6 Electric SUVs Built to Tackle the Trails

There's a growing list of battery-electric SUVs for lovers of the outdoors who might feel conflicted driving amongst pristine landscapes in their fossil-fuel vehicles. While the segment is still a niche, several new off-road-focused electric vehicles (EVs) are already available for sale in Canada, with more to arrive over the next few years. Here are some practical and rugged SUVs to transport you into nature and back without spewing any tailpipe emissions.

2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally

With its unique styling, decent driving range, and powerful powertrain options, the Mustang Mach-E compact SUV has been a popular choice since its arrival for the 2021 model year. But while the four-door electric SUV aims to blend practicality and zero emissions with the more traditional internal-combustion two-door Mustang's street performance vibe, the recently introduced $74,995* Mach-E Rally version targets drivers who aren't afraid to drive where few Mustangs have gone before: off-road.

Ford wisely chose to start with the sporty Mach-E GT as a foundation. As such, the Rally gets the GT's Performance Upgrade package standard, including twin electric motors for all-wheel drive with 480 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque. Also standard is the GT's extended-range battery, resulting in a Natural Resources Canada estimate of 426 kilometres of driving range.

In addition, the Rally gets many changes to bolster its off-road chops. The suspension is lifted 20 millimetres for more ground clearance (now 183 mm), with revised bushings, anti-roll bars, and shocks. There are also underbody front and rear protection plates, 19-inch rally wheels with Michelin CrossClimate2 all-season tires, and revised front bodywork that improves the Mach-E's front approach angle.

2025 GMC Hummer EV SUV

Since the 1990s, when the original M998 Humvee military vehicle became available to civilian customers, the Hummer brand became known for making ultra-capable off-roaders. The full-size 2025 Hummer EV SUV, launched under the GMC brand for the 2022 model year, strives to live up to that credo but with an electric twist. And while its GMC Sierra EV Denali and the Hummer EV pickup truck siblings (born from the same General Motors Ultium electric platform) are exceptional off-pavement vehicles, with a shorter wheelbase, the $131,098 Hummer EV SUV is arguably the more capable electric off-roader.

The electric Hummer SUV comes standard with a broad range of features to help drivers venture far into the wilderness, complemented by a full menu of add-ons. Like GMC's electric trucks, four-wheel steering allows the vehicle to move diagonally in tight spots, and an adjustable air suspension provides up to 400 mm of ground clearance. The extensive list of off-road goodies includes underbelly protection, locking differentials, and more camera angles to see the rocks and boulders under the Hummer in real-time. You can also add removable roof panels for an open-air off-road driving experience.

As for power, the base 2X trim has a dual-motor AWD setup that generates 570 horsepower and claims a ridiculous 7,400 lb-ft of torque. For $147,197, the second 3X trim gets an extra motor making 830 horsepower and 11,500 lb-ft. Range estimates vary between a low of 454 km for the 2X with the optional mud-terrain tires and a high of 507 km for the same trim but with the standard, less aggressive rubber.

2026 Jeep Recon

A list of off-roaders, no matter how they are powered, cannot be considered complete without a Jeep. So while the current Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid electric SUV was the brand's electrifying appetizer, Jeep's new Wagoneer S and Recon mid-size SUVs will be the brand's first all-electric vehicles to go on sale in Canada.

The Jeep Wagoneer S went on sale in early 2025. It's a sleek-looking two-row SUV with all-weather driving capabilities courtesy of Jeep's Selec-Terrain AWD system. But there's no height-adjustable suspension, and the fixed ground clearance is only 163 mm — less than that of a Subaru Outback. So, if you want to venture beyond the end of a gravel trail or an unplowed urban street in an electric Jeep, the forthcoming Jeep Recon could be the better choice. 

As with the Wagoneer S, the Recon will be built on the same Stellantis EV platform that supports 400- or 800-volt electrical systems. We're still waiting for Jeep to reveal the Recon EV's official production details, however, expect a power output similar to that of the Wagoneer S's 600-hp dual-motor AWD setup, with the addition of electronic locking differentials. With its chunkier, Wrangler-like looks, folding rooftop, and removable doors, the Recon promises a rewarding electric SUV for adventure driving. But, alas, prepare for less driving range (due to its squarish design) than the Wagoneer S's estimated 488 km.

2025 Land Rover Range Rover Electric

Few large and luxurious SUVs can match the legendary off-road prowess of Land Rover's iconic flagship Range Rover. Now imagine an electric version, just as capable of all sorts of adventure driving in all four of the world's hemispheres, but with a near-silent electric powertrain. That is the premise of the forthcoming Range Rover Electric.

Based on the same platform as the long-wheelbase Range Rover, which can be had with gasoline, diesel, and plug-in hybrid powertrains, the all-electric version is in the final stages of development. We don't know its final powertrain configuration, but Land Rover has said that the Range Rover Electric will use a dual-motor setup, one for each axle, to give it AWD but with its own multilink suspension setup to house the EV's battery and rear-wheel steering system yet allow the same amount of wheel articulation as in the fossil-fuel variants. 

As for its off-road worthiness, Land Rover has said that the Range Rover Electric will be just as capable as the fossil-fuel versions. Prototypes have been tested in extreme environments, from the frozen lakes of Sweden to the desert dunes in the United Arab Emirates.

2027 Rivian R3X

The Rivian brand doesn't have the off-roading heritage that the Jeep, Land Rover, or Hummer brands can lean on, but it was one of the first companies to offer an electric SUV. Since 2021, Rivin has sold the mid-size R1T pickup truck followed by the R1S three-row SUV a year later.

Like the Jeep Wagoneer S, the 2025 Rivian R1S SUV leans toward the luxury buyer and can handle off-road driving, too. However, as part of Rivian's expansion plans, the compact R2 and subcompact R3 SUV models are in the works. While the R2 is a smaller rendition of the R1S, the R3, and especially the sportier R3X, look better suited for off-roaders.

Rivian plans to give the R3X single-, dual-, and tri-motor configurations, along with two different battery sizes. The largest battery should provide an estimated driving range of over 480 km, wider wheels and tires, and higher ground clearance than the base R3. The R3X interior will be appreciated by off-roaders who like bringing loads of gear when hitting the trails. Its front and rear seats can fold flat to handle car-camping stuff, storage cubbies are found throughout the cabin, and the dashboard houses a pair of gloveboxes. Need more room for your weekend off-road adventures? There's also a drunk.

2027 Scout Traveler

The International Harvester Scout, one of the original SUVs, was produced from the early 1960s to 1980. However, Volkswagen's purchase of the Scout trademark saw the brand's resurrection with the all-electric Scout Terra pickup and Traveler SUV concepts in 2024.

With plans to start production in 2027, Scout Motors claims the Terra and the Traveler will have a solid rear axle to enhance off-road durability, traction, and articulation, a towing capacity of around 3,175 kg (7,000 lbs) for the Traveler, and a payload of nearly 907 kg (2,000 lbs). Scout hasn't released any production figures yet, but the EVs were engineered with an 800-volt architecture with up to 350 kilowatts of charging capability and an estimated range of about 550 km. If going electric-only doesn't fit your overall driving needs, Scout Motors has said it will offer range-extended variants of the two vehicles with an onboard gasoline-powered generator that recharges the vehicles' batteries, boosting the range to an estimated 800 km.

Scout Motors Canada has said it will sell its Traveler SUV and Terra pickup only in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. 

*Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices (MSRP) exclude taxes, options, destination, delivery fees, and any applicable price incentives or government rebates.