Jeep Jeepster EV Specifications

By 2025, every Jeep SUV will be available with a 100% electric powertrain. That will include a new entry-level model codenamed Jeep 516 and rumored to be called Jeep Jeepster EV. Here’s what we know so far about the smallest Jeep, which will also be the brand’s first EV. The 2024 Jeep EV is the working name of the off-road brand’s first all-electric vehicle, and it could arrive as early as next year as a 2024 model. Along with announcing plans to bring an EV to market, Jeep released an image of the upcoming model, which looks like it could be similar in size to the compact Compass.

Either way, the rugged design and new-look seven-slot grille will help ensure everyone knows it’s a Jeep product. Jeep Jeepster EV will offer about 250 miles range and be based on a rear-drive platform that will also allow for an all-wheel-drive option.

Name of New Jeep EV

No official word yet on what the new Jeep small SUV will be called. While web reports have referred to it as the Jeep Junior and Jeep 516, MoparInsiders reports that Stellantis could bring back the Jeep Jeepster EV nameplate for the baby SUV in 2023.

In July 2022, spy pictures of a unit used for shooting a promotional film surfaced online (see on Quattroruote). The license plate suggested that Jeep Jeepster could indeed be the name of the Jeep 516 SUV. It read “JJ-516-AV,” which could be an abbreviation for “Jeep Jeepster – (project) 516 – A-segment Vehicle.” Stellantis could reveal the name of the SUV within weeks.

Jeep Jeepster EV Specifications

We’re still waiting on official Jeep Jeepster EV Specifications. It will be available with an internal combustion engine, an electric powertrain, and a hybrid setup. The gas-powered model will arrive first, and the electric model will enter production by April 2023.

Design

This first electric Jeep SUV is smaller than the Renegade but looks worthy of the Jeep tradition of a seven-slot grille. It has a rugged and outdoorsy feel, and as with every Jeep launch since the Compass, it has a solid stance.

At the front, apart from the signature seven-slot grille, which is a uniquely closed piece and features a blue “e” logo, the Jeep 516/Jeep Jeepster Electric sports chunky yet sleek rectangular lamps, an inward-slanted prominent bumper, and a muscular hood with a central bulge.

 

 

The first electric Jeep has a squarish profile with plenty of muscle, giving it a dominant look. The beefy wheel arches, the strong shoulders, and the black fender flares rocker panels contribute to its aggressive character. The roofline slopes swiftly, improving the aerodynamics and thus reducing the energy consumption. Hidden rear door handles and the petal-style alloys help build funkiness into the design.

The shape of the rear windscreen, the recess for the registration plate, and the tailgate itself make the Electric Jeep SUV reminiscent of the Compass. The rectangular tail lamps resemble the Dacia Spring, although their clusters feature a Renegade-inspired “X” shape. The X-motif is noticeably wide, yet another example of Jeep designers emphasizing the SUV’s width.

Jeep Jeepster EV Dimensions

All we can do is speculate about the 2023 Electric Jeep at the moment. It’s rumored to share a platform with several other B-SUV models from other Stellantis brands such as Peugeot 2008, DS 3 Crossback, and Opel Mokka. The Jeep EV is about 4.1 meters long.

The models mentioned above each have an electric model, and they only offer front-wheel drive. It seems wrong to provide a Jeep without 4×4, but Stellantis might be modifying the architecture to include all-wheel drive.

It’s hard to imagine riding in an even smaller Jeep, but perhaps it makes more sense in Europe. The tiny Jeep should fit perfectly on narrow, crowded streets. We are impressed by the Renegade’s 18.1-degree turning radius, so the EV could be even easier to navigate through tight areas.

Jeep Jeepster EV Power

With the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense, you get a 50-kWh battery that provides a 200-mile range. It pumps out 134 hp and 194 lb-ft of torque. These figures aren’t exactly exciting. The Jeep Renegade 4xe provides up to 240 hp and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 7.1 seconds.

The gas-powered model could share a 1.2-liter Peugeot engine. Also, the Peugeot e-2008 pairs a 50-kWh battery with an electric motor to generate 134 hp and a range of up to 193 miles on the WLTP cycle.

Again, this is a little weak for American standards. We would like to see more muscle and at least a 300-mile range. But the Jeepster could have more power and range than previous Peugeot models.

eCMP platform to underpin the Jeepster

Merging with Groupe PSA into the new entity Stellantis opens new avenues for FCA brands. One of the resources at its disposal is CMP or Common Modular Platform, the low-cost platform Groupe PSA co-developed with Chinese company Dongfeng Motors. The upcoming entry-level Jeep SUV will ride on the CMP, and there are many advantages it would allow over the Small-Wide 4×4 platform.

Unlike the Small-Wide 4×4 platform, CMP doesn’t allow fitting a four-wheel drive system. However, according to Automotive News’ supplier sources, the new electric Jeep could still get a four-wheel drive variant with an electric motor at the rear axle, following what could have been a lengthy reengineering of the platform.

The true advantage CMP offers over the Small-Wide 4×4 platform is that it is ready for full electrification. An EV-specific variant of this platform, called eCMP, is used by Opel, Peugeot, Citroen, and DS in the European portfolio for front-wheel drive vehicles.

In June 2018, there was no plan to offer a pure electric variant of the new small Jeep SUV, probably because, among other possible reasons, it would not have been technically possible with the Small-Wide 4×4. Now, thanks to CMP (eCMP), the baby Jeep will be electric-ready and future-proof.

Production

In April 2021, Automotive News Europe reported that the new entry-level Jeep SUV (codename Jeep 516) would enter production at Fiat’s Tychy factory in Poland in November 2022. A pure-electric variant would follow the launch, but the Jeep electric SUV could be a forbidden fruit for the U.S. market, much like the Commander, a China-special.

The vehicle’s dimensions would be unsuitable for the United States. The Jeep 516 would be a size smaller than the Renegade, and there’s not much demand to take the effort of adapting it for the United States. Stellantis has confirmed that two Jeep EVs, a pure off-road UV and a lifestyle family SUV, are coming to the U.S. in 2024. These are expected as the Jeep Wrangler Electric and the Jeep Grand Wagoneer Electric.

Jeep Jeepster EV Release Date

Jeep is coming to the 2022 Paris Motor Show (October 17-23, 2022) and we expect it to showcase the Jeep 516 there. However, with a promotional film already in the works, the official debut could be just around the corner.

The first all-electric Jeep will be available in the first half of 2023, according to Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Stellantis. Along with the confirmation, Tavares released the first pictures of the electric SUV (featured in this story) during a strategy conference held on March 1, 2022. Further, in its First Half 2022 results presentation on July 28, 2022, Stellantis confirmed that the first-ever fully electric SUV for the brand is on track to be launched in early 2023.

If Jeep does launch the 516 as the Jeepster in 2023, that would be the second time it uses that name in three years. The company previously applied a Jeepster badge on the MY2020 Jeep Renegade Sport special edition.

Jeep Jeepster EV FAQs

What is the first electric Jeep SUV release date?

The first Jeep electric SUV will go on sale in early 2023. It is unlikely to come to the U.S. market.

Which models will be alternatives to the Jeep Jeepster?

The Jeep Jeepster (Name: TBA) will compete with the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV, Opel Mokka-e, and Peugeot e-2008.

What is the expected Jeep Jeepster electric price?

Expect Jeep to price its electric SUV starting at around EUR 35,000

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