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Dear Jeep, please don't make a "weird" hybrid version of the Wrangler...

TCogs1

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If history is any guide It will most likely be a hybrid only model with a goofy baby blue exclusive color and have some ridiculous 30” hybrid wheels with low rolling resistance tires. And it will be 2wd only. And the cloth seats will have leaves and vines printed all over them.
Sad but so true.... if they followed a tesla basic design it would be great.. low center of gravity battery 2 motors front and rear, portal axle design with selectable low range at the hubs via planetary gear set.. very few electronic nannies.. simple functional and light weight.. if somebody wants a hybrid have them add a generator as an option.

Keep it simple please...
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xjgary

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Pretty sure FCA would need to have a legitimate BEV drivetrain *somewhere* before conjuring a BEV wrangler out of thin air. As much as I’d love one, and I would, it’s just not realistic to expect anything like that in the next 3-5 years.

Look at all the other mfrs who are releasing BEVs in 2019 and 2020 - they’ve been working on the platforms for years. What has Jeep been doing other than developing PowerPoint decks with ‘hybrid’ and ‘full electric’ in them?
http://www.fourwheeler.com/project-vehicles/154-0901-jeep-wrangler-ev/ Chrysler was worrking on BEV's in 2007, if not earlier, and was driving BEV Wranglers in 2007. The drove one to testify before Congress.
 

GARRIGA

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Yeah, don’t think BEV new to Chrysler or any other manufacturer. The technology has been around and Tesla pretty much gives it away.

I’m liking the Rivian design. Hopefully Jeep takes that approach.

Portals would rock but aren’t those costly and add weight to a BEV solution already burdened with heavy batteries? Is that what others electrifying off-road vehicles have done?
 
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xjgary

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Yeah, don’t think BEV new to Chrysler or any other manufacturer. The technology has been around and Tesla pretty much gives it away.

I’m liking the Rivian design. Hopefully Jeep takes that approach.

Portals would rock but aren’t those costly and add weight to a BEV solution already burdened with heavy batteries? Is that what others electrifying off-road vehicles have done?
Do you mean portal axles like on a MB Unimog? Or do you mean a hub motor on each corner? They add unsprung weight, hurting handling, but solid axles add lots of unsprung weight, so it could be an improvement! Think of the ground clearance! Improved traction and articulation, better efficiency..
 

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GARRIGA

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Do you mean portal axles like on a MB Unimog? Or do you mean a hub motor on each corner? They add unsprung weight, hurting handling, but solid axles add lots of unsprung weight, so it could be an improvement! Think of the ground clearance! Improved traction and articulation, better efficiency..
Hybrid. Hub motor at each wheel shaped like the Unimog since there’s no axel and all that’s needed to turn the motor is electrical juice.

No clue how unsprung weight affect electrical power considering the much greater abundance of instant torque available.
 

Dakster

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I can think of a reason. One doesn’t always want to stop proportionally as much as they don’t want to go. Just because you no longer want to accelerate full throttle doesn’t mean you want to start slamming your brakes. Same with a panic stop. There’s a reason the brakes are controlled by a variable pedal and not an on and off switch.
Ohh I agree with you... But I think like an old school driver. Just saying that I think things will change a lot and our way our driving will too. I like driving, but I can also see driving becoming autonomous. Already the fun is out of my driving because I can't get a manual in most cars and won't for resale reasons. I may one day get one just to keep forever.
 

Kyanche

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Already the fun is out of my driving because I can't get a manual in most cars and won't for resale reasons. I may one day get one just to keep forever.
While I understand, my friends that have electric cars seem to find them pretty entertaining to drive, and having gone for a ride in them I agree. Even the humble Chevy Volt has a stupid amount of torque for a car that looks like a funny looking Honda Civic. And the Teslas are fast both in straight lines and corners.

I'm pretty sure an electric wrangler would be a blast to drive, although I have a feeling it might be too much power. I could see someone cranking the wheel, flooring it, and knocking it over on its side lol. :D

Your comment about manual transmissions reminds me of the Nissan Maxima I rented once. That car had a CVT and paddle shifters. I don't know what they were smoking lol.

I also honestly don't think you should let resale value stop you from buying a manual jeep if that's what you want. It probably won't make that big a difference - and in SOME CARS that can actually make them worth even more.
 

