by Gabrielle DeSantis

Jeep is reinventing themselves as a luxury icon with the 2022 Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. And at 6,420 lbs, the Grand Wagoneer is a luxury overload. Packed with technology across every trim, you could easily settle for a base model and get excessive levels of tech. It’s upscale to the max, one could even call it excessive.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer is certainly grand

The 2022 Grand Wagoneer is sure to make you and all seven (or eight) of your passengers feel like royalty. Every row has available features and goodies to make the individual experience incredible. To see what I mean, let’s start with the driver.

You’ll find no shortage of screen size, a 12-inch navigation/touch display fitted with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. For your music, the Grand Wagoneer comes standard with a 19-speaker audio system, with the option for 23. Adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and even an automated parking system come standard. Not to mention a rearview and surround-view camera, which lets you observe the car from a bird’s eye perspective.

The passenger can enjoy seat memory just like the driver can, as well as other benefits of the car’s equipment. Built into the Grand Wagoneer is a 4G LTE hotspot, which makes using the internet a breeze. There are also back massagers built into the seat for both the passenger and the driver, in case you need to unwind while driving. But on top of that, the passenger has a disassociated touch screen so they can navigate music and other features without disrupting the navigation.

Oftentimes, the luxury features and comfort dip as you get to the second and third row of seats, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. For starters, both the second and third rows have power tilting and reclining as standard, though the third row is slightly more limited. And in the second row, you can also opt-in Amazon Fire TV for Auto, two displays for streaming your favorite shows on the go.

Most of the equipment I just prattled off comes as standard. But with that said, the Grand Wagoneer has a few shortcomings.

Make no mistake, the Grand Wagoneer is massive

At 214 inches long, it’s a lot of car to operate. But Jeep does pride the 2022 Grand Wagoneer on being “the biggest small car,” despite its 123-inch wheelbase. But size isn’t the only thing that’s massive about the Grand Wagoneer, as the engine is colossal as well.

With a 6.4 V8 engine in every trim level, the Grand Wagoneer makes 471 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. You can imagine that’s great for towing, and it is, able to haul 9,850 lbs. But you can safely assume that the Grand Wagoneer is a certified gas-guzzler. At its best, the Grand Wagoneer is getting 18 mpg on the highway.

Paired with a 26-gallon tank, that’ll get you roughly 468 miles per fill-up, a number some electric cars are starting to beat. But the real kicker of the Grand Wagoneer is its grand starting price of $87,590. Spec it all the way up, and you’re looking at a $105,000 truck (yes, this is basically a truck).

It’s the culmination of all things excessive, from excessive luxury to excessive size. Jeep stuffed it with features you’d rarely use, like a heated steering wheel and rearview camera washer (you know, to wash your rearview camera). But let’s entertain the penny pincher in all of us: if you take a step back and look at the Wagoneer, does it hold it’s own against its Grand… sibling?

Is the regular Wagoneer anywhere near as Grand?

The Wagoneer’s starting price is about $20,000 less than the 2022 Grand Wagoneer, at just $67,995. And to amplify Jeep’s new stance on the Wagoneer lineup being luxurious, it lacks any Jeep badges just like the Grand Wagoneer. But the key difference between the Wagoneer and the Grand Wagoneer is the engine.

Rather than a gas-only 6.4L V8, the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer is a hybrid, a 42-volt battery paired to a 5.7L V8 that makes a combined 392 horsepower. The fuel economy still isn’t great, but it’s better, at 16 city and 22 highway. But with the same 26-gallon tank, the Wagoneer can go further than the Grand Wagoneer with every fillup. And even though the power and torque are lower, it can tow 10,000 lbs even, a smidge more than its big brother.

What you lose are all the little details: the parking assist, the real wood accents, the luxury floor mats. The luxury is toned down, but you’ll find everything you need, from wireless charging to the passenger’s seat touch display. Lane keep assist and blindspot detection systems are still standard too.

While writing this, I found the devil to be in the detail with these two models, and even between the trims. The base model 2022 Grand Wagoneer comes with more than enough stuff. But bump up the price by $20,000, and you’re looking at a car with more features than you knew were possible. The new Wagoneer lineup pulls out all the stops, ready to compete with Lincoln and Cadillac in the excessive SUV segment.

RELATED: Does the Jeep Grand Wagoneer out-Luxury the Cadillac Escalade?

The post The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Is Three Tons of Luxury appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The United States government just pledged $1 trillion to infrastructure. As part of this infrastructure bill, close to $7.5 billion is being allocated to electric vehicle charging infrastructure. EV charging infrastructure is integral to the progression of electric vehicle production and consumption as the vehicles become more common. What will the U.S. look like after this huge EV infrastructure assist from the government?

Is charging free?

Electric vehicle charging has been a major issue for EVs. The process is still being refined. Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is in need of major improvements. There are many free EV charging stations across the country, and this new infrastructure bill could potentially produce many more. There are other charging stations that well…charge to charge.

Charging the popular Tesla Model 3 Standard Range trim costs roughly under $12 at a Tesla Supercharger Network station. While refueling electric vehicles is already relatively inexpensive, offering more free charging station options will definitely entice more American consumers to purchase EVs. Who doesn’t like free stuff?

Imagine a world where you can pull your new EV into a local park or highway rest stop and quickly charge your vehicle for free. This new infrastructure bill could allow for the rapid growth of electric vehicle charging stations in America, making them so common that range anxiety could disappear entirely.

What are the charging levels for EVs?

Not all electric vehicles are made equally. Neither are all electric chargers. Different EVs require different Kilowatt hours (kWh) to charge. Some EV chargers dispense more kilowatts than others. There are three levels of electric vehicle chargers.

Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 charging are the three EV charging tiers. Level 1 charging uses a simple 120-volt outlet and is the least powerful of all EV charging tiers. This level of charging provides the slowest charge by far, averaging only three to five miles of battery range an hour. This is the type of charging provided by plugging EV charging accessories into standard household outlets.

Level 2 charging is the mid-level charging tier that is most prevalent today in public. Depending on the level 2 charger’s total power output, level 2 chargers can recharge up to 80 miles of range an hour. A level 2 charger will charge most electric vehicle battery packs in about three to four hours.

Level 3 charging, commonly called supercharging, is the highest tier of electric vehicle charging available today. Level 3 chargers often dispense quadruple the voltage that Level 1 chargers do. Some Level 3 chargers can fully charge EVs in under 25 minutes. Level 3 charging isn’t recommended to be used every refueling session because it can put a strain on the EV’s battery pack.

Where the $7.5 billion needs to be invested

According to InsideEVs, over $7 billion dollars from the infrastructure bill will be dedicated to EV charging. This new infrastructure bill will change life as we know it. It may seem like hyperbole, but this bill will make it easier for more consumers to purchase and own EVs and thus ultimately reduce carbon emissions. This infrastructure bill could quite literally change the future if the funds allocated to EV charging infrastructure are used correctly.

Every major city in the United States of America will eventually need charging stations. If the government manages to establish free level 2 charging stations across the country, more Americans will be inclined to purchase EVs. Between the new charging infrastructure and federal and local tax incentives, the government is making it as easy as possible. If the funds allocated to establishing electric vehicle charging infrastructure are utilized correctly, this bill will propel us toward an electric future in the years to come.

RELATED: Joe Biden’s Electric Dream Vs. Today’s Smoggy Reality

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