Jeep: Electric Wrangler Magneto Does 0-60 MPH in 2.0 Seconds
Are you the type of gearhead who keeps a wish-list of off-road parts on a notepad somewhere? Because Jeep found it.
Jeep has redesigned its all electric Wrangler Magneto concept car with a few subtle upgrades— and a few others that weren’t so subtle. Namely: an updated powertrain with an “electric nitrous” launch control that can blast the electrified off-roader from 0-60 mph in less than 2.0 seconds. (!?)
Jeep Launched the electric Wrangler Magneto “2.0” at this year’s Annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari, along with a number of other concept vehicles designed to “take four-wheeling to the next level and prove why there’s nothing quite like legendary Jeep 4×4 capability,” according to the official Stellantis press release. But, while that kind of talk is usually dismissed easily enough, Jeep doesn’t tend to over-inflate those kinds of claims. One look at the off-road Jeep Wrangler 4xe Hybrid Rubicon concept (below) is enough to give the statement some credibility
Cool as that is, the star of the show was undoubtedly the new Magneto 2.0. The powertrain was “amped up” from last year’s 1.0 version with a custom-built axial flux electric motor that operates up to 5,250 rpm and sends power through a six-speed manual transmission (with the first gear ratio changed from 5.13 to 3.36) for precise control over the systems prodigious power.
The Magneto 2.0 team set their sights on the “strap in and hold on with both hands” end of the performance spectrum, and tuned the Jeep’s powertrain to deliver up to 850 lb-ft. of TQ to the wheels. That’s more than three times the output of last year’s concept, and good enough to positively blast the electric Wrangler from 0-60 in “2.0” seconds (I get it!).
Four lithium-ion battery packs are distributed throughout the chassis for ideal weight balance, and offer a 70 kW/h capacity for what’s probably more than enough range to get you into trouble in the off-off road environment a Jeep like this likely to find itself capable of getting to.
The Magneto powertrain, combined with the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon’s Rock-Trac transfer case, demonstrates “unequaled rock-crawling capability with its instant on-demand torque delivery, a driver-selectable maximum regeneration function … (and a) true, ‘one-pedal’ driving experience.”
Off-road Upgrades
Jeep upgraded its electric Wrangler Magneto concept with a 12 inch stretch to the wheelbase of the two-door Wrangler body, giving the Magneto 2.0 proportions similar to the “LJ” Wrangler Unlimited from 2004-06. A 3-inch lift kit and 40-inch off-road tires wrapped around a set of 20-inch powdercoated wheels augments the car’s stance. Its list of component upgrades includes a stout, off-road specific chassis setup featuring a Dynatrac 60 Pro-Rock front axle and a massive Pro-Rock Dynatrac 80 rear with a 5.38 gear, front and rear lockers, and a host of other custom driveshaft and an off-road suspension bits. Custom, lightweight bumpers replace the factory units, front and rear. Carbon-fiber wheel flares, front and rear, cover the extra-wide tires.
And, if you can make sense of any of that, you already know you want one. If you can’t, well— head on down to the comments section at the bottom of the page and let us know what you need clarity on. We’ll be happy to answer.