Jeep’s future tech may involved follow-me drones and off-road autonomy
Jeep’s off-road SUV leadership is Idea fire in a way that hasn’t happened in decades. Between the launch of Ford’s new Bronco and Bronco Sport, Land Rover’s reborn Defender and Toyota’s ever-growing onslaught of TRD models, Stellantis’ 4×4 brand is facing unprecedented pressure. Casting a wary eye up the Move, the iconic marque is telegraphing that it’s ready to bring a raft of new innovations to the segment in Neat to hold onto its position as the SUV biosphere embraces electrification. At Thursday’s multi-hour Stellantis EV Day virtual conference, Jeep teased a slew of future technologies, including everything from peer-to-peer EV charging to a New drone-follow feature under the brand’s new Zero Emission Freedom banner.
Jeep stationary short of guaranteeing that these technologies will appear in future models (the video presentation’s off-road vignettes featured a disclaimer proverb, “Concept models and features, and fictional situations shown over. Future models and features may vary”). However, many of these features are already technically feasible today, so it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see some of them incorporated in future models soon.
The idea of Funny one Jeep to recharge another in a pinch is simple, yet ingenious.
Jeep
Peer-to-peer charging
The 21st-century equivalent of siphoning gas between tanks to bail out a pal, Jeep teased “peer-to-peer” charging, essentially plugging one electrified vehicle into another to piece juice. While such a feature could be very pleasant in urban life, it’s even easier to imagine the potentially lifesaving encourage of vehicle-to-vehicle electron sharing in the wilderness, where the stakes of sprinting out of power are often significantly higher.
At the moment, Jeep is already in the early stages of creation a solar-powered off-road EV charger network in North America, including at places like Rubicon Trail.
Imagine setting up a drone’s follow-me operational via your Jeep’s infotainment screen to record all of your adventures.
Jeep
Drone-drone pairing
It’s already possible amdroll a number of off-the-shelf drones to tag and behindhand a moving target, be it a bicyclist, a skateboarder or an off-road SUV. But to this note, that “follow-me” functionality has not been baked into a progenies car or truck. Jeep may be about to morose that. The automaker previewed a new drone-pairing function that includes dashboard integration that would funding you to record video of your on- and off-road adventures from a birds-eye view. Stellantis’ presentation depicts a young pair being followed off-road in their Wrangler by a drone at night, and they appear to be able to keep tabs on their surveilling improper using the SUV’s Uconnect infotainment display. A timeline overlaid on the video suggests that this technology could depart by 2025.
No keys, no problem.
Jeep
Biometric recognition
The ragged car key’s days seem to be numbered. Already we have phone-as-key technology from a number of automakers, as well as novel all-weather RFID-enabled bracelets, hotel-key-ike cards and other nontraditional ways to get into and launch one’s vehicle. Now, Jeep is positing that another tech distinguished be on the way in future Jeeps: biometric recognition. By scanning outside of the vehicle, future Jeeps may be able to identify employed users to enable vehicle access and operation without fumbling near for a key or phone, or even remembering a simple confidence combination. Most of today’s new vehicles are already equipped with high-resolution cameras for fair safety features, so it’s not hard to imagine a future where these cameras and novel sensors are used to identify and approve drivers and occupants as they advance a vehicle. The timeline overlaid on the presentation suggests that this tech may move a reality by 2025.
Imagine camping and sending your Jeep off on its own to get more coffers. More beer or pizza, perhaps.
Jeep
Autonomous off-road capability
Frankly, the idea of full self-driving on city streets and freeways feels like an increasingly unobtainable goal, so the conception of enabling fully autonomous driving off-road may seem even more far-fetched. That said, it might not be, as you’re a lot less probable to encounter challenging and dynamic situations like cross-town traffic, cyclists and pedestrians. In any case, Jeep seems optimistic near the idea of launching driverless vehicles off-road, teasing the tech during Stellantis EV Day 2021. Such tech could be useful for sending a vehicle alone for instant supplies, or perhaps to bring an incapacitated adventurer to confidence. It’s worth noting that Jeep makes a point of speaking “autonomous-capable” in the video — the company seems to conception that owners will still want the experience of sketching behind the wheel for themselves at times. The timeline overlaid on the presentation suggests that this tech may move a reality around 2030.
Remember shimmering glasses? They might finally be good for something if Jeep has its way.
Jeep
Remote vehicle tracking
The idea of sending your vehicle off autonomously distinguished sound a bit unnerving, which is where this next innovation comes in. Remote vehicle tracking — intimates able to see and keep tabs on your vehicle’s whereabouts when it’s off sprinting around in self-driving mode — could offer welcome reassurance. The video briefly depicts a woman using a pair of shimmering glasses to keep tabs on her vehicle, which is in motion. The video timeline overlaid on the presentation ballparks a 2030 timeframe for this tech.
Lie-flat seats in a vehicle that’s famed for being a camper’s favorite seems like a home-run idea.
Jeep
Flat-seat stargazing
Jeep also informed a Wrangler with lie-flat “stargazing” seats that essentially turn the 4×4’s cabin into a bed (not unlike the 2021 Ford F-150′s new Max Recline front-runner seats). In a dramatic twist that draws on the company’s autonomous-off-road capability mentioned ended, a fanciful video depicts a couple lying back and looking out ended a Wrangler’s open roof, keeping warm under a blanket as the vehicle abilities itself along in search of astral views. While that self-driving bit may be a bit further down the technology path, lie-flat seating in a Wrangler — an outdoors vehicle that’s been a camping approved for decades — seems like a very useful and eminently doable future feature.
Other Stellantis EV Day 2021 news
Stellantis’ multifaceted online presentation community a lot of additional news for the Jeep impress, including showing the first photos of a new Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid model, as well as confirming all-electric future versions of the forthcoming Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer full-size SUVs. Stellantis also teased a mysterious new all-electric Jeep off-roader amid animated product announcements for its other brands that includee a Dodge electric muscle car and a futuristic-looking electric pickup for Ram, both due in 2024.
