Hybrid Jeep Wrangler

Our first electric vehicle conversion.

Before the Hybrid Ford Escape, the Hybrid Saturn VUE, and the Hybrid Toyota Highlander, the team from West Philly built the Hybrid Jeep Wrangler. The 1995 Jeep Wrangler, donated by Gary Barbera, was first vehicle conversion performed by the EV Team. During the 1998-99 school year, a team of students converted this vehicle to pure electric power and won the Philadelphia Science Fair for their work. During the 2000-2001 school year, this vehicle was turned into a series hybrid. The team designed and built a propane powered generator which served to charge the batteries and extend the range of the vehicle to about 250 miles. During the 2001 - 2002 school year, the team decided they were ready to design and build their own aerodynamic body for the Jeep and a new Biodiesel generator. This sleek body was made from fiberglass and honeycomb composite. The rebodied Jeep was named the Hybrid Hippo, for its elegant and svelte lines. It placed second in the 2002 Tour de Sol hybrid division.