Inside the Jeep booth at the 2022 SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nevada is an all-electric Jeep CJ 4×4 that Jeep’s calling “Surge.”
While the press release describes Surge as simply a “CJ,” the curved door bottoms tell us that the tub is either poached from a CJ-6 or a stretched CJ-5. Either way, the frame has been modified with custom mounts to accept the electric drivetrain.
Not sure the difference between Jeep models? Check this out: Spotter’s Guide: A Quick Rundown of the Jeep CJ Generations.
Speaking of drivetrain, the CJ is propelled by a 400 volt, 200 kW (about 265 hp) electric motor driving all four wheels through a two-speed Jeep transfer case. Riding on a two inch lift kit, Surge also features Dana 44 axles spinning 18 inch Black Rhino Wheels wrapped in 35 inch BFG Mud Terrain T/A Tires.
The 24 lithium-ion battery modules are inside a case mounted behind the seats.
The roll cage is custom built, and the windshield had been chopped two inches for a unique profile. Up front, Surge wears an off-road bumper from a JK Wrangler that’s been modified to fit, and carries a Warn Winch.
Jeep says Surge was designed to “explore an efficient battery-electric propulsion system for classic Jeep models…leading to a future propulsion-system offering for enthusiasts to build or convert classic and current cars and trucks into zero-emission vehicles.”
So it sounds like Jeep is pursuing the idea of a drop-in Electric Vehicle retrofit kit for the CJ line, and presumably that research can be applied to other classic cars and trucks in the Mopar family tree.
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