Jeep's future tech may include follow-me drones and off-road autonomy
At Stellantis' EV Day, Jeep detailed a range of wild future tech, including off-road self-driving, vehicle-to-vehicle charging and follow-me drones.
Jeep's off-road SUV leadership is under fire in a way that hasn't happened in decades. Between the launch of Ford's new Bronco and Bronco Sport, Land Rover's reborn Defender and Toyota's ever-growing onslaught of TRD models, Stellantis' 4x4 brand is facing unprecedented pressure. Casting a wary eye up the trail, the iconic marque is telegraphing that it's ready to bring a raft of new innovations to the segment in order to hold onto its position as the SUV world embraces electrification. At Thursday's multi-hour Stellantis EV Day virtual conference, Jeep teased a slew of future technologies, including everything from peer-to-peer EV charging to a unique drone-follow feature under the brand's new Zero Emission Freedom banner.
Jeep stopped short of guaranteeing that these technologies will appear in future models (the video presentation's off-road vignettes featured a disclaimer saying, "Concept models and features, and fictional situations shown throughout. Future models and features may vary"). However, many of these features are already technologically feasible today, so it wouldn't be at all surprising to see some of them incorporated in future models soon.
The idea of using one Jeep to recharge another in a pinch is simple, yet ingenious.
Peer-to-peer charging
The 21st-century equivalent of siphoning gas between tanks to bail out a pal, Jeep teased "peer-to-peer" charging, essentially plugging one electrified vehicle into another to share juice. While such a feature could be very helpful in urban life, it's even easier to imagine the potentially lifesaving benefit of vehicle-to-vehicle electron sharing in the wilderness, where the stakes of running out of power are often significantly higher.
At the moment, Jeep is already in the early stages of building a solar-powered off-road EV charger network in North America, including at places like Rubicon Trail.
Imagine setting up a drone's follow-me function via your Jeep's infotainment screen to record all of your adventures.
Drone-drone pairing
It's already possible using a number of off-the-shelf drones to tag and follow a moving target, be it a bicyclist, a skateboarder or an off-road SUV. But to this point, that "follow-me" functionality has not been baked into a production car or truck. Jeep may be about to change that. The automaker previewed a new drone-pairing function that includes dashboard integration that would allow you to record video of your on- and off-road adventures from a birds-eye view. Stellantis' presentation depicts a young couple being followed off-road in their Wrangler by a drone at night, and they appear to be able to keep tabs on their surveilling friend using the SUV's Uconnect infotainment display. A timeline overlaid on the video suggests that this technology could appear by 2025.
No keys, no problem.
Biometric recognition
The traditional car key's days seem to be numbered. Already we have phone-as-key technology from a number of automakers, as well as novel all-weather RFID-enabled bracelets, hotel-key-ike cards and other nontraditional ways to get into and start one's vehicle. Now, Jeep is positing that another tech might be on the way in future Jeeps: biometric recognition. By scanning outside of the vehicle, future Jeeps may be able to identify authorized users to enable vehicle access and operation without fumbling around for a key or phone, or even remembering a simple security combination. Most of today's new vehicles are already equipped with high-resolution cameras for active safety features, so it's not hard to imagine a future where these cameras and other sensors are used to identify and approve drivers and occupants as they approach a vehicle. The timeline overlaid on the presentation suggests that this tech may become a reality by 2025.
Imagine camping and sending your Jeep off on its own to get more supplies. More beer or pizza, perhaps.
Autonomous off-road capability
Frankly, the idea of full self-driving on city streets and freeways feels like an increasingly unobtainable goal, so the notion of enabling fully autonomous driving off-road may seem even more far-fetched. That said, it might not be, as you're a lot less likely to encounter challenging and dynamic situations like cross-town traffic, cyclists and pedestrians. In any case, Jeep seems optimistic about the idea of launching driverless vehicles off-road, teasing the tech during Stellantis EV Day 2021. Such tech could be useful for sending a vehicle alone for additional supplies, or perhaps to bring an incapacitated adventurer to safety. It's worth noting that Jeep makes a point of saying "autonomous-capable" in the video -- the company seems to understand that owners will still want the experience of getting behind the wheel for themselves at times. The timeline overlaid on the presentation suggests that this tech may become a reality around 2030.
Remember smart glasses? They might finally be good for something if Jeep has its way.
Remote vehicle tracking
The idea of sending your vehicle off autonomously might sound a bit unnerving, which is where this next innovation comes in. Remote vehicle tracking -- being able to see and keep tabs on your vehicle's whereabouts when it's off running around in self-driving mode -- could offer welcome reassurance. The video briefly depicts a woman using a pair of smart glasses to keep tabs on her vehicle, which is in motion. The video timeline overlaid on the presentation ballparks a 2030 timeframe for this tech.
Lie-flat seats in a vehicle that's known for being a camper's favorite seems like a home-run idea.
Flat-seat stargazing
Jeep also showed a Wrangler with lie-flat "stargazing" seats that essentially turn the 4x4's cabin into a bed (not unlike the 2021 Ford F-150's new Max Recline front seats). In a dramatic twist that draws on the company's autonomous-off-road capability mentioned above, a fanciful video depicts a couple lying back and looking out through a Wrangler's open roof, keeping warm under a blanket as the vehicle drives itself along in search of astral views. While that self-driving bit may be a bit further down the technology path, lie-flat seating in a Wrangler -- an outdoors vehicle that's been a camping favorite for decades -- seems like a very useful and eminently doable future feature.
Other Stellantis EV Day 2021 news
Stellantis' multifaceted online presentation shared a lot of additional news for the Jeep brand, including showing the first photos of a new Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid model, as well as confirming all-electric future versions of the forthcoming Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer full-size SUVs. Stellantis also teased a mysterious new all-electric Jeep off-roader amid exciting product announcements for its other brands that includee a Dodge electric muscle car and a futuristic-looking electric pickup for Ram, both due in 2024.
