Sponsored

Mark Allen Says Full Electric Wrangler EV Can Be Even More Capable Off-Road

CaJLMetalHead

Well-Known Member
First Name
CAJLMetalHead
Joined
Sep 6, 2018
Threads
19
Messages
948
Reaction score
1,808
Location
96049
Vehicle(s)
Jeep Wrangler Sport Unlimited
Although an "All-Electric" Wrangler is not feasible in the short term future... there are current technologies to allow an electric motor driven vehicle that charges the batteries and provides electric power using a small gas engine.. like the Nissan E-Power technology...

Also... the "In-Wheel" or hub electric motor technology is mature enough for such an idea as Off-Road vehicles with electric powertrain.. now imagine.. .you get rid of axles.. transfer cases, gearbox... big gas engine... lockers.. and then replace it with Nissan E-Power... in-wheel electric motors... it still has long-range ... imagine the beauty of precise torque delivery and individual speed control per wheel... no more smashing the pumpkin, broken axles and joints.. the technology already exists... the big obstacle currently would be cost of the vehicle like a Wrangler the way I describe it would be closer in cost to a high-end Tesla than a standard gas engine Rubicon ..

Links to the referenced technology:

Nissan E-Power






In wheel electric motors

https://in-wheel.com/en/
https://www.proteanelectric.com/

Sponsored

 

Toycrusher

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2019
Threads
19
Messages
1,412
Reaction score
2,070
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
JLUR
Although an "All-Electric" Wrangler is not feasible in the short term future... there are current technologies to allow an electric motor driven vehicle that charges the batteries and provides electric power using a small gas engine.. like the Nissan E-Power technology...

Also... the "In-Wheel" or hub electric motor technology is mature enough for such an idea as Off-Road vehicles with electric powertrain.. now imagine.. .you get rid of axles.. transfer cases, gearbox... big gas engine... lockers.. and then replace it with Nissan E-Power... in-wheel electric motors... it still has long-range ... imagine the beauty of precise torque delivery and individual speed control per wheel... no more smashing the pumpkin, broken axles and joints.. the technology already exists... the big obstacle currently would be cost of the vehicle like a Wrangler the way I describe it would be closer in cost to a high-end Tesla than a standard gas engine Rubicon ..

Links to the referenced technology:

Nissan E-Power






In wheel electric motors

https://in-wheel.com/en/
https://www.proteanelectric.com/

The Nissan deal is exactly what the Chevy Volt was a decade ago. The Volt had the added advantage of being able to mechanically couple the engine to the wheels to avoid electrical conversion losses.

In a passenger car, where average demand is somewhere around 25 hp, that works just fine. A Jeep on the highway probably demands 75+ hp. Off-road, with big tires, soft terrain, and inclines, average demand is probably 150+ hp. You would need a more substantial range extender for continuous use, which takes up valuable space, adds weight, and cost. Not that it doesn't have advantages, it just doesn't have enough advantages to make it worth the cost.

The wheel hub motors have a few challenges of their own. On a road going sedan, biggest issue is ride quality with the large increase in unsprung weight. On a Jeep, issue's would include cable routing and protection, and maintenance with potential for submersion in mud and muddy water
 

steelponycowboy

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Aug 31, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
132
Reaction score
223
Location
Mesa, AZ
Vehicle(s)
'21 JTR Diesel, '17 Cherokee, '16 JKUR Hard Rock
Occupation
Retired - most of the time anyway
I've seen plenty of Tesla's sitting on the side of the road on I-40 and I-10 in Arizona. My buddy owns one and says the battery time is way overstated and that once you load it up with luggage and people and run the AC, the claimed range is cut in half.

It's a nice concept and would be great but I just don't see it working with today's technology. I could imagine running out of juice on an overland trip or even an off road trip and getting stranded needing a $2400+ tow. Can you imagine the additional stress putting 37's on an EV Wrangler? Cut your range by 75% or more. Just won't work with a modified Jeep for off road. It's not as much about the range as it is how much you work the battery off road. Then there is the issue with aftermarket additions and cancellation of your warranty by Jeep. Might be great as a mall crawler or commuter car but now an off road on.
 

