free-to-use (through an app for 4xe owners) stations will be set up at 50 or more trails nationwide by the time they’re done.

We mentioned different drive modes. A little bit about that: the 4xe has 3 of them, Electric, Hybrid, and eSave. Electric mode is self-explanatory, keeping the gasoline engine off except at high speed or under high throttle. Hybrid mode maximizes power and torque by using the gasoline engine and electric motors in tandem, granting the best acceleration results. The eSave mode is designed to preserve battery charge and can be reconfigured in the infotainment system to emphasize recharging the battery too!

One last neat electric feature is the Max Regen function. While the Wrangler 4xe always uses regenerative braking to help maintain battery charge, this feature takes the efficiency to another level, nearly functioning as a one pedal drive system. You’ll still need to use the brake to come to a complete stop, though, so keep your foot at the ready!

Your Way, Off the Highway

When designing the 4xe Wrangler, Jeep focused on preserving everything about the base model that nominally flies in the face of “efficient” vehicle design. If you love Wrangler’s iconic boxy design, you’ll find that it hasn’t even been tweaked for the slightest mpg boost on the 4xe. It’s a weird flex, but it gets the message across that this is a Wrangler first and electric hybrid second, with no compromises on anything that makes the Wrangler special in the first place. As such, the only tweaks to the appearance of the Wrangler 4xe are vivid surf/lagoon blue highlights and tow hooks, plus the 4xe badging where the 4×4 mark would normally be.

Everything else looks the same – the boxy hood, the removable doors and roof, the fold-flat windshield, the wide and aggressive fenders, it’s all the same. It’s a similar story when it comes to capability and performance.

Despite the extra 800 lbs added by the battery and electric equipment, the 4xe is rated to the same 3,500 lb towing capacity as the standard Wrangler. Jeep engineers have cleverly squeezed the battery into the space directly underneath the rear seat, so the cargo area isn’t impacted either. The maximum cargo capacity is reduced by only 5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded – it’s only a couple of inches of vertical space shorter than normal. It’s subtle enough that rear-seat passengers would never know and clever enough that the Jeep’s interior climate controls will help the battery’s liquid cooling system to maintain an ideal operating temperature!

Lastly, there’s no performance compromise, nothing the gasoline or diesel Wrangler can do that the 4xe can’t. Every hybrid-electric system is specially sealed and guarded so that skidding over boulders and fording through rivers is as safe in the 4xe as in any other Wrangler model. What’s more is that thanks to the silent electric powertrain, when off-roading, the only sounds are those of the tires and of nature all around you, untainted by the rumble of a combustion engine. The open-air Wrangler experience has never been so connected to mother nature as this!

The Same Old Wrangler, Modernized

A little more about what the 4xe (and Wrangler in general) can do. The 4xe has limited availability – it only comes in the 4-door Wrangler Unlimited body style and only in Sahara, Rubicon, and High Altitude trim – but fortunately, these are already some of the most capable Wranglers in the lineup anyway. Consider the Rubicon, on which Dana 44 axles are standard, as is 10.9” of ground clearance and 30” of water fording capability, regardless of powertrain.

A 2-speed transfer case enables full-time 4WD operation and up to a 77.2:1 crawl ratio. The 4xe benefits from the instantaneous torque of electric motors in those situations, too, not relying on a building torque curve or spooling turbo to move anywhere.

That can be handy when carefully navigating exceedingly rough terrain with steep angles. Fortunately, electronic locking differentials and a front sway bar disconnect help keep all four wheels on the ground and turn with traction in the stickiest (or slipperiest, as the case may be) situations. With a breakover angle of 22.5 degrees, departure angle of 35.6 degrees, and an astounding 43.8-degree approach angle, it’s all but certain that you’ll find plenty of sticky and slippery situations when challenging the 4xe’s limits!

Our Mission Is to Go Boldly

The Wrangler is one of America’s most popular models, even outselling the Honda Accord. It’s not for comfort and efficiency that the signature Jeep is so popular, though – it’s for the spirit of fun that comes with being able to go anywhere, any time, and to have that open-air experience while you’re at it. The 4xe not only makes off-roading more palatable to the enviro-conscious driver by reducing emissions and eliminating engine noise in electric mode, but it also adds to the Wrangler legend with the torquiest powertrain in the lineup, elevating its off-roading prowess even further.

The current generation of automobile manufacturers have realized that electric no longer has to be overpriced and over-restrained. The world has seen that electric is not only economically viable, it’s fun too, and its applicability to all markets is unlimited. Just look at the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe, which is one of the least hybrid-looking vehicles on the road, and yet it’s out there running at 49 MPGe and in absolute silence. We’ve never been so charged up to hit the trails!