BLUETEC diesel range extended electric vehicle in fun, open-air, sustainable design package
Detroit, Michigan – A B-segment Jeep® concept vehicle, the Renegade is a sporty, “minimised” two-seater ideally suited for the all-weather fun of dune-surfing or rock-crawling.
Constructed of environmentally responsible materials, sustainability is a key theme of the Jeep Renegade concept.
Renegade is targeted at customers in the “Stylish Green” segment of the marketplace – those who are extremely environmentally oriented, appreciate high-tech and innovation, and enjoy performance combined with style in keeping with their “green” attitude.
Jeep Renegade concept technology
The advanced propulsion system in the Jeep Renegade concept starts with a 64 km lithium-ion battery pack. A range extender – in Renegade’s case, a small-displacement (1.5l, 3-cylinder) BLUETEC diesel engine – allows for journeys beyond 64 km. In fact, the Jeep Renegade concept boasts a 640 km range.
Renegade’s BLUETEC diesel engine generates an additional 85 kW when needed, while greatly reducing exhaust emissions when compared to standard petrol engines. Renegade is capable of achieving an equivalent petroleum fuel economy of 2.1l/100km, which is four-to-five times greater than an equivalent petrol-only vehicle.
The all-new Jeep Renegade concept’s lightweight aluminum architecture and regen-braking system help to improve overall efficiency, while dual electric 200 kilowatt motors propel a very capable 4×4 system – complete with low range and locking differentials – worthy of carrying the Jeep name.
Jeep Renegade concept exterior
The Jeep Renegade concept’s “one-with-nature” personality is emphasised by its large, flaring wheel openings, oversized wheels and tyres, and cut-down speedster windscreen – all of which combine to deliver on the Renegade’s promise of cross-country fun and agility.
Among the unique exterior details are “deconstructed” rubber-clad headlamps and taillamps, as well as just-for-fun elongated triangular openings in each of the two sculpted doors.
While the Renegade features a roll bar, it has no top. Instead, the cargo deck just behind the cockpit can be fitted with a variety of “lids.” Options include a plain lid, or lids configured to accommodate the gear of a particular outdoor day-trip activity, such as mountain biking or kayaking.
Or it can come “as built” – with formations designed to accommodate two matching water scooters with open storage underneath. Fluid-fill caps, a plug-in port and a first-aid kit are also included.
Jeep Renegade concept interior
Sustainability – a ratio between the energy needed to build and ship the vehicle as compared with the impact these processes have on the environment – is a key focus of the Jeep Renegade concept’s interior design.
Materials used in constructing the Jeep Renegade concept were deliberately selected to be environmentally responsible, both in manufacture and end-of-vehicle-life recyclability.
Innovative construction includes one-piece molded soy-based foam seats and doors, a one-piece moulded instrument panel with a urethane skin, a moulded aluminium/silicone steering wheel, a one-piece moulded chassis created without using environmentally-harmful resins, and a one-piece moulded interior compartment “tub.”
This environmental care in designing the Renegade’s interior is aligned with Jeep’s “harmony with nature” philosophy.
The HVAC system, for example, is not coolant-based, while the colour, grain and gloss of the interior parts are molded in one piece. Even the no-gloss exterior colour of the Renegade’s lightweight composite body is molded in to avoid the use of solvents present in automotive paints.
The dual-cockpit instrument panel is symmetrically balanced for easy “plug and play” left-hand drive and right-hand drive applications.
There is no conventional wiring. Instead, the instrument panel features wireless electronics in sealed, self-contained units, removable by the customer. The panel is built about an exposed cross-car beam containing an integrated power strip, and on the passenger side, yaw, pitch and roll indicators (also built into the fluid-fill gauges).
The instrument panel itself is hollow, allowing ample open storage below the beam. Separately-configured impact-absorbing vinyl-wrapped knee-blockers “float” beneath the cross-car beam.
The thin multi-plane acrylic instrument cluster mounts to the steering column, while the similar but separate centre control screen mounts on a swivel base – providing easy access to both occupants.
Located at the intersection of the steering wheel’s T-shaped spokes, the circular LED screen rotates, allowing the driver to select the drive mode, while a flattened rim provides roomier thigh clearance. A driver airbag is concealed beneath the screen. Red or green translucent shift buttons allow Park, Reverse or Drive selections.
The Jeep Renegade concept’s sporty doors incorporate unique canvas-pull remote “handles,” while the rush of the moving landscape visible through the door’s elongated openings enhance the feeling of carefree, open-air mobility.
The Renegade’s contoured, figure-form seats – covered in scuba-like waterproof materials that are both soft-touch and flexible – feature in-seat belts and unusual, hollow, lightweight upside-down “U-shaped” headrests. The seats feature a urethane skin with soy-based foam moulded with a composite substructure. The integral seatbelts, along with slender accent strips on the seats and instrument panel, repeat the Palm Metallic exterior colour.
A “thermal unit” in the centre console plugs into the electrical battery pack, permitting food to be either heated or cooled.
The Renegade’s wireless interior is designed to be hosed down. It features a drain in the floor, while the formations built into the floor mat are designed to channel water to the opening. Hollow-section billet-formed pedals float above the tub floor.
Fun, functional and fabricated from recyclable materials, the Jeep Renegade concept offers agile, capable performance without sacrificing the environment its drivers seek to explore. Keeping with Jeep owners’ desire to use their vehicles as an extension of their active lives, the Jeep Renegade concept promotes enjoyment of the good things of the earth while taking care of its future.
Jeep Renegade concept vehicle specifications
Vehicle type Range-extended electric vehicle (64 km all-electric range with diesel range extender)
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Two-passenger, open-air
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Weight and dimensions
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Weight/GVWR 1 430 kg/1 633 kg
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Length 3 885 mm
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Width at H-point 1 598 mm
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Height 1 431 mm
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Wheelbase 2 580 mm
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Front overhang 634 mm
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Rear overhang 671 mm
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Track front/rear 1 580mm
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Approach angle 44.0 degrees
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Departure angle 52.0 degrees
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Breakover angle 32.0 degrees
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Turn circle 10.7 m
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Maximum width 1 814 mm
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Powertrain and suspension
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Layout Four wheel drive with low range and locking differentials
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Motor Dual electric
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Power: 200 kW x 2
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Regenerative braking
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Battery 16 kWh Li-ion battery pack
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Range extender 1.5l, 3-cylinder diesel
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Fuel volume 45.6l
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Suspension Front – SLA
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Rear – Multi-link
Wheels and tyres
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Tyre size front/rear 235/65R20 x 7.5 814mm
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Tyre manufacturer BF Goodrich
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Colour scheme
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Exterior Palm Metallic
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Interior Black
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Key performance attributes
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0 – 100 km/h 8.5 seconds
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0 – 400 m 13.6 seconds
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Top speed 144 km/h
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All-electric range 64 km
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Total range 640 km
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Fuel economy 2.1l/100 km (combined, est.)
