2021 Jeep Wrangler 4x electric range officially rated at 21 miles

Official EPA fuel economy and range numbers have been announced for the 2021Jeep Wrangler4xe.Jeepestimated it could go 25 miles on electric power by the end of last year, but on a full charge, the EPA-estimated range was reduced to just 21 miles of driving range.

It's disappointingtosee the Jeep miss the 4-mile mark, but 21 miles is still enough for many owners.The average person drives less than 21 miles a day, so some (or all) regular driving on electric power is sufficient.

In addition to range, we also know the combined fuel economy rating is 20 mpg, which is what you get after the battery is completely drained.TheWrangler4xe suffers, as most PHEVs do, with the added weight of fuel economy dragged down from the battery pack and electric motor.By comparison, the standard Wranglerfour-door combo model with the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine israted at 22 mpg combined.Even the V6 four-door has combined fuel economy 1 mpg better than the 4xe.The story here is that you need to take full advantage of the electric range to get the Wrangler 4xe to its advantage.

For more comparison, the super-efficientWranglerEcoDiesel will return the model's EPA-best combined figure at 25 mpg.The least efficient Wrangler is the new 392, which is rated at just 14 mpg.

Even with less-than-ideal fuel economy after a dead battery, the EPA believes 4xe owners will pay less for fuel ($1,750) per year than other Wrangler drivers.The gasoline engine alone will cost an average of $200 more, and the EcoDiesel will be $150 more.If the 6 mpg combined difference between the 4xe and the 392 seems enticing, note that the 392 has an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,750, which is $2,000 more per year than the 4xe.On the lower end of the fuel economy figures, small differences in mpg lead to huge differences in fuel costs.