Christian Meunier is managing Jeep during a monumental transition. 

The storied off-road brand, known for shuttling adventure seekers, also has become focused on preserving the environment with its electrified 4xe vehicles. 

Simply put, 4xe is the new 4x4.

The first of the brand’s fully electric vehicles — the trail-ready, Wrangler-inspired Recon and the posh, stylish Wagoneer S — will reach North American dealerships in 2024, with two more nameplates slated by 2025. 

By 2030, Jeep projects that half of its U.S. sales and all of its European sales will be made up of battery electric models. To get there, it’s building a toolbox of electrified options melding off-road prowess with eco-friendly 4xe powertrains.

“I think we found a formula to make Jeep even more exciting while respecting the planet,” Meunier, 55, told Automotive News in September. “The marriage of 4x4 with electric — I think we nailed it.”

In the meantime, Jeep is selling as many gasoline-powered SUVs as it can build — at higher and higher prices every month. For dealers, a Jeep franchise is effectively a license to print money.

Meunier’s vision and execution have helped persuade nearly 40 percent of the brand’s dealers to commit to investing millions of dollars to build specialized Jeep showrooms within their dealerships, or even stand alone Jeep stores. Some already have opened, but hundreds more are in various stages of planning.