VIDEO: TFLCar Gets Behind The Wheel Of The Jeep® Wrangler Magneto Concept:

Our friends over at The Fast Lane Car are currently out at Moab with the Jeep® team and getting a chance to get some behind-the-wheel time of the latest Jeep concept vehicles at the Moab Easter Jeep Safari. This includes the fully-electric Jeep Wrangler Magneto Concept, the first fully-electric two-door Wrangler. We recently talked about this new concept vehicle and received a lot of feedback both positive and negative about it. So there is a lot of curiosity surrounding this concept vehicle.

Jeep engineers designed the Magneto Concept to be a stealthy, quiet, quick, and unmistakeable rock-crawling force on the trail. Both Jeep engineers and designers worked hard to create a zero-emission vehicle that maintains the Wrangler legendary 4×4 capability while providing new levels of efficiency, environmental responsibility, and performance both on and off-road.

Starting with a two-door 2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon as its basis, the Magneto Concept uses a custom-built axial flux electric motor that operates up to 6,000 rpm. The e-motor is connected to a 6-speed manual transmission (that’s right, no automatic here), creating a unique manual-electric powertrain with a clutch that operates as it would with an internal combustion engine (ICE). In quick-shift scenarios, the e-motor engages regen upon clutch engagement to prevent rev-hang.

The compact e-motor is tuned to deliver up to 285 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft. of torque. Those numbers are consistent with the Wrangler’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, which produces 285 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. Intentional calibrations developed during testing help Magneto’s powertrain emulate the driving experience of the Pentastar. During moderate driving, the performance between the Pentastar and the e-motor/manual powertrain is “negligible” as Jeep says, except for near-silent operation.
 
The Magneto Concept is able to run a 0 to 60 mph time in just 6.8-seconds, thanks to the instant 273 lb.-ft. of torque on tap.

Providing power to Magneto’s e-motor are four battery packs with a combined power of 70 kWh, running an 800-volt system. For reference, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4xe runs just one 400-volt, 17-kWh, 96-cell lithium-ion, nickel manganese cobalt battery pack. Magneto’s lithium-ion batteries are distributed around the Wrangler to balance weight on the four wheels. One pack replaces the Wrangler’s mid-ship fuel tank, another is mounted opposite the fuel tank location, the third pack sits atop the e-motor under the hood, and the fourth pack mounts in the space normally used for a rear storage compartment, also using space typically occupied by the exhaust muffler.

Jeep has not yet said if it will indeed produce the Wrangler Magneto. But with how production-ready this thing looks, we think Jeep is strong testing the Jeep enthusiasts fan base for feedback on this one. We can’t wait to get a better look at this important concept soon.

What do you think of the Jeep Magneto Concept? Leave your comments below, or in the MoparInsiders.com forums.