Jeep unveils all-electric SUV of the Wrangler concept

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

The brand debuted on Monday the Wrangler “Magneto” as a concept vehicle, which means that it is a custom product normally built by automakers to gauge customer interest or show the future direction of a vehicle or brand.

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

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

The Jeep Wrangler Magneto concept is based on a 2020 two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. To make it an EV, engineers replaced their internal combustion engine and some support parts for electrical components, such as four batteries and an e-engine.

The vehicle is capable of up to 273 foot-pounds of torque and 285 horsepower. The Magneto runs from 0 to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds. The company did not disclose the vehicle’s electrical range.

The most original thing about the Magneto is that it has a six-speed manual transmission, which electric vehicles don’t need because of their engines. Mark Allen, Jeep’s head of design, said the vehicle “has the best features” of an automatic transmission, but the “direct steering feel” of a manual transmission, which is a key attraction for off-road enthusiasts.

The Magneto was presented 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, as well as a way of assessing customer interest in new products.

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