Toycrusher

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2019
Threads
19
Messages
1,412
Reaction score
2,070
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
JLUR
Rivian is going to partner with companies to install charging at places where their vehicles might go: trailheads, off-road parks, outdoor destinations, etc. Rivian is using the industry standard "combo" connector for DC fast charging, so other EVs can use its stations and vice-versa.
That would be awesome but I can't imagine a viable business case for that. I don't think the busiest supercharger station in the country has any sort of hope of ever even breaking even on investment, much less building infrastructure in the boonies
 

Sponsored

scramboleer

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2016
Threads
0
Messages
69
Reaction score
63
Location
San Francisco
That would be awesome but I can't imagine a viable business case for that. I don't think the busiest supercharger station in the country has any sort of hope of ever even breaking even on investment, much less building infrastructure in the boonies
True, the business case for standalone public EV charging is very tough, if not non-existent. The infrastructure costs thousands, the product costs cents, and many customers will be able to charge at home and/or work most of the time. If the charging infrastructure is bundled (like Tesla), then that is a different strategy.

Heck, gas stations make little on the fuel, but their actual money on cigarettes, soda, and snacks.
 

jmcdtucson

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jerel
Joined
Jun 17, 2018
Threads
12
Messages
698
Reaction score
661
Location
Tucson, AZ
Vehicle(s)
2018 JLU Sport S
Vehicle Showcase
1
Can you imagine the additional stress putting 37's on an EV Wrangler? Cut your range by 75% or more.
How do you figure? Most people with 37's seem to report that their mileage maybe drops by 20% or so with big tires. It Should be a roughly equivalent drop in range for electric vehicle and nowhere near 50% let alone 75%.
 

Toycrusher

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2019
Threads
19
Messages
1,412
Reaction score
2,070
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
JLUR
That would be a great solution. Problem is someone has to foot a huge bill for that storage battery with no indication they would recover their investment. Also, that storage battery has a finite lifespan and it's own maintenance requirements.

The cost of electricity is going to have to go waaaaay up before anyone can afford to dedicate taxable real estate to battery charger stations
 

Equitasforall

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jeff
Joined
Aug 25, 2018
Threads
23
Messages
543
Reaction score
980
Location
Virginia or Tennessee if in the US
Vehicle(s)
2021 Rubicon 4xe
Occupation
I could tell you, but then....
All we need is a miniaturized arc reactor...


Jeep Wrangler JL Mark Allen Says Full Electric Wrangler EV Can Be Even More Capable Off-Road 1591185688124


And apparently some xanax, valium, or something for some of the readers on here. The ready - fire - aim thing kills me sometimes...
 

Equitasforall

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jeff
Joined
Aug 25, 2018
Threads
23
Messages
543
Reaction score
980
Location
Virginia or Tennessee if in the US
Vehicle(s)
2021 Rubicon 4xe
Occupation
I could tell you, but then....
Too funny!
 

Sponsored

cosine

Well-Known Member
First Name
Chris
Joined
Jun 1, 2019
Threads
73
Messages
13,021
Reaction score
72,924
Location
NY
Vehicle(s)
2019 Wrangler Sport jl
Occupation
Gone Postal
My wife is deaf, and just the idea of honking the horn.... cracks me up.
Honk all day till you're blue in the face. :)
i wasnt trying to be a wise crack. i am hard of hearing. i had the one person telling me that in her neighborhood theres a sign said deaf person area. so a car was flying down the road blowing the horn. so one day she stopped him and questioned him does he flash the light if he saw a sign saying blind person area, since your are doing good on alerting the deaf by honking. :facepalm:
 

uawho

Well-Known Member
First Name
Nate
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Threads
8
Messages
455
Reaction score
2,410
Location
Arizona
Vehicle(s)
'20 JLUR Hella Yella
Occupation
Civil engineer
Vehicle Showcase
1
i wasnt trying to be a wise crack. i am hard of hearing. i had the one person telling me that in her neighborhood theres a sign said deaf person area. so a car was flying down the road blowing the horn. so one day she stopped him and questioned him does he flash the light if he saw a sign saying blind person area, since your are doing good on alerting the deaf by honking. :facepalm:
No offense taken here...
Just thought it was funny.

We actually take advantage of my wife sometimes. When we accidentally trigger the house alarm, it goes off and is INSANELY loud and high pitch. And of course the keypad to turn if off is right by the siren. If I walk up to turn it off, it borders on painful. So she gets volunteered, since she never realized the siren was going off in the first place, and it doesn't bother her at all!
Sponsored

 
 



Top