Earlier this week, the Walter P. Chrysler Technology Award was given to engineers Don Schmanski, Mike Nemeth, Joe Kubina, and Pete Jarzyna for their critical work on the 2014 Jeep Cherokee.

The team was being honored for their work on U.S. Patent No. 8172712, the four-wheel-drive system available in the 2014 Jeep Cherokee. Thanks to this innovation, the 2014 Jeep Cherokee has crawl ratios up to 56:1, and the fuel economy has been improved by 2.5 percent.

Their patent was chosen out of 44 patented technologies developed at Chrysler Group in the past year, beating out U.S. Patent No. 8182016, a new seat assembly allowing forward or rear-facing seating positions, and U.S. Patent 8096044, an apparatus for setting the door and quarter-glass in a convertible vehicle body prior to assembling the convertible top.

Schmanski, Nemeth, Kubina, and Jarzyna have received commemorative medallions honoring their achievement, and the entire team’s names will be etched on a trophy which is on display at Chrysler Group headquarters.

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