Took the 4xe on its first road trip and the gas milage was a shock

[gato]

80 mph, 37s (and a lift I assume?), and headwinds and we're ... surprised the mpg is bad?

This has nothing to do with the 4xe, outside of the added annoyance of the small tank (which is an annoyance! Not discounting that part.). Putting 37s on a regular 4cyl truck and driving 80 will yield effectively the same mpg result.

On the stock Sahara 4xe wheels/tires my long trips at 70-75 mph yield 16-18 mpg, depending on the outside temp/winds. Don't discount the huge difference that much tire + lift makes.

The difference between 70MPH and 81MPH cruising is more significant than 33" to 37" tires. Tire size is more significant on acceleration/deceleration, but steady state is mostly aerodynamics, with efficiency decreasing with the ˆ2 of speed increase.

The JL actually has a somewhat decent coefficient of drag (cd) of 0.45 (base models). The issue is that the frontal area is huge compared to other vehicles of similar interior space. So the drag is fairly large

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[Spartan99]

You don't need anything special. We don't fast (L2) charge our 4xe Wranglers; L1 120v overnight and that's worked for our needs. I've seen a 50% savings in fuel cost per year on my personal low-miles 4xe Rubi for the fun/casual/weekend use for shich it was purchased.

Our other 4xe Rubi has been given a workout with 50,000+ miles after just over a year (lots of unplanned cross country due to family), and saves ~$1700+/yr based on gallons used with consideration for the $/kw cost to charge. That's going to be ~$17,000+ saved over the 10yrs we'll keep it...not an insignificant amount. Buying one is never going to break even due to fuel savings, but neither did the Tesla we had.

Nice!

 

[Spartan99]

I’m surprised no one recommended checking your tire pressure and make sure your fuses are seated properly.

Lol! The answer to all things JL.

 

[martoaj]

Do you run those speeds in "hybrid" mode? I'm curious how the drivetrain functions at those speeds. Can the gas engine shut off, say while you're going down a hill, like in a traditional hybrid?

The gas engine will cut off when coasting downhill, it does so regularly for me. But it isn't going to do that when using cruise control at <1% battery.

 

[MallBrawler]

thank you for that! It’s just what I was thinking. My beloved Rubicon 4xe is getting lemon-lawed and I’m on the fence between giving the 4xe another shot in or stick with the proven v6:

- I think I’ll spend plenty more gas $$$ around town/day-to-day with the v6, but it’s also a lot cheaper than the 4xe (no tax credit for me)
- the 4xe will drive better on highway given weight and center of gravity
- I enjoy driving in electric mode (had 3 PHEVs total)
- I can get a used v6 and build it to my liking (e.g. re-gear if not a rubi, add true-trac’s, sky-one touch and powered steps)

PS: sorry for derailing the focus. In any case my mileage with the Rubi 4xe on the highway has been pretty poor, yes. For MPGs on highway I think Diesel>2.0>3.6>4Xe in equal conditions/with same equipment.

You can lease the 4XE and they should be able to pass thru the 7.5k tax credit (then buy). But I wouldnt buy a 4XE to keep, as I predict it'll be a nightmare to service the electric system.

But lets say if you drive to a different state and spend multiple days camping on a trail, 4XE is a bad idea to do it with... you're driving with a depleted battery and a smaller gas tank, not to mention heavier weight (and less useful load) not to mention smaller trunk, lol.

 

[ras815]

What do you think the efficiency would be in other vehicle categories at 80+ mph with strong headwinds? I think you'd be surprised at the low MPG you'd get across the board, from sedans to SUVs and everything in between. Most vehicles simply aren't optimized for efficiency at those speeds. A Wrangler just happens to be particularly bad at it.

One of the 'features' of my 4xE is encouraging me to drive at 55-65 mph on highways. How often do you really need to be somewhere 10% faster anyway? Enjoy the ride instead.

 

[MrMischief]

What do you think the efficiency would be in other vehicle categories at 80+ mph with strong headwinds?

My Prius falls to a relatively terrible low 40 mpg at 80 mph. Not really trying to get anywhere "10%" faster, just following the speed limit. Sometimes passing, sometimes being passed, all I know is both are happening at reasonable speeds relative to each other. But going 55 when the rest of traffic is moving 80 feels (and I'd suspect actually is) dangerous.

and for reference at 55 - 65 mph sustained over any significant distance my Prius gets around 50 mpg. Over 500 miles at $3.12/gallon going 55 - 65 mph vs 80 mph saves me roughly $5 - $8.

 

[pablo_max3045]

I’ve thought about that route if I were to buy electric but are you saving anything at all after the costs of all that equipment just to be able to charge at home? Those panels, batteries, all that stuff is so expensive and then on top of all that you pay more for a vehicle that can use it. Dollar for dollar after 10 years are you breaking even or maybe even losing money?

