Jeep Grand Cherokee EV Coming to Detroit

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is about to become electrified. 

In a stark contrast from the 800hp Hennessey Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 that was revealed just a few days ago, a new report is claiming that Jeep will be unveiling an all-EV version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee at the Detroit Auto Show next month.The reason that Jeep was able to get this project put together relatively quickly stems from the fact that the Grand Cherokee shares a platform with the Mercedes-Benz ML.

The latter of which has already been "electrified" by AMP Electric Vehicles, so making the necessary changes wasn't all that difficult. And according to a report from the New York Times, an official from AMP claims that the Grand Cherokee EV will cost around $60,000. It will be equipped with an electric powertrain that'll be retrofitted by AMP to offer realistic off-road capabilities. The biggest downside, however, is range. If reports prove accurate, even with a 37-kW battery pack, the EV Grand Cherokee will only have a 100 mile range under regular driving conditions. This electric conversion is also said to work on four-wheel-drive models.While it's interesting to see something like the Jeep Grand Cherokee become electrified, we can't help but think that even with its off-roading abilities, getting stranded in the middle of nowhere because you ran out of electric juice simply defeats the whole purpose of being "trail rated."Photos are of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.