Vince Bond wrote in Automotive News today that the future Gladiator 4xe, which many observers believed would be dropped, has officially been cancelled. The Gladiator has been something of a challenge due to engine cooling requirements.

The 4xe system is a four-cylinder turbocharged engine coupled with an electric motor to provide four wheel drive; it was tuned to give greater acceleration than the V6, with similar mileage, rather than to increase mileage as a normal hybrid might. Some owners reported that they operated it as an electric car, using its short range to get to work, where they would charge it for the ride home, to the point that the vehicle ran the engine mainly to avoid having the gasoline congeal in the tank and hoses. Unfortunately, a combination of programming, battery defects (affecting either the traditional or the high-voltage battery), and allegedly dealers’ inability to fix problems have all come together to hurt the 4xe’s reputation.

While a new version of the 4xe has been expected, it is not guaranteed. Since fuel economy rules are no longer enforced, though they remain on the books, Stellantis has been loading up with V8 engines. Dropping the Gladiator 4xe frees engineering for other challenges, but also leaves its midsize pickup, whose sales have been flagging, without a fuel-efficient choice—in one executive’s terms, robbing customers of their freedom to choose.