How Jeep is going electric, with CEO Christian Meunier

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Vox Media Podcast Network

Business, Technology

4.2 • 3.4K Ratings

🗓️ 19 October 2021

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week we are talking to Jeep CEO Christian Meunier – and there’s a lot to talk about. Jeep just announced its second hybrid electric vehicle in the US, the Grand Cherokee 4xe. It also announced a plan for its first electric car in 2023, and to have EVs across the line by 2025, which is very soon. And it’s now part of a huge global car company called Stellantis. So I wanted to know: why start with hybrids, instead of jumping straight to EVs? What does it mean to be the CEO of a brand like Jeep inside of of a huge international company like Stellantis? How does the Jeep team make decisions about features and technology, and how much do they have to defer to a larger parent company? And what does it mean for Jeep, one of the most iconic American car brands, to be part of a huge global company now? Christian and I talked about all of that, as well as how the chip shortage is affecting Jeep, what cars will look like in 2040, and Jeep’s use of the name “Cherokee” in 2021. Yeah, this interview goes places. Links: The first plug-in hybrid Jeep Grand Cherokee is here Tested: 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Complicates a Simple Machine 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4xe: A Hybrid That Comes Up Short The electric Mustang Mach-E takes Ford in a whole new direction Jeep Badge of Honor App Jeep EV Day video Episode Transcript Credits: Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams, and Andrew Marino. And we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Be exuberant, be electrifying, be iconic.
0:03.6	In the all-electric lyric, order yours,
0:06.7	2023 lyric orders a full.
0:08.6	Go to catalytic.com and complete a pre-order for Model Year 24
0:12.0	to be among the first to order a Model Year 24 win available.
0:16.6	Hello and welcome to Decoder.
0:18.2	I'm Neil Appetel, editor in chief of the Verge
0:20.4	and Decoder is my show about big ideas and other problems.
0:24.2	This week I'm talking to Jeep CEO Christian Mune,
0:27.0	and there's a lot to talk about.
0:28.9	Jeep just announced its second hybrid electric vehicle
0:32.0	in the United States, the Grand Cherokee 4xE.
0:35.6	It also announced a plan for its first electric car in 2023
0:39.6	and you have EVs across its lineup by 2025,
0:43.4	which I'll remind you, is less than four years away.
0:46.7	Jeep is also now part of a huge global car company
0:50.1	called Stellantis, which yeah, we're just going to have
0:53.5	to start at the beginning.
0:55.1	So Jeep is obviously a legendary car brand
0:58.2	with roots stating back to World War II.
1:00.5	But over time, it's been caught up in an endless series
1:03.9	of corporate mergers and restructurings.
	...

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