Lucas Bell 
Just a few days before Jeep decided to throw some shade at the Ford Bronco with some help from the upcoming Wrangler 4xe model, the folks over at TFLnow uploaded a video showing the battery-assisted model out charging up its batteries.
The video published to the TLFnow YouTube channel – which has since been removed for unknown reasons – gives us our first look at one of the Wrangler 4xe SUVs in the real world. There really isn’t much that we can garner from the video, other than the charge door appears to be on the front fender. The Jeep in question does also appear to be wearing Rubicon graphics, though this could always just be a way to throw us all off.
First introduced to us at the CES Show back in January, the Wrangler 4xe is still somewhat of a mystery. More details about the off-roading hybrid were expected to land at the Geneva and New York Auto Shows, which were of course eventually cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. That hasn’t stopped Jeep from reminding us all that the Wrangler 4xe is on its way to the market however. A less-than-subtle dig at the Bronco on Twitter the other night was a clear sign of that.
Rumors have persisted that the vehicle will feature about 30 miles of range when in fully electric mode. It is also still unclear at this time if the hybrid system will be available with either the Pentastar V6 or 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. In Europe, the hybrid Renegade and Compass models utilize a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-pot and produce a total output of 240 horsepower.
The proliferation of EVs and hybrid technology is only going to continue. We’ve seen these systems put to great use when it comes to on-road performance, and it will be interesting to see how Jeep applies the tech to their natural habitat. The real question is if there is a buyer for the Wrangler 4xe, especially considering the increased cost generally associated with these powertrains.
