2024 4xe is disappointing... gets no range increase

[pyrowolf]

Seriously - what is Jeep's aversion to adding more battery to the 4xE? I would keep buying them if they would just add more EV range, even if it was an "extended range" upgrade like most other EVs. 20 miles with their terrible regenerative recharge system is ridiculous.

My wife has a Kia Nero PHEV and the hybrid system in the Nero makes the 4xE seem like a joke -- and the Nero was half the price of my Jeep and has 50% more EV range and once your EV runs out and swaps over to hybrid the Nero still gets like 50MPG.

C'mon Jeep give me SOMETHING here. I really don't want to swap to a pure EV yet, especially with how I use my 4xE, but they're almost forcing me to look at the lightning or a R1T if I want to maintain off-road capability with more EV range at low temps and some modicum of basic towing.

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[BXFXJeep]

The Wrangler is an electric guzzler just like it is a gas guzzler.

The Nero has a 11kWh, the 4xe 17kWh.

The Wrangler is over 5,000lbs, the Nero is under 3,500lbs

I'm not sure where they can stuff more battery.

Sure more range would be nice, but it is what it is.

 

[lindaspins]

If you compare an ICE Kia Niro to an ICE Wrangler, say a Sport, how does it look? I'm going to say the differences in efficiency are about the same.
You're looking at apples and oranges here. Sadly, you can't do an apples to apples comparison, because the Wrangler 4xe PHEV simply doesn't have any comparables to other vehicles. The best way to classify it is how different it is to an ICE Wrangler.
It's not a standard SUV, and definitely not a CUV like the Niro.

 

[mini2nut]

I think it's simply a problem of finding the real estate or Jeep engineers would do it. The Wrangler is a compact SUV with limited space.

 

[C.Sco]

Space.

They already gave up a lot by putting the battery size they did in there. Any bigger and backseat passengers would have to tilt their head to the side to fit.

 

[Yawnie'sPapa]

Seriously - what is Jeep's aversion to adding more battery to the 4xE? I would keep buying them if they would just add more EV range, even if it was an "extended range" upgrade like most other EVs. 20 miles with their terrible regenerative recharge system is ridiculous.

My wife has a Kia Nero PHEV and the hybrid system in the Nero makes the 4xE seem like a joke -- and the Nero was half the price of my Jeep and has 50% more EV range and once your EV runs out and swaps over to hybrid the Nero still gets like 50MPG.

C'mon Jeep give me SOMETHING here. I really don't want to swap to a pure EV yet, especially with how I use my 4xE, but they're almost forcing me to look at the lightning or a R1T if I want to maintain off-road capability with more EV range at low temps and some modicum of basic towing.

Where the heck are they gonna put it? And then the added weight will subtract from the mileage anyway to some extent.
People don't look at realities of government regs, safety factors, weights, where the hell will you put more batteries because we already lost under seat storage and then some - fold the seats it's roughly 8" higher than the cargo area as it is. Make the cargo area worthless?

It's a BRICK, and a heavy one. A 4xe JLU Rubicon weighs more than the Gladiator fully loaded.

 

[C.Sco]

If you compare an ICE Kia Niro to an ICE Wrangler, say a Sport, how does it look? I'm going to say the differences in efficiency are about the same.
You're looking at apples and oranges here. Sadly, you can't do an apples to apples comparison, because the Wrangler 4xe PHEV simply doesn't have any comparables to other vehicles. The best way to classify it is how different it is to an ICE Wrangler.
It's not a standard SUV, and definitely not a CUV like the Niro.

I actually had a Niro PHEV before I bought my 4xe, I can conclusively say that the 4xe sucks down battery juice substantially fast than the Niro, and it's not even close, it's like at least 3x more kWh/mile in the 4xe to drive the same distance.

That said, the Niro is boring AF and I'm glad I don't have it anymore

 

[JeepViking13]

The 21 mile range is definitely a head scratcher. For me to even consider an EV it has to at least go 150 miles full electric. I live 20 miles from everything it would be pointless for my needs.

 

[Bleda2002]

The 21 mile range is definitely a head scratcher. For me to even consider an EV it has to at least go 150 miles full electric. I live 20 miles from everything it would be pointless for my needs.

For the average american the commute is 41 miles, the 4xe will do that in less than 1 gallon of gas instead of 2+ for the ice. Thats the target driver as their yearly fuel bill is cut in half or better. My wife fills up once a month now instead of every week because her commute is 15 miles round trip. If we didnt take it on the weekends it would never use gas.

Once you go past about 50 miles a day the savings decrease but still do not completely disappear for quite awhile.

 

[C.Sco]

The 21 mile range is definitely a head scratcher. For me to even consider an EV it has to at least go 150 miles full electric. I live 20 miles from everything it would be pointless for my needs.

I think you may be confusing EV with PHEV.

