How does the new Jeep Wrangler 4xe drivetrain work?

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After running solely a gasoline V6 engine option for years, Jeep Wrangler shoppers can now also order their machines with a turbocharged four-cylinder, a diesel V6, and Jeep will also sell you an SRT-powered Rubicon 392, complete with a snorting 6.4-litre V8. On the other side of the spectrum, a Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) powertrain was just added to the Wrangler roster with “4xe” badging.

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That’s a plug-in powered Jeep Wrangler capable of all-electric motoring, a Jeep Wrangler powered by a racing-bred V8 engine, and 3 other options that fall somewhere in between on the fuel economy and performance scale. And just this week, Jeep introduced a fully electric Wrangler concept called Magneto , possibly hinting at even more electrified options in Jeep’s future.

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How does the new Jeep Wrangler 4xe drivetrain work? Back to video

This increasing variety of powertrains signals an intent to connect Wrangler with new shoppers, while delivering more of what its fans want.

With the 4xe driveline now available, Wrangler is batting its lashes at the increasing number of shoppers considering an electrified vehicle in the coming years.

Demand for this sort of electrified driveline tech is growing quickly, and you and I will soon be seeing plenty of new-to-market cars, trucks and crossovers hitting the road with charge ports in the near future .

With more and more of the market wanting to get outdoors these days, you can bet plug-in powered off-road vehicles are going to be a part of the action.

Let’s look at how the Wrangler’s latest powertrain option works, and what customers can expect from the driver’s seat in real life.

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Jeep Wrangler 4xe’s plug-in hybrid powertrain

The Jeep Wrangler 4xe’s powertrain is very similar to the powertrain in every other Wrangler model.

Like all of those, Wrangler 4xe has an engine up front, the new 2.0-litre turbo four, in this case. It sends power to the transmission, and on through to the transfer case. The transfer case is where that power is split between the Dana axles in front and back, and from there, its power to the ground.

To this highly conventional 4×4 driveline setup, a few components are added.

The first of these are a pair of electric motors—one built into the 8-speed automatic transmission, and another attached directly to the engine itself.

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The front motor is the more interesting of the pair. It looks like a sort of alternator on steroids—with a belt-drive that allows combustion and electric propulsion to work in complete harmony.

The front motor setup is like an electric supercharger that swings both ways. On one hand, it can be driven by the engine whenever you coast, brake, or otherwise have your foot off of the throttle. Here, no power needs to be generated, but the engine is spinning anyways, and that spinning is used to make electricity.

On the other hand, when you press the throttle, the system switches from receiving to giving—and that stored power you just created a moment ago is used to literally apply massive and immediate torque directly to the engine.

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So, a power-boosting electric supercharger that’s also its own hydro station.

The additional motor within the transmission has similar capabilities. It replaces the torque converter inside of the transmission, applying further electrical power to the driveline. The front motor applies power to the crankshaft, and the rear motor applies additional electric power through the transmission. Output from the two motors and gasoline engine are managed by a specialized control system that ensures the powertrain is as seamless and invisible as possible from the driver’s seat.

Remember, Wrangler 4xe is Trail-Rated—they’ll even sell you this powertrain in the Rubicon version.

The 4xe battery and electric range

Jeep knows their customers, and like every other Wrangler, this one’s built to meet their considerable demands.

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But it’s also built to slash their fuel bill.

The battery is located under the rear seat of the vehicle where it’s protected from the elements and helps preserve ground clearance beneath. Part of the battery’s storage capacity is self-recharging, allowing the battery to refill itself partially as you just drive around. This gives drivers gas-electric hybrid operation—sort of like a Prius, but on Dana axles and with nearly a foot of ground clearance beneath.

The majority of the battery capacity, however, intends to store electricity supplied when the driver connects it to a charging station or power outlet.

With the battery full, perhaps in the morning when you wake up for work or after charging while you shop or hike, you’re clear for a few dozen kilometres of driving before any gasoline needs to be burned.

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Nightly recharging in the driveway means your first 30 or 40 kilometres of driving the next day don’t require any gasoline. Plug in while you’re out and about, and that all-electric range is extended.

Point is, Wrangler 4xe can carry around enough surplus electricity to give drivers several dozen kilometres of totally noise-free, gas-free driving, available for use virtually whenever they like.

Imagine tackling your favourite off-road trail with on-demand electric torque, low-range gearing, and axle-lock available at a button press—all without hearing a peep from the engine room, or burning a drop of fuel, all day long.

So, there you have it: the landslide fuel-economy winner in the Wrangler lineup thanks to hybrid driving, and the ability to tackle shorter trips or treks using no gasoline at all.

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By the way, the same hardware that makes that all possible also enhances Wrangler 4xe’s power output considerably. The front motor is a 33-kW unit, capable of 44 horsepower. The integrated transmission-traction motor is a 100-kW unit, good for 134 horsepower. Powered by a 17.3-kWh battery and combined with the Wrangler 4xe’s two-litre turbo engine, total system output lands at 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque.

That’s nearly as much torque as an SRT 392 powered Rubicon, but while using a fraction of the gas.

It’s always nice to have choices, isn’t it?

LISTEN: Who says you can’t go for long drives in short-range EVs?.

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