Jeep’s All-Electric Wrangler BEV Concept is More Like a High-Performance Sports Car Than an Off-Roader
The future is electric, and more automakers are producing all-electric vehicles for a future in which all vehicles on the road will be fully electric. Jeep is no exception, its latest concept, the all-electric Wrangler BEV concept is more like a sports car in terms of performance than an off-roader.
The company has recently unveiled its new battery powered Wrangler Magneto concept which does not look that much different from its gas-guzzling counterpart but achieves something that is impressive for an all-electric vehicle, go from 0 to 60 mph in less than two seconds.
Jeep’s first all-electric concept, unveiled before last year’s 56th annual Moab Jeep Easter Safari is the predecessor to the Magneto 2.0 concept. The new Magneto 2.0 concept features an all-electric drivetrain powered by an 800-volt battery pack with a new axial flux electric motor that can generate 625 horses and 850 ft-lb of torque. This is radically more efficient when compared to its predecessor the Magneto 1.0, which had an enormous electric motor the size of a V6 engine that produced 285 hp and 274 ft-lb of torque.
The Magneto 2.0 electric motor is mated to a six-speed manual transmission that transmits power to all four wheels for maximum off-road efficiency. The six-speed manual transmission has been designed with a feature known as “peak amperage” whereby the transmission holds, you guessed it peak amperage for up to 10 seconds and enables the Wrangler to accelerate from stop to 60 mph in only two seconds. Compared to the Magneto 1.0 which could achieve 0 to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds.
Other features that sets the new Magneto 2.0 apart from the Magneto 1.0 is the design of the chassis which is 12 inches longer in the new version which creates space for the new Pro-Rock Dynatrack 60 front axle, the Dyntrac 80 rear axle and associated custom driveshaft and off-road suspension.
Externally, a new carbon fiber B-pillar, bikini top decorates the exterior of the vehicle and a three-inch lift kit elevates the vehicle on its 20-inch wheels covered in 40-inch extreme-threaded off-road tires. While the Magneto 2.0 is only a concept at this point, it looks certain for production sometime this year if not next year. The company plans to create even more electric vehicles with images of a yet unnamed electric SUV revealed last month that will hit the production line next year. Additionally, an all-electric Wrangler is expected to hit the market in early 2024.
