The Jeep Recon is starting to scope out customers. Deliveries of the all-electric SUV are now underway with the launch of the Recon Moab. The model has a starting price of $66,995 and a powerful all-wheel drivetrain rated at 650 hp and 620 lb-ft.
It’s also equipped as a serious off-roader with 9.1 inches of ground clearance, a locking rear differential, approach and departure angles greater than 33 degrees and 33-inch all-terrain tires. Unfortunately, while all of that is great for traversing all types of terrain, it does a job on the Recon’s on-road efficiency.
The midsize SUV is rated at just 230 miles per charge thanks in part to its boxy shape and the rolling resistance of its tires. Future Recon trims are rated at up to 250 miles, with the tires being the biggest difference.
This isn’t just an issue for EVs. The off-road versions of many SUVs and trucks often get lower fuel efficiency ratings than their street counterparts due to their knobby rubber. This is less of an inconvenience for internal combustion engine vehicles, which require less time to refuel on road trips. Tires make a huge difference in a vehicle’s off-road performance, however, so it’s tough to compromise if that’s your brand. Jeep may have figured out how to have the best of both worlds.
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Jeep’s parent company FCA (yes, that’s what the American arm of Stellantis is still officially called) has submitted a patent application for “Tire Construction for Off-Road Conditions and Low Rolling Resistance.”
The idea is both simple and complex. The tread pattern is split down the center, with an off-road pattern on the outside and a smoother pattern on the inside that has a lower rolling resistance.
It’s coupled with a computer-controlled suspension design that can adjust the tire camber, how much it tilts off vertical, depending on the conditions. If the vehicle is on the street, it leans slightly to the inside for efficiency. Off-road, or on a slippery surface that requires the more aggressive tread, it tilts to the outside. The patent doesn’t get into the details about exactly how far the tire will tilt, but the included illustrations exaggerate this to make the point.
Interestingly, some street performance tires already put this concept into effect, but with passive suspensions in mind. They’ll have a slicker surface on the outside to help them bite more when a car is leaning hard into a curve, and more grooves and sipes on the inside to help move water and lower rolling resistance when the car is just cruising along normally.
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Don’t go looking for the twin tires on the Recon just yet. The launch version doesn’t have them and Jeep hasn’t announced any plans to put this sort of technology into production, as is the case with many patents. However, there is a Recon with a much longer range on the way. Jeep has confirmed that it will be adding a hybrid Recon to the lineup in the future, but its technical details have not yet been revealed.
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