CNBC: Stellantis uses Toyota-backed company in Jeep hybrid SUV for North America
Stellantis is using technology from a Toyota-backed company in its Jeep hybrid SUV for North America, a CNBC report says.
The recently launched Cherokee is Jeep’s first hybrid SUV for North America, CNBC says. It features a system from Blue Nexus, a Toyota-backed company. The report adds that Stellantis’s upcoming extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs, are also using major technologies from Bosch.
“It’s not uncommon for automakers to use components from suppliers, but it’s less common for key systems or technologies, especially ones pioneered by a competitor like Toyota,” the news report says.
However, Stellantis and Toyota have been working together on light commercial vehicles (LCV) since 2012. The companies later announced in 2022 that they were deepening that partnership with a new large commercial van that would include a battery-electric version.
CNBC points to Blue Nexus use as a way for Stellantis to quickly shift from all-electric vehicles to hybrid vehicles, as oil prices spike and the market shifts from all-electric vehicles.
A Deloitte survey released in January found that lowering fuel costs remains the top reason (52%) of U.S. consumers surveyed would consider an EV for their next vehicle purchase, reinforcing a strong desire to mitigate longstanding concerns about total cost of ownership.
Deloitte’s “2026 Global Automotive Consumer Study” is based on survey findings from over 28,000 consumers in 27 countries. The survey was conducted from October through November 2025. An interactive dashboard of the findings provides additional details and country-specific information.
Among U.S. consumers surveyed, purchase intent for ICE vehicles (61%) and HEVs/PHEVs (26%) is flat YoY, while BEV purchase intent has seen a modest increase, rising 2 percentage points YoY to 7%.
However, Richard Cox, Jeep’s senior vice president of brand operations, told CNBC that electrification trends are pretty flat.
“Hybrid trends are absolutely growing,” Cox told the media outlet. “So, I think it was a big move in the right direction.”
CNBC said they confirmed the information about the auto suppliers from off-the-record sources at the companies.
“Both hybrid systems operate differently,” CNBC reports. “The Cherokee is more of a traditional hybrid vehicle, much like many of Toyota’s models, including the Prius. The upcoming EREVs, meanwhile, drive like all-electric vehicles until an engine kicks in and works as a generator to power the vehicle’s electric motors when the vehicle’s battery is depleted. The engine powers the electric motors rather than the vehicle itself.”
Both hybrid systems use Stellantis engines, CNBC says. They are expected to significantly improve the fuel economy of the vehicles, including the Cherokee.
CNBC adds that the Cherokee is 37 mpg combined and is the most fuel-efficient, non-plug-in Jeep ever produced for the U.S.
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