Jeep Patriot EV

ENVI Technology Meets the Most Capable Compact SUV

While the Jeep Patriot EV is still in its concept state and will likely not be available for a few years, it is a highly anticipated production vehicle, thanks in part to the face that the conventional Patriot is one of the most capable and popular compact SUVs.  It will be interesting to see how the Patriot EV fits into the rest of Jeep's traditionally 'off-road' capable lineup. Additionally to the consumer available ENVI vehicles, approximately 100 Chrysler electric vehicles will be on the road in government, business, utility and Chrysler development fleets in the near future.

The Jeep Patriot EV will fit under Chrysler's extended-range vehicle scheme. Those vehicles can travel 40 miles on battery power alone, with the ability to motor for 400 miles on a single tank of gas. While the electric vehicle market is not large, there are certainly competitors for the ENVI vehicles.  The other ENVI vehicles include the Jeep Wrangler EV, the Chrysler 200c EV, the Chrysler Town & Country EV, and the all electric Dodge Circuit EV sports car.  The Patriot shaes a platform with the Jeep Compass and Dodge Caliber, and is considered to be the most rugged of the three.

What is ENVI?

While other automakers have invested their future in hybrids, Chrsler LLC has taken a different route: electric vehicles.  ENVI is Chrysler's internal research and development for the evolution of electric-drive production. ENVI (for ENVIronmental) is developing electric-drive systems for future Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles. Chrysler and General Electric are currently working on a project with the United States Department of Energy to explore future techniques for energy-storage technology. Chrysler's partnership with General Electric combines the electric-drive technology demonstrated in the Chrysler Electric Vehicles, with GE's research and development of advanced energy storage systems.  The collective goal working with the DOE is to develop a new, integrated energy-storage system to make electric vehicle battery packs smaller and significantly less expensive than current designs.

 Design of the Electric Patriot

The Jeep Patriot EV features a new ENVI Green Pearl exterior with a prominent "EV" graphic adorning both sides - top-to-bottom - of the vehicle.   The Patiort will likely come with 16 or 17 inch steel wheels.  It has a standard body-colored grille, front and rear bumpers. This ENVI vehicle features a refined and clean front appearance to match the refined and clean powertrain. The unique wheel design and size gives the Jeep Patriot EV a wide stance which combines with the paint treatment to produce a sporty form.  The signature Jeep grille features vertical accents, and the front fascia is a separate component to help set the grille apart. The use of body-color paint, blended with matte black B- and C-pillars, visually creates a smooth and elongated profile.

Electric Power for the Patriot

The Jeep Patriot EV uses an electric-drive motor, advanced lithium-ion battery system and a small gasoline engine with an integrated electric generator to produce additional energy to power the electric-drive system when needed. Range-extended Electric Vehicles provide customers a no-compromise means of dramatically reducing their gasoline use and carbon footprint. The Jeep Patriot EV has a range of 400 miles, including 40 miles of zero fuel-consumption, zero-emissions, all-electric operation; which is enough to cover many Americans daily commutes.

Patriot EV Driving Experience

The electric vehicle technology is made of an advanced lithium-ion battery system to power the electric-drive motor, a controller that manages energy flow and an electric motor to drive the wheels. The electric-drive system is being developed for front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, and body-on-frame four-wheel-drive vehicle applications.  While four wheel drive is not currently available for the electric Patriot, there is certainly a goal to develop this and engineers are working to harness the full power of the electric engine.  For now, though, the Patriot EV is an all wheel drive vehicle.  The instant high torque of the electric-drive motor and the ability to precisely control each wheel independently results in off-road capability ideally suited for the Jeep brand, without compromising on-road driving capability. While the conventional 4WD Jeep Patriot gets Jeep's Trail-Rated designation, meaning it's capable of meeting certain offroad standards for traction, water fording, and ground clearance, it is unknown whether the electric Patriot will qualify for this.

Inside a Patriot EV

The interior of the Jeep Patriot EV features all of the elements introduced in the refreshed 2009 Jeep Patriot.  The new instrument panel, door trim, soft-touch armrests and LED instrument gauges that were added to the '09 Patriot will likely carry over to the Patriot EV. Volume behind the rear seat is 23 cubic feet, 54.2 cubic feet with the standard 60/40-split folding rear bench down.  There is room for five occupants between the two rows of seats in the Patriot EV.  There are several unique options, including a nine-speaker Boston Acoustics audio system with speakers that can swing down from the liftgate, plus a cargo-area dome light that can be removed and used as a flashlight.


Final Words


The Jeep Patriot EV became the fourth confirmed electric vehicle from Chrysler, who dedicated a new ENVI division to develop electric vehicles.   The other ENVI vehicles are the Dodge Circuit sports car, Chrysler Town and Country MPV, and a Jeep Wrangler.  The Jeep Patriot electric sport-utility vehicle demonstrates Chrysler's ability to be diversified, while appealing to a wide range of consumers. It is unknown what the cost of the Patriot EV will be when it is put into production.  Considering the popularity of the conventional Patriot, the Patriot EV will be welcomed with opened arms. For more research, read another Jeep Patriot EV review.