It’s a brand synonymous with producing tough off-road vehicles but Jeep is determined to join the electric vehicle race and become “the world’s most sustainable SUV company”.

In Europe, Jeep has already launched hybrid versions of the Renegade, Compass and Wrangler SUVs, all badged 4xe. The three models have an electric range of 50 kilometres.

In New Zealand, you’d expect to see these models in late 2021 due to global demand.

But Jeep also wants to be known as the SUV electric vehicle leader.

Jeep boss Christian Meunier told Autocar.co.uk that “we’ll soon see a lot of things we are working on, like battery electric vehicle [BEV]”. 

Meunier told Autocar.co.uk “there are so many things we need to bring together to make Jeep a modern, contemporary brand that will break through and sustain for the next 80 years”.

“The opportunity is two-fold, with the compliance and the ecology and sustainability, but in my mind, it’s also an opportunity to improve the capabilities of our trucks and SUVs and make it even more exciting off road and on road.”

The high-voltage batteries of EVs would also allow them to serve as external power sources (such as found in Nissan’s EV Leaf hatchback) so off-roaders and campers could use it to power camping gear and lights.

“You’ll see a lot of electrified products in the next few years. It’s not about having small cars to offset big cars; every car will have a role to play,” Meunier told Autocar.co.uk.