Jeep Is Installing Solar Chargers Off-Road On The Rubicon And In Moab For The New Hybrid Wrangler

[Moze]

They are really going all out.

https://jalopnik.com/jeep-is-installing-solar-chargers-off-road-in-rubicon-a-1844957787

That would seem unnecessary for a decent all electric, but maybe. The new Jeep hybrid only has a 17.3 kwh battery, so it's not going to make it the whole trail. But the Rubicon isn't a place you need to pack extra fuel for a gas Jeep and a Tesla or Ford all electric easily have enough range (Tesla and F150 have the same or more range than a gas tank) so... seems a bit much. Chargers at each end of the trail? Absolutely.

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[Moze]

Even then... Look, many of you know that I'm a big EV fan, but I think if you want to replace an ICE vehicle on the trail, then you need to bring the range and/or mobile charge capability - not install chargers in wild.

 

[Mountain Goat]

This was exactly my first thought. The environmental impact on the landscape & vegetation, not to mention the eyesore, has got to be worse than burning a few ounces of petroleum per mile. If we have to wait for two plus hours to charge halfway through a 45 mile trail, let's just go back to riding horses please.

 

[Squatch]

I wonder if the Sierra Club knows about this... it won't sit well with those fanatics.

I think it's horrible and I'm not an environmental nut, but the outdoors is disappearing and I'll go on record to say that I'll make sure those are removed. I'm sure they're going to pay that one private property owner along the Rubicon a hefty sum.

Jeep, you've just had your rear axle handed to you by the upcoming Ford Bronco. What are you going to do next?

- Polarize my biggest fanatics!!!!

 

[xXChartmanXx]

They are really going all out.

https://jalopnik.com/jeep-is-installing-solar-chargers-off-road-in-rubicon-a-1844957787

Sucks its only got a 2.5kwh charger. Thing is gonna take forever to charge up. Modern Tesla's charge at between 11.5 and 17.3 kwh. Of course they have much bigger battery packs but still gonna take 8-12 hours to charge up the Jeep.

 

[Straight 6]

That would seem unnecessary for a decent all electric, but maybe. The new Jeep hybrid only has a 17.3 kwh battery, so it's not going to make it the whole trail. But the Rubicon isn't a place you need to pack extra fuel for a gas Jeep and a Tesla or Ford all electric easily have enough range (Tesla and F150 have the same or more range than a gas tank) so... seems a bit much. Chargers at each end of the trail? Absolutely.

If you can make it to the 3rd or 4th paragraph of the article, they claim it already has made the whole trail on electric only without recharging

Plus, being a hybrid if you run out of electrons you can just burn dino juice

 

[Squatch]

If you can make it to the 3rd or 4th paragraph of the article, they claim it already has made the whole trail on electric only without recharging

Plus, being a hybrid if you run out of electrons you can just burn dino juice

This is the era of video proof, though, and the whole video could easily be put up on YouTube to back up his claim. I'm pretty sure that'll never happen. It's just a billboard. Maybe we need to make a lot of Jeep dis' music videos right in front of it?

 

[Mountain Goat]

These solar charge stations are sure to be an archeological curiosity within 30 years.

 

[Straight 6]

This is the era of video proof, though, and the whole video could easily be put up on YouTube to back up his claim. I'm pretty sure that'll never happen. It's just a billboard. Maybe we need to make a lot of Jeep dis' music videos right in front of it?

I get you but I'm sure as heck not watching a video of however long that took, plus people may suspect it was edited or altered anyway

I would hope their credibility would be worth more than to risk on a shaky claim but who knows?

 

[Moze]

If you can make it to the 3rd or 4th paragraph of the article, they claim it already has made the whole trail on electric only without recharging

Plus, being a hybrid if you run out of electrons you can just burn dino juice

Yep, my mistake. I read the article, but I honestly missed that paragraph between the ad and the diagram (lame, I know).

Tight squeeze, but they did it. Well done. So... why the chargers in the trail then?

 

[vintage]

If you can make it to the 3rd or 4th paragraph of the article, they claim it already has made the whole trail on electric only without recharging

Plus, being a hybrid if you run out of electrons you can just burn dino juice

Their probably installing them for all the Jeep advertising they will recieve out in the middle of nowhere. Lol

 

[Mountain Goat]

I would hope their credibility would be worth more than to risk on a shaky claim but who knows?

No one will ever know because it's a PHEV. If it were a BEV only with the same range, I expect it would be easy to spot all the depleted Wranglers stranded on various obstacles 6-8 miles before the end of the trail

I'd far rather have a 150-200 mile range BEV off-roader if such a thing existed than a 30-40 mile PHEV.

 

[WuNgUn]

Way to ruin and commercialize the great out doors. Might as well throw up cell towers and Coke vending machines while you're at it!

 

[bbqbronco]

Yea isn't the idea of off-roading and trails to leave civilization and structures behind? Not let's stick charging stations in the wild everywhere so we can sell more of these slow charging Jeeps. And of course we gotta maintain them so let's send all these work trucks to the trail. If they struggle to get up the trail, we'll just have to flatten some of these paths, won't we? And people have to eat and poop so why don't we add some restrooms and a Taco Bell right next to the Rubicon. The workers chomping on their nacho cheese chalupas might think "hey these wrappers are made of paper, it'll recycle right back into the earth" and toss them into the bushes. Then all these folks new to off roading and driving their shiny 60k vehicles could see these bushes and think that's where I can throw away my big gulp cup and these used baby diapers. Well then somebody with their head on their shoulders at FCA might say this is not ok. Obviously we gotta put a dumpster here for all this trash. And of course we gotta level the road some more for these beeping garbage trucks to come collect..

Or maybe it'll all be done discreetly and we'll be grateful when everything is electric.

 

[lightbulb]

Glad I am not the only one that thinks turning the great outdoors into the city is a bad idea.

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