Jeep Compass EV & Jeep Renegade EV arrive mid-decade: Report

As part of Jeep’s goal to convert 100% of its European sales to pure-electric vehicles by 2030, the company will begin to offer all of its small and compact models equipped with electric powertrains over the next few years. Having covered the A-segment with the Jeep Avenger Electric, the next right-sized zero-emission vehicles to strike the European market will be the Jeep Compass Electric and Jeep Renegade Electric. Currently, both SUVs are available with a plug-in option (PHEV) in Europe.

Jeep Compass Electric

On October 18, 2022, Autocar Business published a report stating that the Jeep Compass will switch to the STLA Medium platform and become a larger model in the transition. The compact SUV will likely be a pure-electric vehicle optionally when it moves to the new platform.

Stellantis describes STLA platforms (STLA Small, Medium, Large, and Frame) as BEV-centric vehicle platforms. That would mean these platforms are primarily for electric vehicles and offer backward compatibility for internal combustion engine vehicles.

While European countries, the USA, Canada, and China might be ready to adopt an electric-only Compass, many other countries where the Compass has market share aren’t. Hence, like the Avenger, it would be wise to plan two variants.

Specifications

The Jeep Compass Electric would belong to one of the most popular electric vehicle segments worldwide. It will see tough competition coming from dedicated EVs like the VW ID.4, Skoda Enyaq iV, and Nissan Ariya that are already on sale and could have significantly improved by the time it arrives.

Jeep could use high energy-density nickel batteries in the Compass Electric. Officially, we know that STLA Medium-based EVs will have an embedded energy of anywhere between 87 kW and 104 kWh and deliver a range (presumably WLTP) of up to 440 miles. A high-riding model like the Compass Electric may deliver a lower range of around 400 miles, though.

STLA Medium EVs should easily accommodate two electric motors with an installed power of 125-180 kW each. The Compass Electric could come in single-motor 2WD and dual-motor AWD variants, with the latter’s powertrain producing at least 250 horsepower. There’s no word on the release date, but we expect to see the Jeep Compass Electric at dealers around 2025.

Jeep Renegade Electric

Introduced in 2014, the Jeep Renegade has been long overdue for a full redesign. The Renegade will stay on and eventually switch to the STLA Small platform, as per the Autocar Business Report. If the B-SUV enters its second generation riding on the new platform, it would be 2026 by the time we see the car.

Specifications

Stellantis has confirmed that the first model based on the STLA Small platform will arrive in 2026, but the British publication claims that that is likely to happen before 2025. STLA Small will be a replacement for the second-gen eCMP that’s underpinning the Jeep Avenger and it will be suitable for A, B, and C-segment electric vehicles.

Considering that there’s a while to go, the Jeep Renegade Electric can feature cell-to-pack (CTP) installation, eliminating the traditional module level. CTP will be upgradable as per customer needs and offer improvements in energy density and charging speed.

Jeep could use nickel cobalt-free batteries for cost and supply reasons in the low-end configurations, with which it may target customers who are on a tight budget and/or mainly intend to drive in the city. In the higher-end configurations, targeted at customers ready to shell out a premium for long-distance capability, the company may use nickel batteries.

The STLA Small platform allows installing battery packs with an embedded energy capacity of up to 82 kWh. Jeep may use a sufficiently large battery, targeting a maximum range (WLTP) of around 300 miles. The company could employ up to two 70-kW electric motors, providing an installed power of up to 140 kW (188 hp).

TopElectricSUV says

It is expected that the Jeep Compass Electric and Jeep Renegade Electric will rank among the most off-road capable electric SUVs in their respective segments when they go on sale mid-decade. Moreover, while other automakers experiment with bizarre designs and extreme digitalization to leverage the freedom the transition to EVs offers, these Jeeps will serve customers who prefer conventional designs and simple operations with easy-to-use physical controls.

Featured image: Rendering of the Jeep Compass electric purely for illustration, and isn’t representative of the actual design.