Jeep has revealed its first fully electric vehicle for the North American market, a move that comes as interest in electric vehicles has stalled.
The Wagoneer S, starting at $72,000, will go on sale in the United States and Canada later this year and expand to international markets in the future.
“The launch of the all-electric Jeep Wagoneer S marks a new chapter in the storied history of the Jeep brand,” Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa said. “Building upon nearly a century of innovation and design, this first global EV will introduce a whole new generation of owners to an experience that is distinctly Jeep and 100% electric in every way.”
The SUV can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds, has two electric motors that produce 600 horsepower, and can drive for more than 300 miles before needing to recharge.
The vehicle does not use wood, leather, or chrome for environmental reasons, making it Jeep’s first model not to use chrome.
“Stellantis [Jeep’s parent company] is going to back out of chrome over time,” chief design officer Ralph Gilles said. “Hexavalent chrome, we know, is not the most amazing thing for the planet, so as we go, we’re going to be killing it off.”
The vehicle’s launch comes as consumers have been losing interest in electric vehicles, citing concerns about cost, accessibility of charging stations, and range anxiety, according to AAA’s most recent annual consumer survey.
Sixty-three percent of adults said they would be unlikely or very unlikely to purchase a fully electric vehicle, up 10 percentage points from last year, according to the survey. Only 18% said they would be likely or very likely to purchase an electric vehicle, down from 23% last year.
President Joe Biden’s administration tightened fuel economy requirements last week, but the new standards are less stringent than the administration’s original proposal last year.
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All light-duty vehicles must now average 50.4 miles per gallon by 2031, down from the original proposal of 55.7 miles per gallon. SUVs and pickups must meet a 45-miles-per-gallon target, down from a proposed 52 miles per gallon.
Light-duty vehicles currently average 39.1 miles per gallon, and SUVs and pickups around 35.