Image: Jeep
Image: Jeep
Image: Jeep
Image: Jeep
Image: Jeep
Image: Jeep
Image: Jeep
Two million km of battery testing mileage is what Jeep has put its first EV through to ensure it doesn’t disappoint. This is the all-new FWD Avenger and it signals the first zero-emissions model from the American automaker.
Image: Jeep
Front-wheel-drive, electrified powertrain, compact dimensions? 20 years ago this would have been a foreign concept to any head honchos at Jeep but the automotive world has gravitated away from antiquated ideologies and is embracing a new form of mobility that is said to be more environmentally friendly.
Many global mass automakers have dabbled with electrification by now and know the ticking clock for European mandates to move away from piston power. Jeep has decided its first attempt will be a model titled the Avenger and it will come with 400 km of range from a 54 kWh battery that powers the front wheels from a single electric motor to the tune of 115 kW and 260 N.m.
Image: Jeep
Ironically, the American manufacturer will not sell the model in the American market but will contend the segment in Europe, where electrification looms. Stellantis has developed the battery that powers the electrified motor which can travel as far as 550 km on a single charge of urban driving. When it is time to charge, the lithium-ion battery takes only 24 minutes to go from 20% ot 80% if it is connected to a 100 kW source. Alternatively, 3 minutes will yield 30 km. More importantly, the battery developed in-house has been tested over two million km to ensure that it provides the performance and reliability required.
Image: Jeep
On the technical side of things, the Avenger is sized slightly smaller than the Renegade and comes with 200 mm of ground clearance. Despite the front-wheel-drive configuration, the Avenger includes Selec-Terrain and Hill Descent Control with selectable driving modes. For those in despair of another front-wheel-drive Jeep deviating away from the firm’s origins, there is an all-wheel-drive derivative in the pipeline.
At the moment, the newcomer is confirmed for Europe, Japan and South Korea so zero-emission South African off-road aficionados will have to wait a little bit longer for confirmation if we will be receiving it too. Watch the conference for the model here.
Keyword: Jeep Avenger becomes first EV with 400 km of range