Jeep unveils all-electric Wrangler concept SUV

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Jeep has unveiled a new all-electric version of its iconic Wrangler SUV, but consumers will likely have to wait at least a few years to purchase one.

The brand launched the Wrangler “Magneto” as a concept vehicle on Monday, meaning it’s a custom product typically built by automakers to gauge customer interest or show future direction. a vehicle or brand.

“It’s a durable, stealthy climbing force,” Jim Morrison, Jeep brand vice president in North America, said at a media event. “It’s a zero emission concept vehicle with Jeep 4×4 capability taken to the next level.

Jeep executives have said every Jeep will offer some form of electrification in the future, but that has not confirmed a fully electric version of the Wrangler. The company recently began selling a plug-in hybrid electric version of the Wrangler under a new moniker of “4xe,” a play on the brand’s off-road reputation combined with electrification. Plug-in hybrid electric models have batteries like electric vehicles, but also still have a traditional internal combustion engine.

The Jeep Wrangler Magneto concept is based on a two-door 2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. To make it an electric vehicle, engineers replaced its internal combustion engine and some supporting parts with electrical components such as four batteries and an electric motor.

The vehicle is capable of up to 273 pound-feet of torque and 285 horsepower. The Magneto operates from 0 to 100 km / h in 6.8 seconds. The company has not released the electric range of the vehicle.

The most unique thing about the Magneto is that it has a six-speed manual transmission, which EVs don’t need due to their engines. Mark Allen, Jeep Design Manager, said the vehicle “has the best features” of an automatic transmission, but the “direct drive feel” of a manual transmission, which is a key draw for enthusiasts. All Terrain.

The Magneto was unveiled alongside several other custom or concept vehicles for the Jeep Easter Safari, an annual off-road event for the brand in Moab, Utah. Jeep regularly uses the off-road event as a testing ground for the capabilities of its vehicles and as a means of gauging customer interest in new products.

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