Stellantis May Not Sell ICE Jeep Vehicles in 14 States
Stellantis is toying with the idea of limiting or ceasing the delivery of ICE Jeeps to 14 states.
With many states taking a page from California’s book of banning the sale of new vehicles powered by gasoline by a certain point, Stellantis has officially been put in a corner. Realizing that the future is quickly turning electric, Stellantis may have to severely limit or stop shipping internal combustion engine powered Jeeps to those 14 states. This, among many other automakers still producing ICE vehicles, may be hit below the belt.
While Stellantis isn’t the only manufacturer facing this fate, the Jeep brand has faced more criticism than most — despite the PHEV version being the best selling hybrid in America. Though, admittedly, it has one of the worst combined mileage of any hybrid, furthering critique. This harsh grading is all thanks to an organization called CARB, or the California Air Resource Board.
CARB’s main responsibility is to measure an automaker’s environmental impact. This could be in engine composition, the EPA mileage estimate, chassis composition, etc — but their main focus is how a given company scores in carbon emissions. Jeep, having never been a high scorer in that department, presents a unique issue for Stellantis. Especially since a large percentage of Americans — around 36 percent, or 100 million people — live in states that adhere to the CARB rule. Plus, Stellantis just so happens to not be a member of the CARB crew.
So, what’s the solution?
What Stellantis may end up having to do is stop sending ICE powered Jeeps to those 14 states unless specially ordered by a customer. Or, they can rely on dedicated customers to travel to a non-CARB state to purchase a Jeep — which is a lot easier said than done. Especially for those on the very east or west coast. More states are set to follow the CARB rule soon, making it even harder to navigate the change.
Stellantis has stated before that they’ll continue to sell gasoline powered vehicles as long as people keep buying them. Though, that doesn’t mean the company doesn’t have plans for an all-electric future. By 2025, Jeep claims there will be an EV variant of every vehicle in the current lineup.
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