Jeep will build solar charging stations on trails for the Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid
Jeep is going to make it easier to juice up your plug-in hybrid Wrangler while out in the wild.
Jim Morrison, head of Jeep in North America, dropped a pretty cool bit of news in an interview Thursday. To coincide with the launch of the plug-in hybrid Wrangler 4xe, the company will install solar charging stations on select trails in California and Utah. Morrison confirmed that owners will be able to charge up at Rubicon Springs, the halfway point of the 22-mile Rubicon Trail, as well as on select trails in Moab, Utah.
Of course, with 25 miles of electric range, the Wrangler 4xe shouldn't need a charge while on the Rubicon, and I imagine all the braking one has to do will keep the regenerative power going strong. In fact, Morrison said the 4xe completed the Rubicon in all-electric mode with no problems. But it's always good to wheel with as much fuel -- or electrons -- as possible, since you never know what will happen.
Drivers will be able to fully charge the Wrangler 4xe in about 2 hours, and most chargers will be placed in camping or lunch spots where folks will likely want to spend a lot of time.
The Jeep Wrangler 4xe boasts 375 horsepower and a whopping 470 pound-feet of torque. In the aptly named Rubicon trim, the 4xe is 744 pounds heavier than a standard gas-powered Wrangler, but it should still outperform its conventional counterpart with all that sweet, sweet instant electric torque.
The Jeep Wrangler 4xe will go on sale later this year.
