As the 2022 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) commerce present kicks off Monday in Las Vegas, Mopar — Stellantis’ OEM accent division — unveiled a trio of intriguing idea automobiles, led by an electrified Jeep CJ. Even extra thrilling, the battery electrical expertise behind it might portend a restomod revival of basic American muscle automobiles.
Stellantis
“The Jeep CJ Surge idea explores a future zero-emission propulsion system equipment and helps the Jeep model’s mission to change into the main electrified SUV model on the planet,” Mark Bosanac, North America senior vice chairman, Mopar service, components and buyer care, mentioned in a ready assertion Monday. “Separately, our Ram 1500 Backcountry X and TRX Gold Shot ideas showcase a truckload of progressive Mopar equipment for our award-winning full-size vans.”
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The CJ Surge is what’s often known as a restomod (a portmanteau of “restoration” and “modification”), in that they cleaned up an late mannequin CJ7 (the resto half) and swapped out the interior combustion engine for battery-electric propulsion (the mod half). Restomods aren’t strictly electrifications — we have been doing them with crate engines for many years — however with automakers swiftly transitioning to battery energy from fuel, demand from the basic automobile neighborhood for related capabilities has grown lately. In response, Ford has begun prototyping a BEV restomod system known as the Eluminator. The Surge is Mopar’s first steps in the identical course.
So moderately than an inline-six or v-eight that the CJ7s initially got here with, Mopar has dropped in a “scalable 400-volt, 200-kW Electric Drive Module” that gives four-wheel drive capabilities. That powerplant is backed by a 24-module Li-ion battery that sits in a “customized shell mounted within the rear of the passenger cabin,” which you’ll see as the enormous silver field dominating the trunk house within the picture above. And moderately than a standard handbook transmission, the Surge replaces the stick shift with a Wrangler JK middle console and rotary shifter knob.
There’s no phrase on efficiency numbers, a lot much less when — or even when — this may ever come to market. If you need to try the Surge for your self, you may must get to the Las Vegas Convention Center earlier than November 4th.