Jeep goes electric with Wrangler, releases concept for Easter Safari

Jeep has revealed an all-electric version of its iconic Wrangler SUV as a concept vehicle and calls it Wrangler Magneto.

As a concept vehicle, it means consumers will have to wait at least a few years to purchase it.

Concept vehicles are typically products built by automakers to gauge customers’ interest or show the future direction of a vehicle or brand.

The Jeep Wrangler Magneto concept is fully electric SUV based on a two-door 2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

According to a CNBC report, the Magneto was unveiled on Monday alongside several other custom or concept vehicles for the Jeep Easter Safari, an annual off-road event for the brand held at Moab, Utah, in the United States.

The new Jeep Wrangler Magneto concept provides clues as to how the legendary American 4×4 will survive into the electric era.

It is one of four concepts heading to Moab in 2021, alongside a restomod version of the 1968 Jeep Commando, a heavily upgraded take on the Gladiator pick-up truck and an open-top take on the conventionally fuelled Wrangler that pays tribute to the model’s heritage.

Jeep regularly uses the off-road event as a testing ground for the capabilities of its vehicles as well as a way to gauge customer interest in new products.

Jim Morrison, vice president of the Jeep brand in North America, was quoted as saying, “The Moab Easter Jeep Safari has been a great tradition for more than half a century.

“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.”

Morrison also spoke on the new Wrangler during Monday’s media event, saying, “It’s a zero-emissions concept vehicle with Jeep 4×4 capability taken to the next level.”

He described the vehicle concept as “a sustainable, stealthy, rock-climbing force.”

The Magneto’s single-motor powertrain is said to offer performance on a par with the standard Wrangler’s 3.5-litre Pentastar petrol V6, packing 281bhp and 273lb ft for a 0-60mph time of 6.8sec and “unmistakable rock-climbing force”.

The future production version of this concept will likely adopt a single-speed set-up.

The new powertrain is said to emulate the character of the V6 engine, with a “negligible” perceivable difference between the two in normal use.

Jeep executives had said every Jeep would offer some form of electrification going forward.

The company recently started selling a plug-in hybrid electric version of the Wrangler under a new “4xe” moniker, a play on the brand’s off-road reputation combined with electrification.

Plug-in hybrid electric models have batteries like EVs but also still have a traditional internal combustion engine.

To make it an EV, engineers swapped out its internal combustion engine and some supporting parts for electric components such as four batteries and an e-motor.

The vehicle is capable of up to 273 foot-pounds of torque and 285 horsepower.

The Magneto runs 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds.

The most unique thing about the Magneto is said to be its six-speed manual transmission, which electric vehicles don’t require because of their motors. Head of Jeep Design, Mark Allen, said the vehicle “has the best characteristics” of an automatic transmission but the “direct-drive feel” of a manual transmission, which is a key draw for off-road enthusiasts.