Wrangler 4XE Drive Modes Analysis

[4xeRubicon]

I think bjm00se covered it, but I'll say it a different way.

If you choose eSave mode on the dash, and you have Battery Save checked on the screen, it will maintain your level of battery charge as you drive. If you are at 50%, then drive for an hour on eSave, you should still be at 50%.

If you have Battery Charge selected instead, then the charge level will increase as you drive on eSave. If you drive an hour after starting at 50%, you may be at 60 or 70% at the end, depending on lots of other factors.

Battery Charge will use up more gas than Battery Save.

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[Dryver]

I think bjm00se covered it, but I'll say it a different way.

If you choose eSave mode on the dash, and you have Battery Save checked on the screen, it will maintain your level of battery charge as you drive. If you are at 50%, then drive for an hour on eSave, you should still be at 50%.

If you have Battery Charge selected instead, then the charge level will increase as you drive on eSave. If you drive an hour after starting at 50%, you may be at 60 or 70% at the end, depending on lots of other factors.

Battery Charge will use up more gas than Battery Save.

Fairly accurate, but I have found in my eSave commute this week to burn through my first tank of gas for an engine break-in period that even in Battery Save, it slightly recharges the battery. For some reason, I was only at 92% yesterday morning, but by the end of my 9ish mile commute to work, I was back up to 95%.

 

[Chris Hall]

Sorry I did not clarify I did not mean the three modes. I meant if u go in the u connect to this picture does this just change how much it switches the motor on to charge or save battery while in hybrid mode the description on the screen sounds basically the same thing

That sets how it behaves when the eSave mode is selected. It’s like two sub-modes within eSave mode. It still operates as a hybrid in both modes. It just places a priority on either keeping the battery where it is or works to actually charge it. Both modes lower gas milage but charge uses more than save.

 

[Hydro willy]

Thank you for your response that makes sense

 

[Hydro willy]

How do you normally drive yours in what mode I normally do about 40 miles a day with getting kids and going to work with half in town and half on country roads going 55 I have not got to do my weekly routine with it for a week yet I am very excited to see how it actually will do over a month or so

 

[Newbie 4xe]

How do you normally drive yours in what mode I normally do about 40 miles a day with getting kids and going to work with half in town and half on country roads going 55 I have not got to do my weekly routine with it for a week yet I am very excited to see how it actually will do over a month or so

My commute is 30-minutes (10.5 miles) each way (suburbia to highway to town).
Last weekend I added about 100 miles of backroad small town driving in the engine after depleting the battery

I have been running hybrid on full regen.

stats:
754 total miles
564 electric
190 hybrid

I’m still on my original tank of gas from the dealership from my April 3 pickup. I have about 40% of a tank left.

My dash says I’ve averaged 34.2 mpg overall, but that’s using some algorithm factoring in pure electric run time. I’ll have a better view of true gas mileage from hybrid once I go to the gas station for the first time and can determine how much gas I’ve really used.

 

[Jeep#6]

My commute is 30-minutes (10.5 miles) each way (suburbia to highway to town).
Last weekend I added about 100 miles of backroad small town driving in the engine after depleting the battery

I have been running hybrid on full regen.

stats:
754 total miles
564 electric
190 hybrid

I’m still on my original tank of gas from the dealership from my April 3 pickup. I have about 40% of a tank left.

My dash says I’ve averaged 34.2 mpg overall, but that’s using some algorithm factoring in pure electric run time. I’ll have a better view of true gas mileage from hybrid once I go to the gas station for the first time and can determine how much gas I’ve really used.

on a 17-gallon tank with 40% remaining you have used ~10 gallons. so you are averaging 75mpg "e"... sounds good to me!

 

[Dryver]

Just ran my first tank of gas out and can report the following: When the Jeep sees that you're on fumes, it switches off eSave mode (if you were in it, which I was to use up the gas) and says it's temporarily unavailable, the turtle (speed limited) light comes on, and you run on battery only.

I had 449 miles on the odometer and it took 16.33 gallons to fill the tank.

 

[Chris Hall]

Just ran my first tank of gas out and can report the following: When the Jeep sees that you're on fumes, it switches off eSave mode (if you were in it, which I was to use up the gas) and says it's temporarily unavailable, the turtle (speed limited) light comes on, and you run on battery only.

I had 449 miles on the odometer and it took 16.33 gallons to fill the tank.

That's good information. Thank you.

 

[Newbie 4xe]

Just ran my first tank of gas out and can report the following: When the Jeep sees that you're on fumes, it switches off eSave mode (if you were in it, which I was to use up the gas) and says it's temporarily unavailable, the turtle (speed limited) light comes on, and you run on battery only.

I had 449 miles on the odometer and it took 16.33 gallons to fill the tank.

So the typical 1-gallon dummy-buffer is baked into the gauge. That buffer has saved my butt a few times...now I’ll have the battery to take me a little farther if needed.

