The Jeep Recon Moab managed just 160 miles on a full charge in Car and Driver’s highway range test, highlighting the efficiency penalty that comes with the electric SUV’s strong off-road focus. The publication runs its test at a steady 75 mph, and the result falls well short of the Recon’s 222-mile EPA range estimate. The two figures come from different testing procedures, however, so they do not represent a direct apples-to-apples comparison.
Jeep Recon falls to only 160 miles of range in highway testing
A more meaningful comparison comes from the Jeep Wagoneer S, which shares the STLA Large architecture and uses the same 94-kWh battery. In the identical Car and Driver highway test, the Wagoneer S covered 280 miles, giving it a massive 120-mile advantage despite the two Jeeps sharing much of their underlying technology.
The Wagoneer S prioritizes road use and carries a more aerodynamically efficient body, while the Recon needs to handle trails and difficult terrain. The Moab provides 9.1 inches of ground clearance and rides on 33-inch all-terrain tires, features that help away from pavement but create compromises at sustained highway speeds.
Weight also works against efficiency. The Recon tips the scales at about 6,190 pounds and returned only 1.7 miles per kWh during the test. The Wagoneer S achieved 3.0 miles per kWh under the same conditions. Those figures translate to roughly 36.5 kWh per 100 kilometers for the Recon and 20.7 kWh per 100 kilometers for the Wagoneer S.
The GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 shows how an enormous battery can mask even worse efficiency. Despite weighing around 9,640 pounds, it traveled 290 miles in Car and Driver’s 75-mph test thanks largely to its huge 205-kWh battery. Its efficiency reached just 1.4 miles per kWh, even lower than the Recon’s result.
Jeep equips the Recon Moab with two electric motors and all-wheel drive, producing a combined 670 hp and 620 lb-ft of torque. A 15:1 rear final-drive ratio forms part of its off-road hardware, while removable doors and rear-quarter glass bring some of the Wrangler’s open-air character to the electric SUV.
Jeep currently lists the Recon in the United States with a starting MSRP of $66,995. Buyers planning to use it for trails far from home will also need to consider charging stops. Car and Driver measured 43 minutes to charge the battery from 10 to 90 percent.
The 160-mile result applies specifically to sustained highway driving under Car and Driver’s test conditions. It does not represent how far the Recon can travel in city driving or on trails, where lower speeds can significantly change an EV’s energy consumption.
