"No Battery Incidents" Jeep's First Electric Vehicle Launching Soon in Korea Amid Challenges

Jeep Global Vice President of Product Planning Holds Meeting with Korean Press

Jeep, a brand primarily known for its sport utility vehicles (SUVs), has decided to launch its new electric vehicle in South Korea next month as planned. Despite the electric vehicle chasm (temporary demand slowdown) and the cooling perception of electric cars following an apartment fire in Incheon, the company expects the vehicle to be recognized in the market based on its product competitiveness.

Matt Nyquist, Vice President of Global Product Planning at Jeep, said at an online briefing held on the 20th ahead of the launch of the compact electric SUV Avenger, "This is the first Jeep model with a pure electric powertrain option, demonstrating our brand's entry into the battery electric vehicle sector in Korea."

Jeep's First Electric Vehicle Avenger
[Photo by Stellantis Korea]

The vehicle was first unveiled at the 2022 Paris Motor Show. It received various awards, including European Car of the Year last year and the 2023 Car of the Year by the Women’s World Car of the Year jury, as well as Best Family SUV. Since its launch, it has reportedly secured over 100,000 orders in Europe.

Vice President Nyquist explained, "The Avenger was the best-selling vehicle across all segments in Italy during the first half of this year," adding, "In Korea, SUVs sell much better than traditional sedans, so the compact SUV segment aligns well with Korean trends."

With increased attention on safety due to recent electric vehicle fires, battery safety was also emphasized. Andy Bowman, Vice President of Global Communications at Jeep, stated, "There have been no issues related to battery incidents with the Avenger," and added, "Customer safety and protection are our top priorities, and Stellantis vehicles meet or exceed all applicable safety standards in each region."

Matt Nyquist, Vice President of Global Product Planning at Jeep
[Photo by Stellantis Korea]

Vice President Nyquist also responded to questions about battery durability, saying, "Jeep conducts extensive and comprehensive testing on its off-road systems," and "There are specific protocols applied for battery protection as well."

The Avenger is equipped with a 54 kWh nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) battery supplied by China’s CATL. The electric motor delivers a maximum output of 115 kW and a peak torque of 270 Nm. It can travel 400 km on a single charge (WLTP standard), and using a fast charger, the battery can be charged from 20% to 80% in about 24 minutes.

The company reported that after starting pre-orders in late last month, demand steadily increased but slightly slowed following the electric vehicle fire incident. The vehicle will be launched domestically in two trims: Longitude and Altitude. Prices are 52.9 million KRW and 56.4 million KRW, respectively. Considering subsidies, it can be purchased for the high 40 million KRW range.

Jeep Avenger
Photo by Stellantis Korea

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.