Fiat Chrysler (FCA) announced on Monday that it would begin production of an all new plug-in Jeep Renegade hybrid as the automaker pushes ahead with its electrification drive to meet tougher emissions rules.
FCA, the world’s seventh-largest automaker, announced back in June that it would invest 9 billion euros ($10.3 billion) in hybrid and electric vehicles over the course of the next five years in order to become fully compliant with emission regulations across all regions. In its attempt to realize this plan, FCA has pledged to phase out all diesel engines in European passenger cars by the year 2021.
The newly announced plug-in Jeep Renegade hybrid will be produced at FCA’s Melfi plant in southern Italy, and is expected to hit the market by the year 2020. FCA stated that over 200 million euros (approximately $229 million) will be spent on the engine for the Jeep Renegade hybrid, adding that workers would be retrained for the new technology.
No specifications have been released by FCA at this time, but it is safe to assume that the Jeep Renegade hybrid will have a similar exterior design to the standard 2019 Jeep Renegade, which it will be produced alongside.
The Jeep Renegade hybrid will be one of FCA’s only plug-in hybrids, and will also be produced alongside the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, FCA’s first plug-in hybrid and only other currently available PHEV. If we had to guess, FCA will most likely borrow technology from the Chrysler Pacifica for use on the Jeep Renegade hybrid.
FCA plans to offer a total of 12 electric propulsion systems, including battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and full hybrids by the year 2022, and added that thirty different models would be equipped with one or more of these propulsion systems.
No pricing information has been released in regards to the Jeep Renegade hybrid at this time, and there is currently no word on whether or not it will be sold in the U.S. Given the automaker’s plans for its electrified future, it doesn’t seem too far off to expect a U.S. release announcement somewhere down the line, however.
Source: CNBC
