Costly recalls and a change in demands are being put down as reasons why giant car conglomerate Stellantis has decided to kill off its PHEV lineup in North America.
As reported by Automotive News, PHEVs from Jeep, Chrysler and Alfa Romeo haven’t been renewed for North America in 2026, with parent company Stellantis officially pinning customer demand as its main reason.
“Stellantis continually evaluates its product strategy to meet evolving customer needs and regulatory requirements,” the brand said in a statement to the publication.
“With customer demand shifting, Stellantis will phase out plug‑in hybrid (PHEV) programs in North America beginning with the 2026 model year, and focus on more competitive electrified solutions, including hybrid and range‑extended vehicles where they best meet customer needs.”
The decision impacts the future of the Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Gladiator 4xe, the Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid and a PHEV variant of the Alfa Romeo Tonale, with Stellantis instead wanting to focus on traditional series hybrids, electric vehicles (EVs) and extended-range EVs.
In September last year, a planned Jeep Gladiator 4xe PHEV was cancelled at the 11th hour, with the company instead focusing on a V8-powered version of the lifestyle-focused pickup.
Though not cited by Stellantis as a reason behind the cancellation of its current PHEV lineup in North America, more than 320,000 examples of the Jeep 4xe models were recalled late last year due to potential fire risks, with owners told at the time to not charge their cars.
A fix for this fault still hasn’t been found and isn’t expected to be rectified for months.
The decision to move away from the technology represents something of a shock however, with Automotive News reporting data showing Stellantis had a 22 per cent market share for PHEVs in the US, making it the market leader.
This was spearheaded by the Wrangler 4xe, which allowed fans of the long-standing off-roader to complete their journeys with fewer emissions, or none at all.
However, PHEVs accounted for less than two per cent of all new cars sold in the US, a number which isn’t expected to grow at a significant rate after the Trump Administration not only cut federal tax credit incentives for PHEVs and EVs, but also repealed fuel consumption and emissions penalties.
Jeep never sold the Wrangler 4xe in Australia, while the Grand Cherokee 4xe only had a brief, unsuccessful tenure which resulted in discounts of more than $50,000 to clear remaining stock of the once $129,950 SUV.
In 2025, just 38 of the 132 Alfa Romeo Tonales sold in Australia were the plug-in hybrid version, which remains on sale locally.
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