A year ago, Stellantis announced plans to add an electrified 4XE plug-in hybrid Jeep gladiator to North America by the end of 2025.
The automaker will not include gladiators with electric swords in their Jeep lineup to reevaluate its product strategy, telling TechCrunch in an emailed statement. The company cited changes in customer preferences as a major factor in determining customer preferences.
“The Jeep Gladiator will add incredible new content from the factory while carrying sturdy styling and authentic designs to 2026,” the statement reads. “It will continue to serve as the only outdoor pickup truck in the industry, combining the legendary Jeep 4×4 features with extremely extraordinary everyday versatility, combining the customer’s preference for battery-electric trucks. As the propulsion preference for battery-electric trucks continues to evolve, Stellantis continues to reevaluate its product strategy. Gladiator and Will will introduce factory features, customizations and additional powertrain options that many more customers are demanding in the near future.”
Gladiators are the latest electrified vehicles that they want to get x. Last week, Stellantis said it would no longer develop full-size battery-electric pickups under the RAM brand. This is a vehicle that was thought to be part of a product from an automaker selling over 25 whole new BEVs by the end of the decade.
Stellantis cited the low demand for full-size battery-electric trucks as a main reason. Instead, the automaker pursues an extended range of trucks that acquire an estimated 690 miles of range through a novel (unprecedented) approach of combining batteries and gas generators.
Stellantis is not the only carmakers who have grand plans around electric vehicles. Many major automakers, including Ford, GM, Mercedes and the VW Group, have pledged to invest billions of dollars in electric vehicles just to pivot later. A combination of lower than expected demand, saturation within the luxury EV market, and the imminent end of the US Federal EV tax credits are cited as reasons to change business strategies.
Some of these companies are shifting their energy and dollar to lower cost EVs.
Newcomer Slate is developing minimalist electric pickups that are expected to cost less than $30,000. Ford has delayed the launch of two next-generation electric vehicles, including full-size electric pickups, in order to focus on smaller, affordable models. In August, Ford announced that it would invest $2 billion to transform its Louisville assembly plant, starting with a mid-sized pickup truck set to launch in 2027, with a base price of $30,000, into a factory that can manufacture a new generation of affordable EVs.
