Jeep is more often associated with go-anywhere off-roaders than with fuel-sipping hybrids, but it wants to prove these two types of vehicles aren’t mutually exclusive with a gasoline-electric variant of the Wrangler. Called 4xe, it will be capable of driving on electricity alone for short distances when it arrives in the coming months.
Giving the Wrangler electric motors and a battery pack allowed Jeep to turn it into a different kind of off-roader than fans are used to. With a full charge, the Wrangler can explore the great outdoors in almost complete silence; the only noise comes from the tires. And, an electric motor delivers its full torque output as soon as the driver presses the accelerator pedal, so crawling over boulders, logs, or anything else that’s in the way is relatively easy.
Jeep hasn’t revealed technical specifications yet, so it’s too early to tell how long the Wrangler will be able to keep its gasoline-burning engine off for. Unverified rumors claim the 4xe will receive an evolution of the plug-in hybrid powertrain found in the Chrysler Pacifica, however. If that’s the case, the system will consist of a 3.6-liter V6, a compact battery pack, and a pair of electric motors. For context, the Pacifica has a 32-mile electric range.
Visually, not a lot will differentiate the 4xe from the non-electrified Wrangler. Eagle-eyed car-spotters will note engineers put the charging port at the base of the windshield, and stylists added blue accents all around to denote the hybrid powertrain. Inside, it’s reasonable to assume the driver will face a plug-in-specific instrument cluster.
Jeep hasn’t said when it will introduce the Wrangler 4xe, but it’s expected to arrive in showrooms in time for the 2021 model year, meaning it will break cover during the second half of 2020. It won’t be cheap, hybrid cars rarely are, but some buyers will be eligible to claim a one-time tax credit from the federal government.
At the other end of the spectrum, the company strongly suggested it’s going to drop a mighty, 6.4-liter Hemi V8 with a 450-horsepower output into the Wrangler. The range is going to grow in two drastically different directions.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.