In honor of “National Autonomous Vehicle Day” in the US (Did you know that was a thing? I didn’t.), Jeep has shared some video footage of its Grand Cherokee 4xe testing AI and autonomous off-road technology in Moab. See more below.
While it is a household name, Jeep is rarely ever the first company that comes to mind when you think about EVs. Even less so when you think about autonomous driving. The Jeep brand, however, is still very much associated with off-roading, so while many other automakers are implementing their autonomous driving technology to highways, Jeep is taking it to the trails first.
Parent company Stellantis has been a bit slower in full BEV adoption, but the Jeep brand is slowly but surely becoming electrified, with plans for four all-electric SUVs by 2025. These plans include the recently teased Wrangler as well as an all-electric Avenger, Recon, and Wagoneer S.
For its autonomous off-road demonstration, Jeep equipped two Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-ins with AI technology and took them through the rocky red terrain of Moab, Utah.
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The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe / Credit: Jeep -
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Easier said than done, for sure. Still, Jeep is taking a refreshing and inarguably on-brand approach to autonomous driving – focusing on off-road trail safety for both seasoned off-roaders and drivers new to terrain off the beaten path.
That being said, Jeep says its autonomous technology will eventually support drivers on normal paved roads as well. Per CEO Christian Meunier:
In the same way that our 4xe electrification takes Jeep brand’s off-road capability to new heights, these advanced off-road driving systems will help more customers in more countries around world join and enjoy the adventure. These features and technology will have real-life applications on and off the trail in a wide range of driving conditions.
Jeep shared plans to showcase a full video of the future generation of its autonomous off-road driving technology later this summer, but in the meantime, it offered this little vignette featuring Stellantis head of AI & autonomous driving, Neda Cvijetic.
Check out the first look at this prototype technology below.