On the occasion of the annual Easter Jeep Safari event, the American brand has presented an interesting electric prototype: the Wrangler Magneto, a 100% electric off-road vehicle created to measure potential buyers’ interest in a car of this type. This model has the peculiarity of maintaining a manual gearbox, something extremely rare in electric vehicles.
The Jeep Wrangler Magneto is based on the three-door thermal Wrangler and has been introduced without a roof or doors, as seen in the old Jeep Willys’ tradition from the middle of the last century. Aesthetically it doesn’t differ much from a conventional Wrangler beyond its white and blue painted bodywork.
The prototype has a 70 kWh capacity battery made up of four modules, which are distributed throughout the vehicle chassis to improve weight distribution (remember that the Wrangler continues to use a frame with stringers and cross members separate from the bodywork, a more suitable solution for off-road driving than a monocoque).
The Jeep Wrangler Magneto’s electric motor has 285 hp of power and 370 Nm of torque. It is associated with a six-speed manual gearbox, which allows the electric drive to respond similarly to the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 used in conventional versions of the off-road. How could it be otherwise? It has a permanent all-wheel drive.
The model can do 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 6.8 seconds; However, at the moment, Jeep has not given data on its charging speed or its autonomy, although the use of an 800-volt electrical system has been confirmed. Jim Morrison, vice president of Jeep in the United States, says that the Wrangler Magneto is the “stealthiest and most sustainable climber” ever created by the historic company.
Depending on the public’s reception, Jeep will decide whether or not to give the green light to the production of the Wrangler Magneto. Currently, the firm already offers an electrified version of its flagship model: the Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid, which combines a 2.0 turbocharged gasoline engine with two electric propellants to achieve 375 hp and 637 Nm of torque. Its 17 kWh capacity battery gives it a range in electric mode of 21 miles EPA.