The next Jeep Wrangler will be electric… and more capable

• The next one will be electric (Wrangler).

• The Trail Rated badge will reach level 12.

• Other EVs from Jeep are coming to North America.

The Jeep brand will eventually be fully electric, it’s inevitable. In Europe for instance, the Jeep Avenger will launch the American brand’s purely electric offensive, but other models will follow. We already know that the Wagoneer S crossover will join the lineup for consumers interested in this type of vehicle, while the Jeep Recon will satisfy those who want a little more ruggedness.

But what about the Wrangler? The iconic offroad vehicle is also looking at an all-electric future, although it will have to wait a few more years.

In an interview with the British website AutoExpress, Jeep’s head honcho Christian Meunier reconfirmed that the next Jeep Wrangler would be powered by electrons, but that it would also be more capable than the current model.

According to Meunier, the Jeep brand will continue to use the Trail Rated designation, the badge that’s affixed to the side of a Jeep vehicle only when it’s equipped to handle the tougher conditions of an off-road trail. Jeep uses five aspects of the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle deserves its distinction: traction, water fording, manoeuvrability, wheel articulation and ground clearance.

He also added that for now, the Trail Rated scale extends to 10, with the two-door Wrangler Rubicon being the only one that can offer a level 10. Indeed, Meunier added that the four-door Wrangler Rubicon was at 9 on the brand’s scale.

But, the Jeep’s CEO intends to raise that level to 12 when the brand’s most iconic model is redesigned, despite the fact that the vehicle will be all-electric. Jeep intends to convince the model’s die-hard fans that electric propulsion is an advantage when the vehicle needs to overcome more complex obstacles.

It’s fair to wonder what will happen to the Jeep Recon, especially with a Wrangler that’s more capable than ever, but on that front, the head honcho added that the Recon model would be more of a 6 on the scale, as opposed to the 12 for the upcoming Wrangler. In addition, the Recon will be based on the STLA Medium electric platform, while the Wrangler will be based on the STLA Large platform.

On the other hand, fans of the current Jeep Wrangler can rest easy, because it’s safe to say that sales of the combustion-powered model will continue for a few more years before it becomes an EV.