 

[ButWhatDoIKnow]

Can this Jeep be towed behind my motorhome?
Can the battery be charged while being towed?
Thanks

 

[nowandthen]

Can this Jeep be towed behind my motorhome?
Can the battery be charged while being towed?
Thanks

Yes
No

 

[Chris Hall]

Can this Jeep be towed behind my motorhome?
Can the battery be charged while being towed?
Thanks

Yes, we confirmed that it can be towed with the lead engineer on the 4XE project.
No, it can’t be charged because everything has to be in neutral. Plus, that would bring the gas milage down on the RV too.

 

[hybrid3.0]

It's safer to require the brake to come to a complete stop. At least that way you are holding the brake if you get rear-ended in a stopped situation. Without holding the brake, you'll be pushed into the intersection or car in front of you for sure. I'm surprised other EV's don't require you to do this.

Disagree. In some circumstances you want to roll into the car in front of you so you have the benefit of four plus crumple zones absorbing energy instead of just two in the case someone runs into you going 40 mph at a red light. If you see it coming, you may want to release the brake to allow the vehicle to carry into the guy in front. As crazy as it sounds it might make the difference between survivability. If you are the first guy in the intersection, if it is clear or you have a way out you may want to try that. Situational awareness including regular rearview mirror checks are key.

 

[Papa Jawa]

After driving the Wrangler 4XE for a while, I've started to create a mental image of how I perceive the software prioritizes power use. There's a lot going on in the software. The amount of code must be amazing. This is nothing official and I have no access to the actual data. I have just been observing the power flow screen as I drive and have attempted to give it a graphic representation of what I see the vehicle doing.
One primary thing to understand is that the Wrangler 4XE is always a hybrid. I'll say it again: The Wrangler 4XE is always a hybrid. It is always working to maximize efficiency while maintaining power.

In hybrid mode when the battery is charged, the vehicle places a high priority on operating in all electric but will add the gas engine for added power when there is a demand. If the driver pushes the accelerator pedal just a little bit more than "normal" when leaving a stop sign, the gas engine will kick on to respond to driver input.

In Hybrid Mode when the battery is depleted to the "<1%" point the vehicle becomes more like a non-plug-in hybrid. It's primary source of propulsion is the gas engine but it uses the electric motors when possible. It maintains a state of charge around 15% that is hidden from view by the indicator on the dash. The vehicle will recapture energy when decelerating or going down hills via regeneration. Even with Max Regen turned off, the vehicle still regenerates when possible. It will also lightly charge via either the eTorque motor/generator or the Traction motor/generator in the hybrid transmission.
In Electric Mode, the vehicle places a high priority on operating on electric only but will turn on the gas engine when there is a power demand. Remember, it is always a hybrid. As such, Jeep has balanced efficiency and performance. While the gas engine will not kick on under the same kind of demand rate as when in Hybrid mode, the driver can still get the gas engine to kick on if they place a high enough demand on the system.

The e-Save mode is possibly the most misunderstood mode of the vehicle. Let me restate the phrase that the Wrangler 4XE is always a hybrid before I go on. In e-Save mode, the operator has a choice between Battery Save and Battery Charge. With battery save mode, we might believe that it places the Wrangler 4XE is "Gas Mode" and the battery just sits there. By observing the power flow screen in the Uconnect, we can see that this isn't the case. The battery is still made available for hybrid operation but it's application is lessened. Much like how the vehicle maintains the battery at 15% in the background when the SOC indicator hits <1%, the vehicle will maintain the battery at whatever the state of charge is when e-Save is selected. It will still use it but it will work to replenish to that state when and where possible. When in e-Save plus Battery Charge, the vehicle will again still use the battery for propulsion but it will work harder to charge the battery as well. Unlike Battery Save where it will only maintain a set state of charge, it will continue to charge the battery until it is full. From an overall efficiency perspective, this mode is the least efficient due to the added work load to the gas engine. When the 2 motor-generators are charging, they place an additional mechanical load on the gas engine on top of rolling the vehicle down the road.

I have so much respect for the decisions the vehicle has been programmed to make. What we have to understand is that there is a spectrum upon which a hybrid system can operate. At one end of that spectrum is performance and at the other end is efficiency. Jeep has attempted to maintain both performance and efficiency in the Wrangler 4XE and that is no small task with a vehicle that weighs 5,000 pounds, is trail rated and has the drag coefficient of a dump truck. But from what I can see, they have done it very well.

I would appreciate any feedback on this analysis. If my graphic is miscommunications something, please let me know so it can be made better. I wanted to create something to help others understand what the vehicle is doing in the various modes. It's a concept that I struggle to communicate since I really lack the true vocabulary and expertise to explain well.

Chris,

After a few months what are your impressions now? If you have another post on the forum discussing your experience now, with more miles, send the link.

I love my Mojave, but I really like the idea of the hybrid. Thanks!

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