Side view of the 2021 Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon 4xe hybrid electric. Highlighted components are unique to the Wrangler 4xe.
OK, the official name is 2021 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4XE 4-door. Yes it’s a hybrid, and you can run it on just electric motors. But not for long. About 3 miles range off-roading in low range, with a 3000 lb. trailer 12.6 miles and with just the Jeep, 21 miles. So not very long range. Unless you live just 10 miles from your work. The hybrid part makes sense with the great torque that electric motors put out. EPA rates the Wrangler hybrid 20 mpg combined but 49 MPGe. Because brake regen charges the batteries when you’re braking and it has a mode that works like tow/haul mode when going down hill that also charges the batteries in Max Regen. It’s awesome climbing rocks, fording water and only hearing the running water and wildlife when you are climbing the Rockies. Kind of eerie not hearing the turbo 4 banger gas engine running and the quite is cool at the same time. I think hybrids will be the thing for at least a decade until someone invents super batteries that can go 600 miles with a 10k trailer. Now even Tesla has a hard time towing a small trailer for 100 miles with their 3 motor car.
The Jeep came with a charging cord. If I had 220 volt I could have charged it in 2 hours. But I had 110 volt 15 amp. Which is suppose to charge it in 15 hours. Well it took 20 hours. Not sure why, but every once in a while the green light on the cord would go to yellow and I’d have to re-plug it in. The other hybrids I’ve reviewed just charged by an engine. This Jeep does all three, engine charging battery, power outlet charge and engine only. There’s three buttons, electric only, hybrid and engine only. The Jeep has charging lights on the dash so you can look out your window and see how charged up it is. But still the engine and motor combination is remarkable fuel mileage. All that and it’s a convertible, Black Sunrider soft top just folds back. The grandkids loved it.
The Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4XE is rated to tow 3500 lbs. of trailer. I just towed 3000 lbs. And it towed well, great acceleration with a 4.10 axle ratio. The gas engine is a 2.0L turbo with 375 horse power and 470 torque including electric motors with 17.3 kilo watt hours. 8-speed automatic transmission. The 2.0L turbo gas engine by itself has 270 horse power and 295 torque. The hybrid battery weighs around 300 lbs. under the second row seats. It’s a loaded Rubicon with leather trimmed seats, and all the options except power seats. My favorite adaptive cruise control and heated seats. As a Rubicon it comes with 33 inch off-road tires, front and rear axle locker and front sway control disconnect. All push buttons. Loaded and it’s only MSRP of $61,265. Now the warranty is important with a Lithium Ion battery that might be recyclable. 3-year or 36,000 mile Basic Limited Warranty, 5-year or 60,000 mile Powertrain Limited Warranty, 10-year or 100,000 mile Hybrid System Limited Warranty, and a 10-year or 100,000 mile High Voltage Battery Limited Warranty. Parts made in US, Canada and Mexico. The 8-speed transmission comes from Germany.
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