Jeep is offering a view of what it thinks the future looks like, and they seem to have a clear vision for off-roading without fossil fuels. That vision includes vehicle connectivity and remote charging stations that have no fossil fuel equal.
In a short but featureful video, Jeep demonstrated exactly how their customers will continue to enjoy the great outdoors. The video begins with a montage focused on the past. It talks about how community plays a huge role in the Jeep ownership experience.
With that community aspect in mind, Jeep is leaning heavily on technology to keep the group together. They mentioned a feature called 'Jeep Trails,' which features more than 6,000 pre-loaded off-road trails in the user interface.
It gets way more interesting, though, because it looks like Jeep is going to launch their own in-house pseudo-social network. Users will be able to connect with other Jeep owners, share locations, and feature their own mods on their profiles.
It seems almost like users can find one another the same way that one might on a video game mini-map. In addition, we get a small taste of what Jeep is planning with regard to remote charging.
A very short and uncaptioned section of the video shows a remote charging station complete with solar charging panels. Since it is Jeep branded, we may expect that at least at the launch, other brands won't be able to take advantage of these stations.
They also show one Jeep Wrangler 4xe sharing its charge state with another. Both options certainly provide additional range where it's needed. This all falls well in line with Jeep's long-term plan for additional revenue.
The brand can pick up a little revenue from those charging stations, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Charging a monthly subscription fee for access to the Jeep community network would no doubt be a boom for the brand.
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