Jeep Gladiator Won’t Add Plug-In Hybrid Variant After All
Another Stellantis project is dead before it could even hit the road. Following Ram's all-electric pickup truck, Jeep is now cancelling plans for a Gladiator 4xe plug-in hybrid model.
It seems the news was first reported in a letter to suppliers sent last Friday, citing an immediate halt to spending and development on the electrified pickup truck.
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Through a spokesperson, and using different wording, the company later confirmed the termination of the Gladiator 4xe project with Automotive News, saying it will focus on meeting customer demand more directly by offering more of what people actually want, including factory-installed features and customization options.
The Gladiator 4xe, originally promised in May 2024 for a launch sometime in 2025, would have been Jeep's third plug-in hybrid model after the Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe. Combining a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and a 17kWh battery pack, it would have delivered 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque—easily trumping the 3.6-litre V6's 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft—and an electric range of about 35 km.
Jeep's pickup saw its Canadian sales drop from a peak of 4,985 units in 2022 to 3,216 in 2023 and then to 2,368 in 2024. Worse still, only 660 Gladiators were sold nationwide during the first half of 2025, a 57-percent drop from the same period the previous year.
The high prices certainly don't help. In fact, in an effort to reposition the nameplate and offer better value to customers, Jeep recently decided to slash the Gladiator's prices by as much as $11,400 for the 2026 model year. For example, the entry-level Sport S model will retail for $52,290 (including all fees) instead of $63,190.
By the way, the only other hybrid midsize pickup on the market right now is the Toyota Tacoma i-Force MAX, but that one costs significantly more and isn't a plug-in hybrid.
Going back to Stellantis, the discontinuation of the fully electric Ram 1500 REV and now the Gladiator 4xe comes in addition to the elimination of the base R/T model of the Dodge Charger Daytona for 2026 and the suspension of imports of the Dodge Hornet (available with an optional plug-in hybrid system). Additionally, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo and Maserati have all shelved their plans to go EV-only by 2030, again due to lower-than-expected anticipated demand.