2026 Jeep Recon is Essentially an All-Electric Wrangler Designed to Climb Rocks

Late last week, Jeep officially revealed the all-new 2026 Recon, an all-electric SUV designed to transport its owner through dirt, bouncing over boulders, and splashing over streams without breaking a sweat. Production begins early next year at their Toluca plant in Mexico, with delivery to buyers in the United States and Canada starting in early 2026.

The engineers began by grafting the STLA Large platform underneath, which is also used in the Dodge Charger Daytona and the Wagoneer S, and then added two electric motors, one up front and one in back, which deliver a total of 650 horsepower and 620 lb-ft of torque, all from a standstill. When you hit the throttle, this thing accelerates to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, or faster than most gas-guzzling crossovers. Its top speed is 112 mph, but on the open road, the front motor is likely to disengage to allow the rear wheels to bear the weight, extending battery life.

The power comes from a 100kWh battery pack smartly slung low in the chassis, which should let you travel approximately 250 miles on a full charge under typical conditions. Mix it up a little and that figure should hold up well; however, if you start crashing over rough terrain and the system has to transfer all that immediate torque to pull you out of a hole, that range will suffer. Charging takes place at 400 volts, and while Jeep hasn’t specified a timeframe, the system appears to be quite similar to the Wagoneer S, which can charge from 20 to 80% in around 24 minutes using a DC fast charger. If you’re charging at home, a normal Level 2 setup will contribute approximately 30 miles of range per hour if left plugged in overnight.

The Recon’s proportions are quite small when compared to its larger siblings, with an overall length of 193.3 inches and a wheelbase of 112.9 inches, making it very agile on tight switchbacks. It’s 76.8 inches wide (without mirrors) and 74.9 inches tall, resulting in an upright, uncompromising stance that says, “This thing means business.” The Moab trim, the base model that launches first, has a standard ground clearance of 9.1 inches and 33-inch all-terrain tires. Jeep’s engineers were able to squeeze out some fairly exceptional values for approach and departure angles: 33.8 for approach, 33.1 for departure, and 23.3 for breakover.

Off-road hardware makes those angles real. The Recon wears the Trail Rated badge, earned after testing in snow, mud and sand, plus water fording up to 24 inches and enough articulation to keep all four tires on the ground. Selec-Terrain dial has five modes, including a Rock mode exclusive to Moab that fine tunes throttle response for low speed crawling. An electronic locking rear differential kicks in when needed and the rear motor’s 15-to-1 final drive ratio multiplies torque when you need every ounce of grip. Up front an 11-to-1 open differential ratio balances things for smoother road manners and automatic wheel-end disconnects when four wheel drive is unused.

The battery pack is protected by a full array of high-strength steel skid plates under the vehicle, designed to shrug off rocks and ruts. Suspension is short-and-long-arm in front and integral link coilover in rear, both with larger CV joints and half-shafts to handle the electric motor’s pull. Tow hooks front and rear add utility, rated for up to 3,500 pounds when hitched to a trailer and recovery points make winching out of a stuck situation easy.

Doors open without a tool, a nod to the Wrangler’s open air tradition that no other electric SUV on the market can match. Pull the latches and the panels come off, and the cabin is exposed to the wind or the rain on the optional Sky One-Touch power top which folds back with the touch of a button. Quarter windows and the rear swing-gate glass come out just as easy, and the Recon becomes a convertible when the weather cooperates. Moab trim gets blacked out fascias and fender flares and an anti-glare hood decal for squinting through the midday sun on dusty trails.

Inside, the dashboard stretches out horizontally, a big, wide space that passengers can grab onto if the road gets a little rough. There’s a grab handle running the length of it for times like that. Behind the wheel, a 12.3-inch digital readout informs you of what’s going on, and teamed with a giant 14.5-inch touchscreen in the center that runs the Uconnect 5 software, it’s the largest screen Jeep has ever put on one of its vehicles. Temperature controls are digital on the screen, with the exception of one tiny physical volume knob, which keeps the overall layout simple and easy to clean after a muddy day. An Alpine premium sound system then plays the music through speakers located deep beneath the seats, so there is nothing to obstruct visibility when the doors are removed.

The Trails Offroad app interacts seamlessly with the infotainment system, providing directions for thousands of routes around the United States and Canada, as well as real-time pitch and roll readings from the vehicle’s sensors, which are extremely valuable for spotting hazards at turns. If you want to go more technical, you can even put a GoPro or another camera on the rails above the dashboard, which the system can then overlay over your real-world perspective to show you what’s coming up. The materials used inside are also rather clver, with a mix of robust, durable textiles and soft touch surfaces that will withstand any spills or scuffs while still feeling a little more upmarket than your normal truck plastics. When the rear seats are folded flat, there is a whopping 65.9 cubic feet of cargo space, not to mention the 3 cubic foot frunk up front, which can swallow a case or some recovery gear.

For those interested in the Moab variant, the starting price will be around $65,000 plus delivery fees, however Jeep will make a final announcement closer to the launch date. This places the Recon below the Wagoneer S in terms of price, but much above the gas-powered Wrangler, a difference that reflects the increased cost of electric components and all off-road features. Future versions may be reduced to just one motor or have higher trims with additional luxury additions, lowering the price for customers who don’t need all of the top-end horsepower.