The 4xe is a PHEV - it's a normal gas engine with additional electric motors and battery. When the battery runs out, it just drives like a regular gas vehicle. You are not limited to only driving 20 miles at a time... you can keep driving after the battery dies until the 17 gallon fuel tank runs out.

EV's, on the other hand, are battery/electric motor only, and yes most people would want one that gets at least 150 miles on a charge, since once it runs out of battery the car becomes immobile. But that's not what a 4xe is.

 

[JeepViking13]

For the average american the commute is 41 miles, the 4xe will do that in less than 1 gallon of gas instead of 2+ for the ice. Thats the target driver as their yearly fuel bill is cut in half or better. My wife fills up once a month now instead of every week because her commute is 15 miles round trip. If we didnt take it on the weekends it would never use gas.

Once you go past about 50 miles a day the savings decrease but still do not completely disappear for quite awhile.

I can see that. For me I would just want more range. That's all.

 

[JeepViking13]

I think you may be confusing EV with PHEV.

The 4xe is a PHEV - it's a normal gas engine with additional electric motors and battery. When the battery runs out, it just drives like a regular gas vehicle. You are not limited to only driving 20 miles at a time... you can keep driving after the battery dies until the 17 gallon fuel tank runs out.

EV's, on the other hand, are battery/electric motor only, and yes most people would want one that gets at least 150 miles on a charge, since once it runs out of battery the car becomes immobile. But that's not what a 4xe is.

I understand. I know it definitely saves on gas. But I think if I ever go electric I'd go full electric with 150 miles + range. I was just commenting on the 4xe only being able to go 21 miles on full electric mode.

 

[TheNewGuy]

Seriously - what is Jeep's aversion to adding more battery to the 4xE? I would keep buying them if they would just add more EV range, even if it was an "extended range" upgrade like most other EVs. 20 miles with their terrible regenerative recharge system is ridiculous.

My wife has a Kia Nero PHEV and the hybrid system in the Nero makes the 4xE seem like a joke -- and the Nero was half the price of my Jeep and has 50% more EV range and once your EV runs out and swaps over to hybrid the Nero still gets like 50MPG

OK, I'll point out the obvious, this is why your 4Xe is twice as expensive as a Nero

 

[Obi Wan]

Seriously - what is Jeep's aversion to adding more battery to the 4xE?

I think it's simply a problem of finding the real estate or Jeep engineers would do it.

100% this.

I work as a design / sustainment engineer and let me tell you that it's WAY more involved that slapping in an extra 5KWH of battery.

This is a super simplified process of what I imagine goes down:

• Top level tasks engineering team to add an extra 20miles of range to the 4Xe.
• Have a meeting
• Engineering now has to run analysis to figure out how much battery is required
• Have a meeting
• Engineering determines that to get an extra 20 miles of range, they will have to increase battery capacity by 88% and battery weight by 90%
• Have a meeting
• With limited space, several engineers are tasked to find several solution that works with the existing frame and body with as few changes as possible.
• Have a meeting
• With the added weight and likely change in weight distribution, multiple Finite element analysis (FEA) will need to be run on high end computing workstations. This takes a lot of time.
• Have a meeting
• Analysis shows that the added weight puts additional stress in several areas and de-rates the towing / carrying capacity below specified safety limits.
• Have a meeting
• engineers determine that the battery will need to now be split into two separate batteries to balance weight at the cost of additional parts ($$$$$)
• Have a meeting
• FEA comes back showing additional structural components will need to be re-designed to accommodate the new additional battery ($$$$$$)
• Have a meeting
• Engineers type up a long-ass report and hands it off to the head engineer that then goes and explains to top brass that adding more batteries to the existing platform is a bad idea and they should be focusing on writing work instruction for the shop floor on how properly seat fuses.
• Somebody gets fired
• Proposal gets rejected
• Life goes on

Appreciate an engineer. We may make some dumb decisions, but not all of them are intentional.

 

[C.Sco]

My wife has a Kia Nero PHEV and the hybrid system in the Nero makes the 4xE seem like a joke -- and the Nero was half the price of my Jeep and has 50% more EV range and once your EV runs out and swaps over to hybrid the Nero still gets like 50MPG.

The vehicle purchase price isn't actually that different anymore. My 2018 Niro, which I bought new for $31k, got totaled a few weeks ago and I considered replacing it with a new Niro. The Kia dealer wanted $44k ($4k over MSRP) for the equivalent new model Niro that only cost $31k a few years earlier, and it didn't qualify for any federal rebate. The Jeep dealership wanted $62k ($6k below MSRP) for a new Rubicon 4xe, and it does qualify for the $7500 rebate (at least for now), bringing the effective purchase price down to about $55K.

So, what you said was true 2-3 years ago, but it's just not true anymore. The actual cost of a new Rubicon 4xe today is really only about 25% more than a new Niro PHEV. And you get a freakin' Rubicon instead of a Niro

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