The new Jeep Wrangler Xtreme Recon is capable of driving through 33.6 inches of water; however, future Jeeps will come with an ability to go much deeper than that. During an electric vehicle showcase by Jeep’s parent company Stellantis, a Wrangler was depicted driving fully submerged, and we might soon see that happening.
“There is a little wink we have at the end, which is probably post-2030, but I know a lot of enthusiasts and a lot of our communities are requesting it,” Jeep CEO Christian Meunier told The Detroit News. “There are some crazy, very amazing people in the Jeep community who do that type of thing already with an ICE, so you can imagine with a battery car what it would be.”
Car that can drive underwater
Electric cars do not require intakes or exhausts to run, which means if their equipment is sealed they will be able to operate underwater without any issues. The current Wrangler Rubicon 4Xe plug-in hybrid, which comes with an electric range of 21 miles, has a waterproof battery pack and can be driven at a fording depth of 30 inches.
The CEO also spilled beans about a future off-road autonomous vehicle that will enable Jeep owners to have their vehicles drop them off in the wilderness and drive itself to the location at the end of a hike or any other activity.
Future seems bright for autonomous vehicles
Electric cars are witnessing a boom and the future might bring many of such innovative ideas to life. A British designer recently built an electric car that cleans the air of pollution while driving. Thomas Heatherwick, an award-winning architect, was approached by IM Motors, Chinese car manufacture to create the concept car.
The front grille of the car is fitted with an air filter that can “collect a tennis ball worth of particulate matter per year.” Dubbed “Airo,” the car can go into production by 2023 in China.