I’ve been waiting (and waiting!) for a carmaker to come out with an EV that “gets” the central premise that buyers don’t want cabin-wide screens and spaceship shapes. We want vehicles that retain the goodness of petrol propulsion for whatever genre and format of vehicle we lean towards, just not powered by gasoline. You know, a sports car, just electrified. A 4X4, just electrified. That’s it. No X-wing doors. And certainly not a trash-compactor shape made of impossible-to-repair stainless steel!
The new Jeep Recon very fully fits that remit, and here are several reasons why. Also, where it falters.
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It’s A Bad-Ass On Dirt
Jeep knows where its bread is buttered. “Trail-rated” might read as hokum to non-Jeep loyalists, but the brand has built a reputation not unlike Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive, which requires legitimate dirt shredding.
“Sure, it’s less braggadocious than a Wrangler Moab 392 (which, by the way, sells for $80,000), but the Recon’s appeal is to a mainstream buyer who maybe wouldn’t otherwise consider an EV but loves the look of the Recon.”
Recon would definitely get a giant F if it wasn’t capable off-road, but that’s not what I found while driving it on a very challenging course they’d set up for us in the hills of northern California. These trials included rollers that forced tremendous suspension articulation, enough to test the 33.8/33.1 approach/departure angles and the Recon’s 9.1 inches of ground clearance. Also, they threw a ton of two-track with wall-steep climbs and descents at us jaded journalists. The pucker factor was legit, but the Recon really wasn’t daunted — save in a few instances.
Jeep, Translated for an EV
When I drilled down with Jeep officials about the specification, they explained that the Recon included a rear locking differential, but not one at the front, because only a rear locker was required to meet their off-road capability targets.
“One feature I hope Jeep actually adds, because it’s just smart, is an integrated electric winch that would use the front EDM as its power source.”
That probably has you scratching your head about how all this works on an EV. Essentially, selecting a different driving mode alters the amount of slip allowed. (Selec-trac lets you choose from snow, sand, auto, and rock.) From there, if the system detects excessive wheelspin at any wheel, if you haven’t locked the rear axle (in which case power is allocated equally), it’ll use the brakes to stop that spinning wheel, and that then transfers power across the axle to the wheel with greater traction.
As for the locker, the spokesperson explained that “…a solenoid commands a geared locking ring to mechanically lock the differential, forcing both rear axle shafts to rotate together and maximize traction in demanding off-road situations.”
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Some Buyers Might Crave More Ground Clearance and Burlier Tires
In practice, there were a few extreme scenarios where I could see wanting some suspension or tire mods if you intend to drive your Recon off-road in super rugged terrain.
For example, yep, our tester Moab edition came shod with on- and off-road Nexen 33-inch tires that were very capable on muddy terrain and had zero loss of grip while fording a two-foot-deep mud bog. They also bit fine crawling up and down a brake-bump-strewn two-track. And even when I pushed the limits of the armored undercarriage, scraping rocks here and there, we were promised the battery packs and the electric-drive modules (EDMs) were both thoroughly protected with skid plates at both the front and rear.
Even over a truly rugged, barely walkable boulder-crawl, the Recon pretty much sniffed and yawned at the effort of bouncing along while I did my best to modulate throttle and brake, two-footing so the suspension wouldn’t release the body into a rock and scrape the beast. Mission accomplished.
The Recon also gets a standard crawl control for making really steep descents simple, and around-view cameras are also standard, which was essential when we encountered truly gnarly bits of path where we had to steer without a spotter and see obstacles over the rig’s hood.
But if you drive enough off-road you know that conditions can change quickly. Later that same afternoon we came back to the rock crawl when it was more thoroughly coated in silt and the Nexens would smoke before they’d achieve grip. Here, 620 pound-feet of torque could overwhelm that rubber’s ability to grip. And you could imagine wanting a more specific tire for rock crawling.
One feature I hope Jeep actually adds, because it’s just smart, is an integrated electric winch that would use the front EDM as its power source. No, I didn’t think of this; Jeep’s actually filed for a patent for such a device, and it’s yet another way to use electric power to an EV’s advantage.
Al Fresco Jeep
There’s no other brand that has been as resolutely committed to driving with a breeze blowing through the cabin as Jeep. With convertibles pretty much going the way of stick-shifts, Jeep sells scads of Wranglers just because they can be had with removable lids and doors. That’s clearly appealing to a certain set of buyers, and what Jeep calls a “Sky One-Touch” roof (a folding cloth top that opens over all five seats) adds a layer of ease to the formula that’s missing from everything else in this class, regardless of powertrain type.
Where the Recon Will Struggle
Of course you think I’m going to say it’s too expensive. It is, at nearly $70,000 for the Moab edition we tested. But probably a bigger hangup will be range; even if that’s a false issue. Yes, it would be better to have more than 220 miles of range, and when the Overland version debuts with more of a street tire, it’ll get closer to 250 miles of range.
And yep, tires matter a great deal to EV range. Even going up an inch-size in width saps how far you can go, and knobbies add friction.
And unfortunately the public has it in their heads that less than 300 miles of range is important, which it just isn’t. Anyone buying the Recon will charge at home, because anyone who can spend this much money on a five-passenger mid-size SUV is going to have the means to add a home charger, and pretty much nobody has to drive over 200 miles per day for their commute or even their commute plus fetching the kids after school, going grocery shopping, etc.
What’s legit is that if you’re planning to take your Recon on a 4X4 trip, you’ll have to figure out charging and won’t want to stray deep into the back of beyond without a way to re-juice. Then again, unlike a gas Wrangler, the Recon’s range is barely taxed by driving two-track at 15 MPH, because the enemy of EV range is highway speeds, not what amounts to school-zone tootling.
All that said, I’m anxious to see how Scout comes to market, and if their mojo and new-new momentum is a problem for Jeep. (The Rivian R2 will also be a strong challenger in states like California and the Northeastern U.S.)
Takeaway
Pros
- Legitimately capable off-road
- 620 lb-ft of instant torque
- Removable doors and open-air roof
Cons
- Only 220 miles of range
- Nearly $70K for the Moab
- Stock tires struggle on slick rock
If Jeep can lure in buyers, they’ll struggle to walk away without purchasing a Recon. The vibe is spot on, with all the “jewelry” of Jeep well executed. Sure, it’s less braggadocious than a Wrangler Moab 392 (which, by the way, sells for $80,000), but the Recon’s appeal is to a mainstream buyer who maybe wouldn’t otherwise consider an EV but loves the look of the Recon. Or conversely, the Jeep loyalist who would love to go EV but wants to do it in a Jeep. Is that enough customers? We’re about to find out.
