[Wrangler JL News]

Jeep is going green with a hybrid variant of their new 2018 Wrangler JL and company boss Mike Manley has confirmed it himself.

Auto Express had a chance to interview Manley at the Geneva Motor Show and when asked directly if a hybrid was in the JL’s future, he said, “Yes. We have continued our studies on hybridisation for the Wrangler, and it’s a balance for us. Obviously there are loads of different hybrid technologies, from mild to 48v through to full battery-electric.”

We won’t be seeing a pure-EV model anytime soon as Jeep doesn’t want to leave Wrangler owners stuck without a way to charge their vehicles. “For the Wrangler you need to strike the right balance; we don’t want to do something that will leave you stranded on a hillside. So for me, full battery EV is not a great fit,” said Manley.

“But hybridisation works well with the brand because of the attributes that come with electric equipment – not just the torque, but also the control.” There’s also the benefit of increasing fuel economy if a 48V electrical system is taking care of the ever-increasing demand for more electrical devices.

Some may be worried about an increase on overall body weight due to the additional batteries and motors, but the change shouldn’t be too dramatic as the new Wrangler will be put on a diet whilst still maintaining its structural robustness.

We may have to wait for the Wrangler JL’s official debut to hear more on the matter.

 

[Gina]

I'm somewhat surprised to see Jeep go the hybrid route. Thought FCA would try to be more fuel efficient with its other brands so Jeep can use up more of the emissions credits. But then again, diesel cars are suffering because of the whole VW thing and tightening regulations.

Guessing Jeep is going to come out with a petrol hybrid? Or will it be a diesel hybrid?

 

[Johnson]

Jeep is coming out with diesel variants of it for the European market, that's guaranteed. But the hybrid, from what I've read, is going to be a petrol hybrid. So battery components mated to the 4 cylinder turbo setup that'll probably be toned down just a tad.

 

[gladiator]

Jeep is coming out with diesel variants of it for the European market, that's guaranteed. But the hybrid, from what I've read, is going to be a petrol hybrid. So battery components mated to the 4 cylinder turbo setup that'll probably be toned down just a tad.

Even the engine itself might be tuned down for things like fuel economy depending on how aggressive they want to get with those numbers. Fortunate for them the Wrangler is light enough and is easier to cut weight from than what other car makers are dealing with.

 

[Mangler]

I heard the hybrid is still up in the air in regards to what engine they will be mating the electrical system to. I do know that they confirmed they will not be bringing any full EV stuff for a very good amount of time.

I don't really see how it's any easier or harder to cut weight than others though.. It's generally the same concept, use lighter materials in the correct areas.

 

[gladiator]

Odds are it will be the same hurricane 2.0 four cylinder engine making its way into the RAM 1500 hybrid, due for 2018. If it actually releases in 2018, that might mean a JL Wrangler Hybrid will drop the same time, unless they space it out for some reason.

 

[Johnson]

The Hurricane would be ideal to combine with electric power. Wonder what the power difference will be?

 

[gladiator]

Just from the hurricane engine setup alone you can expect to get around the 250hp range on the lower end. Now being part of a hybrid setup odds are it will be closer to 250 than 300. How much power are you expecting or wanting from this 2.0?

 

[Johnson]

With the combination of the electric power, hoping it'll be in the 300 range. Just to have the added power to carry the added weight without issue or much difference in feel.

 

[Jeepernator]

Do you mean that it'll be closer to 300 than 250? It'd more a matter of low end torque than hp to me when it comes to hybrids, those electric motors helps get things going which is great for climbing. Just need to see at what rpm.

 

[gladiator]

With the combination of the electric power, hoping it'll be in the 300 range. Just to have the added power to carry the added weight without issue or much difference in feel.

Well that's just horsepower, torque should either be on par with that or a big higher. Now, that's only with the engine, another factor will be gearing and drivetrain. Many factors.

As long as power ranges around that which it should there's nothing to worry about.

 

[Gina]

Whjat kind of hybrid do you think it'll be? Will this be a plug-in hybrid or the standard hybrid system?

 

[Mangler]

According to this website. They're claiming plug-in hybrid

While none of those comments necessarily suggest a plug-in hybrid, it’s the electrified option that makes the most sense to us. Conventional hybrids haven’t established themselves as performance machines, but there exists several plug-in hybrids that outperform the ICE versions of the same model.

That and Jeep had a plug-in hybrid prototype before in 2008

Jeep Hints At Future Plug-In Hybrid | Inside EVs

 

[gladiator]

According to this website. They're claiming plug-in hybrid




That and Jeep had a plug-in hybrid prototype before in 2008

Jeep Hints At Future Plug-In Hybrid | Inside EVs

Adding to this, a recent example is the Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid. If you look at the specs and correlate that to what we know a Wranlger would need then it all adds up.

They detuned the system a bit for the Pacifica, maybe in the Wrangler it will be increased.

 

[Gina]

I'm guessing the plug in hybrids have more torque than the ICE versions for better performance at low rpms. does that mean the traditional hybrids are more for fuel economy and plug-in for performance?

 

[Johnson]

The Pacifica lost 27hp but I can't find torque values. But I would presume the introduction of torque and even peak torque has been made to be achieved much quicker and "lower" in the rpm band.

 

[Gina]

A bit more news on the hybrid model from Autocar. They think the motors will be hooked up to a new four-cylinder soft-turbo petrol engine. wen they say new, will it be something we've never seen before?

 

[gladiator]

That engine might be new but at the same time we should be seeing some sharing of tech between this and the Pacifica hybrid since often that's how car makers like this set it up to be. Rarely do they develop similar goals differently. Plus this is FCA, they need to share as much as possible.

 

[Gina]

I heard the Pacifica minivan actually performed better than expected, not the traditional soccer mom van a lot of people were expecting. I think it has a 32 mpg rating, most likely more with a lighter body like the Wrangler.

 

[JeepFan]

I bet that regen helps and the fact its not light also helps in regen doing what it should do. Bringing all that weight to a stop you can gain some good range over time. They just better expand on regen system to include suspension, all those movements have to be exploited.