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There are few moments more telling than when a new vehicle graduates from driveway queen to highway warrior.
Kat Stover, fresh owner of a 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition, recently set out on such a trial, pointing the nose of their electric SUV from St. Louis, Missouri, to Madison, Wisconsin, and back over five days and 1,100 miles.
They went to the Jeep Wagoneer S EV Group to talk about it.
“Just completed the first road trip in my ’24 Launch Edition. Drove about 1,100 miles over the course of 5 days from the St. Louis, MO, area to the Madison, WI, area. The vehicle performed beautifully. It really does drive so smoothly and handles wonderfully. Three adults and a preteen were more than comfortable, along with all our stuff. I didn’t limit the use of AC or cooled seats to try to save battery life; I just did what we needed to stay comfortable.
Used ABRP for planning and paid for one month of integration with the vehicle. This was great for planning purposes, but once we got on the road, the connection seemed to stop updating, so the battery percentage on the app was different from the vehicle’s. It did seem, however, that the vehicle was performing better than the app was estimating. We stopped at a Rivian charger in Normal. This was frustrating because I don’t have the Rivian app, and the charger would only allow $25 worth of charging before it shut off. One of our party had to leave the restaurant to run back to the vehicle to add more funds. I did like how ABRP allowed me to search for chargers that had food nearby. We stopped one more time in South Beloit for a top-off. Totally could have done this trip on a little over one charge, but this being my first time going long range, I was quite conservative with how low I let the battery get.
I purposely booked a hotel that said it offered EV charging. Imagine my surprise when they offered access to a Level 2 charger for free, in a covered garage. It seemed like no one else was charging during our stay, so we just plugged in every evening after returning from our day’s adventures and began the next day fully charged. Once my phone notified me that it was full, one of us ran down and moved it out of the charging spot in case someone else needed it. We had more than enough charge for our day trips.
I still have some Free2Move credits, so on the way home today, I was targeting ChargePoint locations. Honestly, the most frustrating part of charging in the wild has been that every charger has a different app, interface, and payment method. Already being set up with ChargePoint was the smoothest transaction by far. Just pull up, plug in, hit the start button, confirm, and boom, charging. I did learn that in order to use the credits, you need to initiate charging from the ChargePoint app rather than a partner like EVGo.
All in all, it was a great trip. This being my first EV, I wasn’t sure how much extra effort I’d have to put into finding charging, but it wasn’t bad at all. Definitely a bit more involved than a gas vehicle because you can’t just look at the next road sign, see there’s a gas station, and decide to stop there. Having a bit of advanced planning definitely negates that. The hotel having charging was a win because that meant none of us had to go sit with the vehicle and charge it after dinner. Next time I’ll plan my stops a bit better to maximize whatever network I’m on.”
The route itself is a natural proving ground for an EV. At roughly 550 miles each way, it is long enough to expose weaknesses in range, comfort, or charging infrastructure without requiring the logistical complexity of a cross-country haul.
Early electric adopters may have once eyed such a trip warily, but Stover approached it like any modern family road trip: pack the gear, set the navigation, and trust that the vehicle will do its job. The Wagoneer S obliged, handling the highway stretches with composure and swallowing luggage with the same ease as its gasoline-powered ancestors.
Jeep Wagoneer S EV 0-60 Time & Dimensions
- Jeep quotes 0–60 mph in ~3.4s (Launch Edition); reviewers have replicated ~3.4s.
- ~192.4 in L / 74.8 in W / 64.8 in H / 113.0 in wheelbase, a midsize, 2-row electric SUV.
- The Wagoneer S has 45 inches of total front display area across multiple screens.
- Built on the STLA Large platform with standard AWD; early trims were built in Mexico (Toluca).
One of the journey’s quiet revelations was the hotel stop in Madison. The listing had promised EV charging, which turned out to be a free Level 2 charger in a covered garage. For some, that might seem a modest offering, but for an EV road tripper, it was a logistical windfall.
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Every evening the Jeep charged in peace, and every morning it was ready for the day’s excursions. There was no late-night hunt for an open station, no juggling of apps in the cold, and no worrying about range before breakfast. It was an advantage so significant that it reframed the trip’s entire rhythm.
Of course, the charging landscape still has its quirks. The Rivian charger in Normal, Illinois, only permitted $25 of charging before cutting off, forcing one member of the party to leave dinner to restart the process. Stover’s experiences echo Facebook commenter J. Christopher Vos, who pointed out that EV charging often requires a patchwork of apps, accounts, and payment methods that would be absurd in the gasoline world.
Is The Jeep Wagoneer S Worth Buying?
Once on a familiar network like ChargePoint, however, the process was nearly effortless, especially when Stover leveraged remaining Free2Move credits for the return leg.
Stover did not disable the air conditioning or cooled seats in pursuit of a few extra miles of range. ABRP route planning gave a sense of security, even if the app’s in-trip accuracy wavered. The vehicle itself performed better than the software’s predictions, suggesting that real-world range is more robust than many expect. For a first EV road trip, this is no small feat.
Jeep Wagoneer S EV Range, Towing & Charge Time
- Jeep lists up to ~294 miles (some Launch Edition tires were EPA-rated at ~303 miles).
- Rated at ~3,400–3,500 lb, depending on configuration and source.
- 20–80% in about 23 minutes on a high-power DC fast charger.
- Dual-motor AWD is standard; Jeep positions it as the brand’s first global BEV sold in the U.S.
The larger implication is that Stellantis may have built something rare. The Wagoneer S Launch Edition is not a cautious toe-dip into electrification but a fully realized luxury SUV with capability and comfort intact. It carried four people and their cargo across multiple states without generating the kind of horror stories that keep buyers away from EVs.
The road from St. Louis to Madison may not have the grandeur of Route 66 or the drama of the Pacific Coast Highway, but it served its purpose.
It showed that the open road in an EV is not only possible but pleasant, especially when you begin each day with a full battery and a cup of coffee. The Wagoneer S did its job, and in doing so, it may have helped Stellantis find the way forward since the Ram 1500 REV has been delayed.
Image Sources: Jeep Media Center
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
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Source: torquenews.com
