Jeep launches all-new Commander PHEV in China

The all-new Jeep Commander PHEV, a 5-passenger plug-in hybrid SUV developed for China, hit the market last week. This is the first electrified vehicle in the global Jeep family and it also represents Jeep’s entry into China’s rapidly-growing New Energy Vehicle market.

From the beginning of the development process, engineers in North America and Europe received extensive input from their colleagues at FCA China regarding consumer and environmental requirements as well as the competitive landscape in China, which is now the leading New Energy Vehicle market in the world.

Engineers from FCA China and GAC-FCA (FCA's joint venture in China) tested the vehicle and hybrid propulsion system over approximately 4.9 million kilometres in a variety of conditions from the extreme cold of Heihe, Heilongjiang to the extreme heat and humidity of Sanya, Hainan and from the high altitudes of Tibet to the crowded streets of Shanghai and Changsha. The vehicle's connectivity features were tested for 20,000 hours (over 300,000 kilometers).

The GAC-FCA plant in Changsha, China (sole production location for this model) began production of the Jeep Commander PHEV in the second half of 2019.

The pivotal technology behind the all-new Jeep Commander PHEV is its innovative electrically variable transmission known as SiEVT, which features two electric motors both capable of driving the vehicle's wheels.

Conventional electrification architectures dedicate one motor to serve as a generator and a second motor - usually much larger - to also deliver torque to the wheels. But the all-new Jeep Commander PHEV uses a one-way clutch that allows the generator motor to deliver torque to the wheels depending on driving conditions. The result is increased efficiency and a seamless driving experience for the customer, whether in electric or hybrid mode.

The vehicle, which has a maximum pure electric range of 70km and a combined fuel consumption as low as 1.6L/100km, pairs the innovative dual-motor SiEVT with a specially-adapted version of the 2.0L GMET4 turbo-charged engine initially developed for the Jeep Grand Commander.

As the first application on an FCA vehicle, four E-drive modes - Hybrid, Electric, E-Save and Sport - are available via a rotary switch in the center console. Hybrid is the default mode when the vehicle is started and automatically adapts for the most efficient usage of engine and battery power. Electric mode saves gas for later use by keeping the vehicle fully electric with a maximum range of 70 kilometres on a full charge. Under normal driving conditions, the top speed in electric mode is approximately 125 kilometres per hour (kph). E-Save mode maintains battery power, so that the battery can be used later. Sport mode utilises maximum engine and battery power to automatically adapt for performance driving.

Because Jeep Commander PHEV owners could feasibly drive for weeks or months on just battery power, the average age of fuel in the tank is constantly monitored. If needed, the vehicle will automatically shift from electric to hybrid mode to cycle through any fuel that is more than 90 days old, eliminating the need to add a fuel stabilizer…and giving customers one less thing to think about.

The Jeep Commander's 13-kWh lithium-ion battery pack is stored efficiently under the floor ensuring a roomy second row and rear cargo area. The exterior charge port has a charge indicator light inside the housing, while an additional charge indicator light is located on the instrument panel.

The battery pack can be fully recharged in as little as two hours using a specific 220V 30A charging station via the 6.6-kWh on-board charger. Using the electric vehicle charging equipment (EVSE), which comes as standard, the Jeep Commander PHEV can be fully recharged in approximately 8 hours. Charging times can be scheduled by the customer to take advantage of off-peak rates.

Whenever the driver brakes, the Jeep Commander PHEV's fully-blended regenerative braking system converts the resulting kinetic energy to electricity, helping to provide additional electric range by topping up the lithium-ion battery. As the Jeep Commander PHEV decelerates from a higher speed, the high-voltage motor becomes a generator and charges the battery to extend the electric range.

Equipped with 4G WiFi, the Jeep Commander is the first Jeep vehicle to offer connectivity services and features in China. Leveraging the capabilities of the widely used Chinese social media platform, WeChat, the Jeep Commander provides a convenient and secure method for vehicle owners to interact with the vehicle from their mobile phones. On their mobile phones, vehicle owners can use their WeChat account to conveniently lock and unlock the doors, activate horn and lights, receive real time notifications in the event of a vehicle break-in via WeChat message or SMS from the vehicle's anti-theft alarm system, check the vehicle's location. In the case of theft, this feature can be used to recover the vehicle and reduce property loss and check “Battery state”, “Battery Charge status” and “Time to full charge”.