Jeep Targets PHEV Sales To Rise In The US And Look At Traditional Hybrid Development

JAKARTA - Jeep, the famous automotive brand from the United States (US) has successfully launched Wagoneer S as its first electric SUV to be sold globally.

However, even though electric vehicles have arrived, this brand also wants the sales of plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) cars to increase.

In 2023, Jeep managed to sell a total of 113,113 PHEV vehicles at home, with 67,429 units of which were from Wrangler and 45,684 units from Grand Cherokee. While in the first quarter of this year, the brand earned 31,750 units, an increase of 47 percent from last year in the same period.

To continue this trend, manufacturers have a PHEV sales target in the US to increase by 50 percent this year. This is proclaimed because the company relies on technology as a bridge between a traditional fuel-dependent SUV and an all-electric vehicle in the midst of sluggish EV sales.

Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa said parent company Stellantis expects the brand to sell 160,000 to 170,000 PHEV units in the US, an increase of between 40-50 percent from last year.

One of the pillars of market growth is freedom of choice. This is the best time to be flexible, like Jeep," Filosa was quoted as saying by CNBC International, Thursday, June 6.

PHEV technology incorporating internal combustion engines with EV technology can help accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles by consumers, as a first step towards an all-electric model.

In addition, the brand, which is famous for its off-road capabilities model, is also considering presenting traditional hybrid systems, the same as those carried by Toyota, Honda, and others. What's more, regular hybrids have a smaller and lighter battery capacity when compared to PHEV.

Chief Technology Officer Stellantis Ned Curic, said that it is evaluating all possibilities as to whether traditional hybrid products are suitable for US consumer needs other than PHEV.

"Currently we are deciding how the market will respond to our hybrid cars," Curic explained.

On the other hand, this parent company also considers other options, such as presenting a Range-Extender Electric Vehicle vehicle or commonly called REEV or EREV. This system allows vehicles to run on pure electric power. But if the battery power runs out, the ICE engine will replace the power source which is then channeled to electric and battery drivers.

It is likely that Stellantis will use this technology for the first time on the Ramcharger model with a 3.6 liter V6 engine which is likely to be launched by the end of this year.

"I'm sure this vehicle will work very well," concluded Curic.