How Does the Jeep Wrangler 4xe Work?

The Jeep hybrid is going to improve air quality, improve the ozone layer, and save drivers money on fuel. The new hybrid vehicles are the best option for the world we live in, and Jeep has gone out of there way to make a hybrid engine that is safe, reliable, and user friendly.

A hybrid engine can be powered by gasoline or by electricity. How is that possible?

The Basics About Jeep Wrangler 4xe Work

The hybrid vehicle is powered by either a gas-fueled engine or a high-voltage battery pack. Most of the time the engine is powered by only one of these fuel sources, but there are times when both sources can work together to power the machine.

The hybrid vehicle captures the energy that is created when the driver decelerates and applies their brakes. This captured energy helps to replenish the battery power. The gas engine can also recharge the battery pack while it is operating.

The Jeep Hybrid

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe is the first Jeep to have a plug-in hybrid design. The plug-in hybrid has a larger battery pack than the series hybrids, or the parallel design. The battery pack on the plug-in style of the hybrid vehicle is recharged through an external power source, and it does not rely on the gasoline engine to recharge or replenish the power.

Plugging into an external power source provides the engine with a greater amount of power. Compare this to having a larger fuel tank that held greater amounts of gasoline. The larger battery pack holds more electric power capabilities so the vehicle can travel farther and travel faster than earlier hybrid vehicles could.

Recharge and Save

At night when you get home, you simply connect your vehicle to the charging plug and let the battery pack be replenished. When you are commuting to and from work or driving around town running errands, the electric motor will power the vehicle.

The electric operation is quiet, produces no foul emissions, and is very dependable. The vehicle will alert you when the charge begins to de diminished so you can plan to stop at a charging station, or switch over to gasoline mode and continue.

Back-Up Power

The gasoline engine is an everyday backup engine that gives you the confidence to drive, even if you are uncertain about where the next charging station is. If the power goes down like it did during the Texas ice storm of 2021 your vehicle will not be affected because you can rely on the gas-powered engine to get your car moving.

The gas engine is ideal if you are making longer trips and are uncertain about charging stations, or if you get to a location and discover there is something wrong with the charging station. The gas engine is your insurance policy that keeps your Jeep Wrangler capable of getting you where you want to go.

Off-Road is not Lost

Many people worried that the Jeep Wrangler 4xe would not be capable of driving in off-road conditions so they would not be able to do the adventure driving they love so much. This is not the case. The hybrid engine of the Jeep Wrangler 4xe will not hinder your ability to drive off-road, drive over rough areas, drive through sand, or drive through water.

The Electric Motor

The Jeep Wrangler 4xe has an electric motor that produces 134 HP and has a torque of 181 foot-pound. A 17-kWh lithium-ion battery has been positioned under the rear seat, and a starter-generator of 44 HP has been installed.

The remaining pieces of the necessary electrical components for the hybrid operation have been safely tucked between the rear driveshaft and the left frame wall. Out of sight, out of mind, and safe from road conditions.

Jeep installed a charging port on the left front fender of the vehicle. The charging port is not easy to see, so when people see the vehicle, they do not automatically assume it is a hybrid.

But How Does The Jeep Wrangler Hybrid Work?

On the dash of the vehicle there is a trio of control buttons. The operator/driver can choose from hybrid, electric, and E-save modes.

The hybrid mode utilizes a computer to discern how to blend the power sources of the two engine types to create the most efficient vehicle.

The electric model relies just on the primary electric motor, without the added advantage of the gasoline backup. The gasoline engine is not functioning in this mode. The operator can quickly engage the gasoline engine by pressing down on the accelerator until the accelerator touches the floor.

In the E-save mode the electric motor can be charged by the gasoline-powered motor while it is in use. Primarily the car will function off of the electric motor, but the charge of the battery is reduced slower. This mode is not as fuel-efficient, but it will allow the driver to save electric power so that later they can switch over to a fully electric and have plenty of juice to run.

Takes Some Getting Used To

Driving the new Jeep Hybrid is not exactly like driving the Jeeps of yesteryear. Braking is an entirely new adventure. To brake the vehicle, you are going to push a button not mash down on a brake pedal. Once the button is pressed then you lift your foot from the accelerator and the vehicle will come to a stop.

It takes some getting used to, sort of like adjusting from driving a standard manual transmission and driving a fully automatic transmission. Practice is the only way to develop the skills needed to operate the unit effectively.

Final Thoughts

There is no doubt that the newer hybrid vehicles are safer for the economy. They save money for the driver, they reduce fossil fuel needs, and they do not emit harmful gases that can poison the air or increase global warming trends. Jeep’s new hybrid Wrangler 4xe is a step in the right dire4ction for automakers and drivers both.

How Does The Jeep Hybrid Work?