The Jeep Gladiator remains one of the most iconic pickups on the U.S. market, but its future will not include electrification. Stellantis has decided to cancel development of the plug-in hybrid version, the Gladiator 4xe, which was originally scheduled to debut in 2025.
Jeep Gladiator: its future won’t be electrified
The news, reported by Automotive News, comes directly from an internal communication to suppliers: the project has been terminated with immediate effect, and all related activities will be shut down. The move is surprising, considering that the Wrangler, the model on which the Gladiator is based, is already offered as a PHEV, as is the Grand Cherokee. Back in 2024, Antonio Filosa, then CEO of Jeep and now head of Stellantis, had promised the arrival of the 4xe variant by 2025.
According to a company spokesperson, the decision does not mean abandoning the pickup. On the contrary, Jeep will reinvest resources into the traditional Gladiator, introducing new factory features, more customization options, and additional powertrain choices. In other words, the focus shifts to strengthening the current model rather than pursuing electrification, which, at least for now, does not appear to have a mature market.
Launched in 2019, the Gladiator peaked in 2021 with nearly 90,000 units sold. By 2024, however, U.S. deliveries dropped to just over 42,000 units, almost half the record set three years earlier. The decline reflects both growing competition in the segment and shifting consumer preferences.
The cancellation of the Gladiator 4xe adds to other Stellantis strategic moves on the EV front. The RAM 1500 REV has also been put on hold, with the project frozen until clearer signals emerge from the electric pickup market. Meanwhile, Dodge continues to struggle (as it has from the start) to spark strong interest in its battery-powered Charger Daytona, proof that simply dropping an electric motor under the hood is not enough to win over the public.