I did not get solar for the car. I got it to have solar. In Europe, in addition to your normal battery you can get a virtual battery from the power provider. Basically it amounts to a 1 to 1 credit per watt "uploaded" to the grid.
Considering the small amount you get if you want money vs what you'd pay them to take from the grid, it's a no brainer.
Anyhow, we make enough power for my wife's Tesla and the entire house consumption for the entire year with enough left over to cover another car.
So, yes.. solar is always worth it in this case.
The Tesla is a company car. In Germany, taxes on company cars are super high and based on MSRP. So, the last car, a v90 costs like 500 bucks a month.
Since the Tesla is an EV that tax drops to zero.
For us, the solar is completely paid for in 4.5 years with the difference.

 

[MMalone]

After lift and tires on ours we never get better on the hwy than 14.5-16mpg

With my lift and 37's averaging 17-18mpg on highway. the 37's did kill mine, was getting 20-22 before upgrade.

 

[OhioJeeper]

Ohio to Yellowstone > Glacier > Ohio
2021 JLU Altitude softtop, highway tires, auto (boring, but smooth) 2.0T
Pretty much 75-85 most of trip.

I don't see this kind of mileage in my 3.6 2dr Rubicon.

 

[Luxy60]

Drag is a function of velocity squared. Especially in a Jeep, any increase in speed is going to have a dramatic effect on your MPG.

With the current incentives, tax credit(s) and dealer discounts buying a 4xe is probably cheaper then buying the ICE version. My current plan is to buy out my lease and then sell or TI my 4xe for a fully electric Wrangler (2 - 3 years after release), or if the 4xe becomes a reliability nightmare turn it in at the end of my 3 year lease.

 

[Old Jeeper]

2023 4xe with 37s and 1200 miles on the odo. Left town with almost a full tank and 100 charge. Hit the freeway, set cruise to 81 and watched the "needle" drop like a rock. 140 miles later (with a big head wind) and we were well under 1/4 tank and averaging just over 10 mpg. 14.1 gallons later and we were back at it. Can't remember if I reset the trip at that point, but I think so. 11.2 miles to gallon later we were on red for our next stop (still at 81 mph). Filled "Earl" up again and were back at it. this time it was 70 and under to our destination miles away and on our third tank of gas. Though we were now getting 14.4 miles to the gallon. Distance total to destination was between 230 and 260.

Trip home, I left the trip computer alone and we didn't have near as much head wind and we stayed at about 14.4 miles to the gallon for the trip home. Put it on e-save charging for the drive home. 230ish miles and it charged to 60 percent.

Why you are trying to push a barn door down the highway at 81 mph.

The coefficient of drag on a Jeep is about 1.98 vs a C 7 corvette at about .29...drag is exponential so the faster you go, the more you compress wind, thus the worse you mpg.

I do KNOW this is contrary to many posts on MPG on Jeep forums. The taller/wider your tires, the faster you go, your mpg starts climbing into the high 20s...with 40s+ at 75 mph+.

Have said that it only PROOF that Jeeps do not abide by the laws of physics...

 

[Tank the Jeep]

Reading through this post…I love my diesel.

 

[mgroeger]

2023 4xe with 37s and 1200 miles on the odo. Left town with almost a full tank and 100 charge. Hit the freeway, set cruise to 81 and watched the "needle" drop like a rock. 140 miles later (with a big head wind) and we were well under 1/4 tank and averaging just over 10 mpg. 14.1 gallons later and we were back at it. Can't remember if I reset the trip at that point, but I think so. 11.2 miles to gallon later we were on red for our next stop (still at 81 mph). Filled "Earl" up again and were back at it. this time it was 70 and under to our destination miles away and on our third tank of gas. Though we were now getting 14.4 miles to the gallon. Distance total to destination was between 230 and 260.

Trip home, I left the trip computer alone and we didn't have near as much head wind and we stayed at about 14.4 miles to the gallon for the trip home. Put it on e-save charging for the drive home. 230ish miles and it charged to 60 percent.

Head winds will crush you in a Jeep... think brick. I find it funny that I got the same gas mileage on three other 3.6L JLs on 37s and one on 38s. I don't get the whole 4xE , it's gimicky to me other than the massive torque you get. I wheeled with @GATORB8 and was shocked at the weird jerkiness when he was crawling. Not picking on you Gator just using you as reference
To each his own but I don't think you are an outlier with that build and mileage.

 

[mgroeger]

I do KNOW this is contrary to many posts on MPG on Jeep forums. The taller/wider your tires, the faster you go, your mpg starts climbing into the high 20s...with 40s+ at 75 mph+.

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