Jeep reveals the all-electric version of Wrangler SUV; ‘Jeep Magneto’ Electrifying the Easter Jeep Safari with a Wrangler EV

Jeep has uncovered a new all-electric version of its famous Wrangler SUV, however, customers will probably need to wait at least a few years to buy one. The Easter Jeep Safari has gotten inseparable from factory-backed concepts and customs, and this year is the same. The headline grabber of 2021 is known as the Jeep Magneto, and it’s really unlike anything the off-road brand has ever amassed.

As its name indicates, the Magneto is completely electric, with an electric motor under the hood that connects to a standard six-speed manual transmission that sends power to strong front and back axles through a two-speed transfer case.

Undoubtedly, this is not a typical electric car concept. Electrification for the most part rises to an opportunity to totally reconsider traditional car-building and designing procedures.

On account of the Magneto, notwithstanding, the entirety of the powertrain bits — which incorporates the motor and a few battery packs — has been hidden inside a stock steel Wrangler Rubicon chassis and bodywork. It’s unpredictable in that it’s all somewhat customary.

The brand on Monday appeared the Wrangler “Magneto” as a concept vehicle, which means it’s a custom product commonly worked via automakers to gauge client interest or show the future direction of a vehicle or brand.

“It’s a sustainable, stealthy, rock-climbing force,” Jim Morrison, vice president of the Jeep brand in North America, said during a media event. “It’s a zero-emissions concept vehicle with Jeep 4×4 capability taken to the next level.”

Jeep executives have said each Jeep will offer some form of electrification going ahead, yet it has not affirmed an all-electric version of the Wrangler.

The organization recently began selling a plug-in hybrid electric version of the Wrangler under another “4xe” moniker, a play on the brand’s off-road reputation joined with electrification. Plug-in hybrid electric models have batteries like EVs yet also actually have a traditional internal combustion engine.

The Jeep Wrangler Magneto idea is based off a two-door 2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. To make it an EV, engineers traded out its internal combustion engine and some supporting parts for electric segments, for example, four batteries and an e-motor.

The vehicle is equipped with up to 273 foot-pounds of torque and 285 horsepower. The Magneto runs 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds. The organization didn’t release the electric range of the vehicle.

The most remarkable thing about the Magneto is it has a six-speed manual transmission, which electric vehicles don’t need due to their motors.

Mark Allen, head of Jeep design, said the vehicle “has the best characteristics” of an automatic transmission however the “direct-drive feel” of a manual transmission, which is a vital draw for off-road enthusiasts.

The Magneto was uncovered close by a few other customs or idea vehicles for the Jeep Easter Safari, an annual off-road event for the brand in Moab, Utah. Jeep consistently utilizes the off-road event as a testing ground for the capacities of its vehicles as well as an approach to measure client interest in new products.

“The Moab Easter Jeep Safari has been a great tradition for more than half a century,” Morrison said. “It’s a place where we get to connect with our most die-hard off-road enthusiasts and the ones who are most loyal to our brand.”

The motor is a custom axial-flux design by Jeep. It has been tuned to precisely coordinate with the standard 3.6-liter V6 engine that would somehow or another be under the Rubicon’s scooped hood. That implies 285 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque.

In any case, how the 800-volt motor delivers its power relies upon the driver’s right foot — under ordinary conditions, the contrast between the motor’s power curve and its gasoline-fueled equivalent is “negligible except for near-silent operation.”

But on the off chance that the driver pushes the pedal to the floor, the motor will immediately send every one of the 273 lb-ft to the wheels at once, bringing about a 6.8-second 0-60 time.

While moving duties are surrendered to the driver, the manual transmission and ultra-low gearing through the Rubicon’s 4:1 transfer case imply that it’s feasible to inch the Magneto over and through obstructions at incredibly low speeds. It’s not important to utilize the clutch to begin moving since there’s no engine idling away underhood, however, the clutch is needed to change between gears.

In contrast to most electric vehicles with single or two-speed gearboxes, moving through Magneto’s six ratios will probably be essential because the electric motor’s rev range finishes out at 6,000 RPM.

There are four lithium-ion battery packs nestled within Magneto’s frame rails. The first pack replaces a standard Wrangler fuel tank, the second is mounted across the frame from the first, a third pack sits on top of the motor under the hood and the fourth pack fills the back storage compartment and broadens descending where the exhaust muffler would otherwise sit.

Each pack is encased in a waterproof milled aluminum enclosure, and all the electronics are tucked in tight and secured by custom skid plates and a steel underbody pan. Altogether, the packs equivalent to 70 kW/h, yet Jeep isn’t citing any reach or charging time gauges.

Notwithstanding those four battery packs, a pair of 12-volt batteries power what survives from the Magneto’s stock Wrangler electrical bits and pieces alongside accessories that incorporate a Warn winch. A converter charges the 12-volt batteries from the four major packs, which implies there’s a great deal of juice accessible to power equipment outside of the vehicle.

An incredible electric heater keeps the cabin toasty. A two-inch lift, 35-inch tires, and extraordinary exterior lighting have been added, and the Bright White and Surf Blue exterior pairs well with Royal Blue and Black leather seats with Sapphire-colored inserts.

Jeep intends to pull the Magneto to Moab for three straight Safaris to figure out how its electric Wrangler functions in real off-road conditions. The engineering team will keep on refining the electric motor, probably adding extra power and capacity en route. It’s not actually clear what will result from such an excess of testing, however, Jeep is definitely thinking about how its traditional off-roaders will function in an electric future.

Will a future creation vehicle result from the exercises learned by its Magneto proving ground? What’s more, provided that this is true, will it be a comparable retrofit plan or a total Wrangler reevaluate? We anticipate discovering.