56nomad56

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91 gas has been $4+ in So Cal for ages with no signs of decreasing. With our solar panels generating more power currently than we use, it's a no-brainer to add a BEV to our quiver. I'm just not sure it would be a Wrangler. Wife wants either a CPO Model S or a Bikini JLU (not typically cross-shopped that's for sure).

"I also honestly don't think you should let resale value stop you from buying a manual jeep if that's what you want. It probably won't make that big a difference - and in SOME CARS that can actually make them worth even more."

If you look at bringatrailer.com, manual versions of almost every make/model that sell end up at a higher selling point than equal-quality auto versions. True for Porsches, Ferraris, etc. Manual 360 Modenas seem to sell for $20-30K more than F1 versions. I have a 6MT BMW 435i coupe, Alpine White with Fox Red interior, I might never sell it considering BMW eliminated manuals from the new 3/4 series in the US.
 

DocTwinkie

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Doc... Duh.
I can’t wait till some folks to seriously off road a Rivian. I love Jeeps. But for people who supposedly love going to see nature to question the manhood of others wanting to not pollute it... seriously lame.

When a Rivian rolls up on the trail with three feet of water fording, 14” of ground clearance with no pumpkin diffs hanging down, true 4 engine drive (no diff locks required), a center is gravity that doesn’t want to roll, AND handles like a sports car doing 0-60 on the road... I think these same manhood questioners are gonna start feeling woefully inadequate.

Won’t help when they roll that full overlanding kitchen out the gear tunnel.

That said Rivians are insanely expensive. I can build a fully loaded Rubi and pay about 50k. Rivians start at 70k and will probably top out well over 120k. It was however just announced that Rivian will be building the f150 for Ford. Maybe a Bronco eventually.

I would love to see a fully electric Jeep. It would have better on and off-road handling. Better performance, and yes it wouldn’t require polluting the trail or sending money to foreign oil. Charge time, range, and price are the only negatives in my opinion and each is getting better by the day.

I’m either going to get a Rivian, a PHEV, or ironically a 6spd manual. Why would I get the last one? Because the PHEV is likely never coming out and I doubt I will be able to afford the Rivian. The 6spd would be my short term solution till a cheaper choice comes along from Ford or Jeep.
 

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Kyanche

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But for people who supposedly love going to see nature to question the manhood of others wanting to not pollute it... seriously lame.
Amen to that!

Some of the biggest manliest man I know drive Miatas, 86s, Porsches, Lotuses, and other tiny cars because they like the handling. Jeremy Clarkson is manly as hell and loves tiny cars. Yea?

Anecdotal evidence usually suggests the opposite is true about imposing vehicles and manliness. It usually suggests the driver is compensating. lol.
 

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It’ll be an interesting experiment. Currently electric vehicles are almost strictly for commuting purposes. The business case for buying an electric Wrangler would have to save more gas money than the up-charge for an electric drivetrain. By the time depreciation and additional insurance cost get factored in, electric almost always burns more money than it saves.

Otherwise the argument “more low end torque” won’t actually pan out to be all that noticeable since Wranglers already have plenty of wheel torque by the time the engine torque is multiplied through the drivetrain. Its more of a marketing gimmick.
There is no business case for electric vehicles for the average consumer without the incentives that come from Uncle Sam. The Pacifica hybrid premium charge is essentially matched by the tax credit.

Once that is taken into account, the math depends on the expected driving cycle. If you get 10 - 15 miles of actual electric range, and your commute will consume that range, most folks are going to save $2-$3/day, $10-$15/week, $500 - $750/yr - just on the savings for their work driving, let along savings for other driving.

That is not insignificant when you add it up over 5 or 10 years. For people who can charge at work - and most urban places offer these options, they will save even more money.

Ultimately, I think the best electric vehicles are going to be made with a motor on each wheel, a large battery pack low in the vehicle as Tesla does, and an optional small (>1.0L) engine (likely diesel) that simply runs at its most efficient speed to generate electricity, similar to the way a locomotive does. We are still years off from making the motors cheap and small enough and gains in battery efficiency/longevity are still needed. The generator should be easy enough, there just needs to be an effort to make a purpose built generator motor.

In the meantime, plug in hybrids are a really good option. I am glad FCA is going this route.
 
 



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